Lower extremity kinematic and kinetic factors associated with bat speed at ball contact during the baseball swing

The purpose of this study was to determine which biomechanical variables measured during the baseball swing are associated with linear bat speed at ball contact (bat speed). Twenty collegiate baseball players hit a baseball from a tee into a net. Kinematics were recorded with a motion capture system sampling at 500 Hz and kinetics were measured by force plates under each foot sampling at 1000 Hz. Associations between bat speed, individual joint and segment kinematics, joint moments and ground reaction forces (GRF) were assessed using Pearson correlations and stepwise linear regression. Average bat speed was 30 ± 2 m/s. Lead foot peak vertical (159 ± 29% BW, r = 0.622, P = 0.001), posterior (−57 ± 12% BW, r = –0.574, P = 0.008) and resultant (170 ± 30% BW, r = 0.662, P = 0.001) GRF were all correlated with bat speed. No combination of factors strengthened the relationship to bat speed beyond these individual variables. These results illustrate the role of the lead leg in generating and transferring ground reaction forces through the kinetic chain in order to accelerate the bat. Training to improve bat speed should include both general lower extremity strengthening exercises and sport-specific hitting drills to improve lower extremity force production following lead foot contact.