The Relationship Of Grip Strength With Bat And Batted Ball Velocity In Collegiate Baseball Players

The Relationship of Grip Strength with Bat and Batted Ball Velocity in Collegiate Baseball Players. Connor M. Saker, Antonio J. Colecio, Brendan S. Finn, Brandon W. Snyder, Shala E. Davis, Matthew R. Miltenberger. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, PA.Collegiate and professional baseball use statistics such as bat velocity (BV) and batted ball velocity (BBV) to evaluate performance outcomes. Hand grip strength has been demonstrated to have a relationship with BV and BBV at these high levels, but limited research has been done at the NCAA Division II level. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between grip strength with bat velocity and batted ball velocity. METHODS: Seventeen NCAA Division II baseball players (age: 19.76 ± 1.80 years, height: 70.47 ± 4.00 inches, mass: 186.88 ± 22.03 pounds) volunteered for this study. Participants were tested on BV, BBV and hand grip strength prior to the competitive season. All hand grip strength assessments included top and bottom hand trials. RESULTS: BV and top hand grip strength had a moderate relationship (r = 0.667, p = 0.003). BV and bottom hand grip strength had a fair relationship (r = 0.382, p = 0.132). BBV and top hand grip strength had a moderate relationship (r = 0.686, p = 0.002). BBV and bottom hand grip strength had a moderate relationship (r = 0.510, p = 0.037). CONCLUSION: There was a relationship between BV and BBV with both top and bottom hand grip strength. SIGNIFICANCE/NOVELTY: This study found that hand grip strength can have an impact on BV and BBV and should be considered when programming for NCAA Division II baseball players. Future studies should look to compare top versus bottom hand grip strength in relationship to BV and BBV.