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Visual abilities distinguish pitchers from hitters in professional baseball.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Klemish, D; Ramger, B; Vittetoe, K; Reiter, JP; Tokdar, ST; Appelbaum, LG
Published in: J Sports Sci
January 2018

This study aimed to evaluate the possibility that differences in sensorimotor abilities exist between hitters and pitchers in a large cohort of baseball players of varying levels of experience. Secondary data analysis was performed on 9 sensorimotor tasks comprising the Nike Sensory Station assessment battery. Bayesian hierarchical regression modelling was applied to test for differences between pitchers and hitters in data from 566 baseball players (112 high school, 85 college, 369 professional) collected at 20 testing centres. Explanatory variables including height, handedness, eye dominance, concussion history, and player position were modelled along with age curves using basis regression splines. Regression analyses revealed better performance for hitters relative to pitchers at the professional level in the visual clarity and depth perception tasks, but these differences did not exist at the high school or college levels. No significant differences were observed in the other 7 measures of sensorimotor capabilities included in the test battery, and no systematic biases were found between the testing centres. These findings, indicating that professional-level hitters have better visual acuity and depth perception than professional-level pitchers, affirm the notion that highly experienced athletes have differing perceptual skills. Findings are discussed in relation to deliberate practice theory.

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Published In

J Sports Sci

DOI

EISSN

1466-447X

Publication Date

January 2018

Volume

36

Issue

2

Start / End Page

171 / 179

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Visual Acuity
  • Task Performance and Analysis
  • Sport Sciences
  • Sensorimotor Cortex
  • Motor Skills
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Depth Perception
  • Bayes Theorem
 

Citation

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Klemish, D., Ramger, B., Vittetoe, K., Reiter, J. P., Tokdar, S. T., & Appelbaum, L. G. (2018). Visual abilities distinguish pitchers from hitters in professional baseball. J Sports Sci, 36(2), 171–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2017.1288296
Klemish, David, Benjamin Ramger, Kelly Vittetoe, Jerome P. Reiter, Surya T. Tokdar, and Lawrence Gregory Appelbaum. “Visual abilities distinguish pitchers from hitters in professional baseball.J Sports Sci 36, no. 2 (January 2018): 171–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2017.1288296.
Klemish D, Ramger B, Vittetoe K, Reiter JP, Tokdar ST, Appelbaum LG. Visual abilities distinguish pitchers from hitters in professional baseball. J Sports Sci. 2018 Jan;36(2):171–9.
Klemish, David, et al. “Visual abilities distinguish pitchers from hitters in professional baseball.J Sports Sci, vol. 36, no. 2, Jan. 2018, pp. 171–79. Pubmed, doi:10.1080/02640414.2017.1288296.
Klemish D, Ramger B, Vittetoe K, Reiter JP, Tokdar ST, Appelbaum LG. Visual abilities distinguish pitchers from hitters in professional baseball. J Sports Sci. 2018 Jan;36(2):171–179.

Published In

J Sports Sci

DOI

EISSN

1466-447X

Publication Date

January 2018

Volume

36

Issue

2

Start / End Page

171 / 179

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Visual Acuity
  • Task Performance and Analysis
  • Sport Sciences
  • Sensorimotor Cortex
  • Motor Skills
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Depth Perception
  • Bayes Theorem