4 min
Biomechanics is an interdisciplinary field leveraging principles from biology, physics, and mathematics to comprehensively study and analyze human (and animal!) movement. It’s not specific to sports. This application combines my two favorite things: solving complex movement puzzles and dogs. The body is a big lever system thanks to the skeleton that lives inside of us (weird, right?). Our bones can’t act on their own. They need muscles and other types of connective tissue to pull the levers (our limbs). Then there needs to be control of the lever system. We certainly don’t want all the levers activated at once so the nervous system hops in the driver seat. We can apply math and fundamental laws of physics to human anatomy and physiology to understand the intricacies, complexities, and uniqueness of how we move.
The term “mechanics” may suggest a single, optimal movement sequence for the best results. However, the body is not a rigid machine with fixed parts like a car. It is a dynamic, adaptable biological system that continuously responds to new sensory information through the nervous system.
For example, encountering an icy sidewalk requires quick adaptation. If an athlete doesn’t perceive the hazard, they might slip. However, recognizing the change allows for an adjusted walking pattern, reducing risk. In softball, this same adaptability applies to reacting to different pitch speeds or adjusting hitting mechanics mid-game.
Biomechanics is often applied in pitching and hitting, where producing maximum velocity and power is crucial. Historically, coaches believed in an “elite” movement pattern as the standard for success. However, modern technology (high-speed cameras, motion tracking, and software analytics) has revealed that movement patterns are highly individualized.
Instead of forcing athletes into a one-size-fits-all model, biomechanics helps analyze each player’s unique movement to optimize performance while reducing injury risk.
Our Biomechanics Assessment addresses all these key areas. We are able to effectively tell a pitcher or hitter’s story by connecting her movement patterns in the weight room to her swing/pitching patterns (her biomechanics) and ultimately, the result on the ball. More importantly, this story guides her training plan in two ways: (1) it identifies what she currently does well and what to leverage immediately (pitch calling, pitch selection, not chasing a specific pitch type, etc.) and (2) where her performance gaps are and areas for growth. As a single snapshot in time, biomechanics is the bridge to who you are outside of the game (in training) to who you are inside the circle or batter’s box.
Continued and regular monitoring of swing/pitching patterns supports training efficiency by allowing objective questions to be asked of those movement patterns. Below are two reports from the same pitcher. She had been experimenting with a change in her wind-up and wanted to know which one was “better”. A very fair question, but we need to be clear on what “better” means. You can see in the comparison that some metrics were very different, while others remained consistent. If we just compared the numbers, it’s not clear how we’d judge which one was “better”. Better might mean:
A hint that the wind-up she utilized in RH15 might be “better” is rotational velocity difference she’s able to achieve when transferring energy from upper arm to lower arm during ball release. We have to measure ball flight, however, to see what effect that has on the ball not just in the moment but over time. It’s challenging to determine which is “better” even with research-grade, top notch biomechanics data because that answer to the question lies individually within the athlete and how she expresses her pitching patterns and swing.
By embracing biomechanics in softball, we shift the focus from rigid mechanics to adaptable, data-driven training. This approach ensures that players maximize their potential in a way that aligns with their individual capabilities and needs—leading to long-term success in the game.
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