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It is generally believed that pitchers with good mechanics throw harder
than pitchers with poor mechanics. To test this hypothesis, the kinematics
of 134 healthy adult subjects were studied. This study showed that approximately
50% of difference in ball speed between pitchers can be explained by looking
at pitching mechanics. The most important mechanical factor was the timing
of maximum arm velocity. In other words, when a pitcher extends his elbow
and internally rotates his shoulder is very important. How much the trunk
stretches and moves during pitching is also important. Non-mechanical
factors, such as how big a pitcher is, also effect the ability to generate
ball speed.
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