Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-8-2025

Comments

This article is the author's final published version in Biomechanics (Switzerland), Volume 5, Issue 1, March 2025, Article number 3.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics5010003.

Copyright © 2025 by the authors

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Three-dimensional motion analysis is often used to evaluate improvements or decrements in movement patterns in athletes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of joint flexion/extension angles of the pitching elbow and bilateral knees and hips in softball pitchers. Methods: Fourteen softball pitchers (17.9 ± 2.3 years) were tested in one session consisting of four sets of five consecutive fastballs and a second session of two sets of five fastballs. The magnitude of systematic bias and within-subject variation was calculated between pitches. An iterative intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) process was used to determine intra- and inter-session reliability, standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change. Results: Reductions in within-subject variation were observed for all variables when the number of pitches used in calculations was increased. Intra-session ICC values ranged from an average of 0.643 for pitching elbow to 0.989 for stride leg knee. Inter-session ICC values ranged from an average of 0.663 for pitching elbow to 0.996 for stride leg knee. Conclusions: Joint flexion/extension angles during the softball windmill pitch can be measured with good to high reliability using three-dimensional motion analysis. Biomechanical analysis can be confidently used to detect changes in the pitching motion over the course of a season or following an intervention.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Language

English

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