Increase Power in Your Swing Using Pressure Mat Data to Improve Hitting Biomechanics
Creating power at the plate, like all rotational sports, requires efficient ground reaction force mechanics. Evaluating how players use the ground in their swing is challenging to do with the naked eye. Therefore, before we begin any biomechanical assessment on a baseball player, we evaluate the most fundamental component of any swing: how they use the ground.
Key Metrics in Swing Evaluation
There are two main metrics we evaluate in every swing:
- Lateral Velocity: This measures how a player moves from their trail foot to lead foot during the swing.
- Dynamic Vertical Force: This measures how much force a player can push into the ground—more force equals more power.
Lateral Velocity: Speed and Timing
When examining lateral velocity, we focus on the speed and timing of the movement from the trail foot to the lead foot:
- Speed: The faster a player moves from their trail foot to their lead foot, the more power they can generate.
- Timing: Effective hitters stay on their trail foot until the last possible moment. This timing helps them react to and hit off-speed pitches effectively. If the weight shifts to the front foot too early, hitting off-speed pitches becomes challenging. Good hitters usually achieve peak lateral velocity just before impact, creating stability on the front leg and maximizing dynamic vertical force.
Dynamic Vertical Force: Magnitude and Timing
For dynamic vertical force, we look at two main aspects:
- Magnitude: More dynamic vertical force means more power. Elite hitters can produce 2-3 times their body weight in vertical force from their lead leg during the swing.
- Timing: The timing of the force is crucial. In proficient hitters, vertical force peaks just before contact and continues through impact. Players struggling with power often generate insufficient vertical ground force or generate force post-impact, reducing the force delivered to the baseball.
Identifying and Correcting Biomechanical Issues
After an in-depth swing assessment, it's essential to understand why a player struggles to use the ground in their swing. The issue could be a motor control problem or a physical restriction:
- Physical Restriction: This includes biomechanical breakdowns that limit range of motion, flexibility, or strength, such as lack of thoracic/hip rotation, poor ankle mobility, limited upper and lower body disassociation, weak core stability muscles, or balance limitations.
- Motor Control Issue: In this case, the player is physically capable of using ground mechanics correctly but needs to practice better swing kinematics.
Often, the first issue is a physical restriction. A player can’t be coached out of a body that doesn’t move properly. We frequently see improvements in lateral swing velocity and dynamic vertical force after correcting biomechanical dysfunctions, without making mechanical changes to the swing.
Empowering Players Through Understanding and Correction
The most crucial aspect of our work with each player is ensuring they understand how their body's biomechanical dysfunctions affect performance. We provide tools to correct these imbalances, allowing players to move more effectively. This way, when they return to working with their coach, their body isn't the limiting factor in their performance.
Using pressure mat data to analyze and improve hitting biomechanics is an invaluable approach to increasing power in your swing. By focusing on lateral velocity and dynamic vertical force, and addressing any physical restrictions or motor control issues, players can enhance their performance and maximize their potential at the plate.
Interested in learning more about your biomechanics? Email dan@honsbergerphysio.com for more info!
Written by Daniel Hilborn, Osteopathic Manual Practitioner, Certified Athletic Therapist
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