The Relationship Between Sports Performance Variables And Hitting Performance In NCAA Division II Softball Athletes

The Relationship Between Sports Performance Variables and Hitting Performance in NCAA Division II Softball Athletes Matthew R. Miltenberger, Chrystiana N. Brettle, Angelina E. Monti, Brandon W. Snyder, Brendan S. Finn, Shala E. Davis, Connor M. Saker. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, PA.Literature suggests that lower body strengthening and explosive training can be effective in increasing the rate of force development, and in turn bat velocity in baseball players. Despite the similarities between the hitting movements associated with baseball and softball players, there has been little research done on the relationship between resistance training and the effect of swing performance in softball players. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between measures of strength or power to bat swing velocity (BV) and batted ball velocity (BBV) in NCAA Division II softball players. METHODS: Twenty-two NCAA Division II softball players from a regional Northeast University (age: 19.50 ± 1.44 years, height: 65.55 ± 2.30 inches, mass: 148.68 ± 19.40 pounds) participated in this study and were tested on BV, BBV, Medicine Ball shot put for distance, 1RM Back Squat, 1RM Deadlift, hand grip strength and a Lateral Bound. RESULTS: BBV was significantly related to 1RM back squat (r = 0.709, p = 0.001) and 1RM deadlift (r = 0.602, p = 0.003). A moderate relationship was seen between rotational shot put and BBV (r = 0.414, p = .055) and between BV and 1RM deadlift (r = 0.487, p = 0.022). There is a strong relationship between BBV and grip strength of the top hand (r = 0.583, p = 0.004), and there is a moderate relationship between BBV and grip strength of the bottom hand (r = 0.484, p = 0.023). CONCLUSION: There is a need for sports performance professionals to understand the importance of the 1RM back squat and 1RM deadlift in their softball athletes. Incorporating these training measures may translate into an increase in BV and BBV, which ultimately creates greater offensive success on the field. SIGNIFICANCE: Incorporating maximal strength movements into softball training could lead to more productive offensive softball players. There is also a need for future research to examine the translational relationship between strength and power and additional on-field variables.