One of the most notable predictors of throwing velocity in professional baseball players may be the strength of the wrist.
In a new study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers used a 3-dimensional Doppler and video system to analyze throwing velocity in 90 professional baseball pitchers. The researchers then took strength measurements using dynamometry, as well as ROM and anthropometrics.
Although ROM and anthropemetrics did not appear to correlate with throwing velocity in this professional population, wrist extension acceleration and radial deviation strength were two significant predictors of throwing velocity.
Conclusions
Athletes who compete in throwing sports may benefit from exercises designed to improve wrist strength. Future research would be valuable to investigate how these variables interact with assessments at other regions of the body such as lower body power/strength or core stability.
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