The act of pitching a baseball involved a complicated transfer of energy through the kinetic chain.
However, until recently, this was not documented and quantified.
In this week’s episode of The Sports Physical Therapy Podcast, I talk with biomechanist Arnel Aguinaldo, who has recently published several articles on the energy flow during the baseball pitch, with implications on velocity development and potential injury risk.
Show Notes
Arnel Aguinaldo (aka “Dr. A”) is an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Point Loma Nazarene University where he runs the biomechanics laboratory, which focuses on the biomechanical foundations of athletic performance. His research in baseball spans 15 years with multiple publications and conference presentations on the kinematic, kinetic, and energetic aspects of baseball pitching and their links to injury risk and throwing performance.
Articles:
- Relationship between ground reaction force and throwing arm kinetics in high school and collegiate pitchers
- Upper body contributions to pitched ball velocity in elite high school pitchers using an induced velocity analysis
- Inverse dynamics analysis of youth pitching arm kinetics using body composition imaging
- Induced power analysis of sequential body motion and elbow valgus load during baseball pitching
- Segmental Power Analysis of Sequential Body Motion and Elbow Valgus Loading During Baseball Pitching: Comparison Between Professional and High School Baseball Players
