Throwing Speed and Accuracy in Baseball and Cricket Players. Issue 3 (June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Freeston, Jonathan; Rooney, Kieron
• Is Part Of: Perceptual and motor skills. Volume 118:Issue 3(2014)
• Page Start: 637
• Page End: 650
• Publication Date: 2014-06
• Subjects: Perception -- Periodicals; Motor ability -- Periodicals; Motor Skills; Perception; Psychology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 152
• DOI: 10.2466/30.PMS.118k25w4
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0031-5125

Abstract

Throwing speed and accuracy are both critical to sports performance but cannot be optimized simultaneously. This speed-accuracy trade-off (SATO) is evident across a number of throwing groups but remains poorly understood. The goal was to describe the SATO in baseball and cricket players and determine the speed that optimizes accuracy. 20 grade-level baseball and cricket players performed 10 throws at 80% and 100% of maximal throwing speed (MTS) toward a cricket stump. Baseball players then performed a further 10 throws at 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100% of MTS toward a circular target. Baseball players threw faster with greater accuracy than cricket players at both speeds. Both groups demonstrated a significant SATO as vertical error increased with increases in speed; the trade-off was worse for cricketers than baseball players. Accuracy was optimized at 70% of MTS for baseballers. Throwing athletes should decrease speed when accuracy is critical. Cricket players could adopt baseball-training practices to improve throwing performance.