Effect of Throwing Kinematics and Kinetics on Different Ranges of Long Toss in Youth Baseball Players

Abstract

Long-toss throwing is a baseball exercise that enhances the throwing performance of youth players. However, throwing kinematics and kinetics have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to analyze the effect of throwing kinematics and kinetics on different ranges of long toss in 22 youth players of the same age. The throwing motion was analyzed as the range of long toss was increased by 10 m each time until the ball did not directly reach the target. The twelve subjects who could throw long distances had a significantly larger physique and larger throwing kinematics and kinetics compared to the other 10 subjects who could not. No differences in the proximal force of the shoulder and elbow joints were observed between the two groups. These findings suggest that baseball coaches should set a suitable range of long toss for youth players according to the individual’s physical growth and strength.

Keywords

• baseball
• youth player
• long toss
• throwing
• kinematics
• kinetics