No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Springfield College, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.S.)--Springfield College, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Throughout the decades, both professional and amateur athletes has been trying to enhance their performance with regard to hitting a baseball. Even through the methods for attaining this goal have changed many times since the early beginnings of the sport, there remain differing opinions as to the best method of acquiring a high level of hitting efficiency. For the purpose of this study, hitting efficiency will be defined as the degree of solid contact made by the performer when attempting to hit a baseball. It was the intention of Coach Al Endriss (1986) to invent a hitting aid that would not only increase the amount of solid contact by his players, but also produce less strikeouts and consequently, more productive hitting. Endriss' philosophy is that the more solid contact the hitter can achieve, the greater chance there is of reaching base safely. These concepts sparked the beginning of the Thunderstick, which is now produced from sizes for the little leaguer to the intercollegiate athlete who seek to sharpen their visual-motor skills. The Thunderstick is recognized as registered trademark of the Easton Aluminum Company. For a comparative diagram of the Thunderstick and a regulation aluminum bat, refer to Appendix A. The Thunderstick is a specially designed batting device that possesses unique and revolutionary characteristics that separate it from a regulation aluminum bat. A review of the literature on batting practice techniques revealed several different methods by which an individual can increase his hitting skills through a variety of practice drills such as the batting tee drill, soft-toss drill, screen-toss drill, and live hitting off a pitching machine. The practice drill that was chosen for this study, to be used in combination with the Thunderstick, was the batting tee drill. A need to gain more knowledge of the specific ways that athletes of all ages may improve their hitting skills through practice techniques would appear to facilitate the question posed as to how using the Thunderstick affects hitting efficiency. If it can be proven as a valid and reliable means of increasing solid contact, the Thunderstick would prove helpful to the entire population of participating baseball players.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1986 S67 / Master of Science / Kinesiology

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Toledo, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-46). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Toledo, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-46).

No description available.

The purpose of the study was to examine selected mechanical factors involved in hitting a baseball to the same and opposite fields. Special emphasis was placed on an identification of those factors which distinguish players of different hitting abilities. Twenty male college level baseball players, ten in each of two groups, hit six pitched baseballs, three each to two assigned areas of the playing field. The movement patterns for the opposite field and same field batting swings appeared to be similar in form with differences between the two swings due to (a) differences in the angular displacements at the left wrist and left elbow joints and (b) differences in the temporal characteristics.