5 min
Previously, movement was viewed as a series of pre-written scripts called “motor programs.” Athletes were thought to select the necessary script and carry it out to completion, regardless if the pre-selected script was “right” or “wrong”. Real-life movements are rarely so neat. Disruptions like fatigue, adrenaline, or environmental changes can throw off even the best-laid plans. Early theories assumed that the only way to respond was to switch to a new motor program entirely, but that process would be too slow to work in real-time competition.
Instead, researchers like Nikolai Bernstein proposed a more dynamic solution: adjust the current movement on the fly using feedback from the body as it moves in space. Think of a motor program as a GPS route except this one keeps recalculating based on real-time traffic, weather, and detours. What this ultimately means is that: variability is not an error; it’s an advantage.
For decades, variability in movement was seen as a flaw; evidence of a lack of control, poor technique, or an inability to select the “correct” script. Bernstein saw it differently. He argued that the human body has redundant degrees of freedom; extra options in how muscles and joints can accomplish a task. At first, beginners “freeze” these options to simplify the task. Over time, skilled athletes learn to “free” those options again, allowing for more flexible, adaptive performance.
Dynamical systems theory embraces the idea that human movement is the product of interacting systems, muscular, skeletal, neurological, working within environmental and task-based constraints. These constraints shape movement solutions and can include things like body type (individual), field conditions (environmental), or game demands (task). In this framework, no single “ideal” technique exists. Instead, athletes learn to navigate constraints and find what works for them.
Instead of viewing capacity to adapt as a flaw, recognize it as a strength, signifying the ability to recover and maintain performance despite variations. Variability gives athletes the tools to solve the same movement problem in different ways depending on the situation. This flexibility is crucial in sports like softball, where pitchers are constantly adjusting to opponents, pitch counts, and game environments.
One of the most compelling reasons to embrace movement variability is its role in developing injury resilience. Repetitive, invariant movement patterns can overload specific tissues, especially when performed at high velocities or volumes. This is exactly the situation faced by softball pitchers. When the same movement is repeated identically over and over, the same tissues absorb force in the same way every time. Over time, this repetitive stress can impact vulnerable areas of the pitcher’s body, such as the anterior shoulder, medial forearm, or non-throwing side low back. In contrast, functional movement variability can help distribute mechanical load across different muscles and joints, reducing tissue-specific stress.
Importantly, as athletes fatigue, movement variability often decreases. This can be a red flag for coaches. Reduced variability under fatigue may reflect a more rigid, less adaptive motor system, at the very time when the body needs flexibility the most.
To effectively manage and understand variability, we need to measure it. That is where biomechanics plays a crucial role. Motion capture systems, wearable sensors, and high-speed video allow coaches and player development professionals to monitor variability with precision. Biomechanical analysis supports coaches in several key ways:
Ultimately, biomechanics turns variability from a guess into a measurable and actionable training tool. It helps bridge the gap between performance, skill development, and injury resilience using objective data.
Rather than drilling athletes to mimic a perfect model, coaches should encourage exploration within realistic game constraints. Use practice scenarios that vary task demands and replicate full pitching motions. Let athletes experiment with solutions. Instead of asking, “How close is this pitch to the ideal?” ask, “Does this pitch solve the problem in front of the athlete?”
🎧 Listen to Episode 52 of the OGX Podcast:
Explore how OGX uses biomechanical data to assess athletes, guide training decisions, and enhance performance.
Explore OGX’s Biomechanics Assessment:
Learn how our in-house assessments help connect weight room patterns to pitching and hitting mechanics — giving athletes and coaches a clear roadmap to development. Visit ogxsoftball.com/biomechanics-assessment.
Chat with a coach to discover how our programs can fit into your lifestyle and help you achieve your goals. Let’s get you started on your fitness journey today!
