The Association Of Visual-cognition And Hitting Biomechanics In Collegiate Baseball Players

A baseball hitter must visually track a ball from the pitcher’s release and generate proper whole-body movements relative to the ball trajectory. Successfully hitting the ball requires real-time adjustments and functional variability within motor coordination to accommodate specific pitches. However, it is unknown how visual-cognition and rotational movement interact for baseball swing performance. PURPOSE: Evaluate the relationship between visual-cognitive function and hitting biomechanics in collegiate baseball players. METHODS: Seventeen collegiate male baseball players participated (10 right batting stance, 20.47 ± 1.74 years, 1.80 ± 0.05 m, 84.30 ± 6.79 kg, 15.76 ± 2.31 years of baseball experience). Individuals completed computerized visual-cognitive assessments: near far quickness (NFQ), perception span (PS), and average reaction time (RT). NFQ and PS were measured as a composite score of the number of correct responses, and RT was measured as the time between the onset of visual stimulus and initiation of a motor response. To assess hitting biomechanics, a virtual reality headset simulated fastball pitches (87.71 ± 1.43mph) being thrown by a right-handed virtual pitcher. Kinematic data was collected with a 3-D motion analysis system, and 42 reflective markers were placed on the full-body and bat. The standard deviation (SD) of the timing to peak pelvic, trunk, and bat angular velocities were calculated from the load phase to assumed ball contact of the swing. Trials that resulted in ball contact were used for analyses. Associations were made using Spearman rho correlations (alpha set at 0.05). RESULTS: Increased SD of the timing to peak pelvic angular velocity was associated with better NFQ (ρ = 0.662, p = 0.004) and PS (ρ = 0.507, p = 0.038) scores. Increased SD of the timing to peak trunk angular velocity was associated with better NFQ (ρ = 0.586, p = 0.014) and PS (ρ = 0.517, p = 0.034) scores. Additionally, increased SD of the timing to peak bat angular velocity was associated with better NFQ (ρ = 0.673, p = 0.003) and PS (ρ = 0.518, p = 0.033) scores. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that individuals who are better at quick eye movements and visual working memory have increased functional variability in their approach to hitting fastball pitches, which may imply an improved ability to adapt to varied pitch trajectories. Joseph Alan Butts, MD Student Research Fund