Increasing Movement Amplitude in Speeded Hitting Enhances Contact Velocity Without Affecting Directional Accuracy or Movement Variability

Performance of sport-related ballistic motor skills, like ball hitting in golf and baseball, requires wide movements to produce highly fast and spatially accurate movements. In this study, we assessed the effect of movement amplitude on directional accuracy in a ballistic hitting task. Participants performed the task of moving a manual handle over a flat surface to hit with high speed a moveable disc, aiming to propel it towards a frontal target. Five movement amplitudes were compared, ranging from 11.5 cm to 27.5 cm in steps of 4 cm. Kinematic analysis evaluated motions of the handle, disc, and arm joints. Results showed that greater movement amplitudes led to longer acceleration phases, with delayed peak velocities at the handle, shoulder and elbow, leading to higher contact and peak linear velocities of the handle, and higher angular velocities at the shoulder and elbow. Manipulation of movement amplitude led to no evidence for effects on either disc directional accuracy or variability. Results also revealed no evidence for differences in variability of contact velocity, peak velocity and time of peak velocity across movement amplitudes in the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. Our results indicated that greater movement amplitudes in hitting a spatial target lead to increased contact velocity while not affecting directional accuracy or movement variability.