ORAL DEFENSE 2022

PITCHER PERFECTION: A BETTER WRIST

TRAINER TO THROW THE BEST SLIDER

Samantha McGarity
 Engineering goal: Successfully decrease the
average amount of wrist rotation while
Ideation pitching a slider and better understand the
effect repetition has on this pitch.

◦ My original interest in this project from

watching the Braves games with my family and
playing softball growing up. I thought the slider
was a very interesting pitch because of the way
it curves after leaving the pitcher’s hand. This is Sources:
a continuation project of last year, so this year Gil, J. A., & Weiss, A.-P. C. (2020). The weekend warrior: Common Hand and wrist injuries in athletes. Rhode Island Medical
Journal, 103(7), 49–53.

the same general idea was kept but with more Lindholm, M. E., Giacomello, S., Werne Solnestam, B., Fischer, H., Huss, M., Kjellqvist, S., & Sundberg, C. J. (2016). The Impact of
Endurance Training on Human Skeletal Muscle Memory, Global Isoform Expression and Novel Transcripts. PLoS
extensive background research, as well as the Genetics, 12(9), 1–24. https://doi-org.proxygsu-scob.galileo.usg.edu/10.1371/journal.pgen.1006294

production of a new prototype. Newell, K. (2006). Training Day Sports Practice Aids That Deliver Results. Coach & Athletic Director, 75(8), 72–76.

Shimizu, H., Beppu, M., Matsusita, K., Arai, T., & Naito, T. (2012). Clinical Outcomes of Hook of Hamate Fractures and Usefulness of
the Hook of Hamate Pull Test. Hand Surgery, 17(3), 347–350.
◦ Next year, I will begin to think of a new issue to be https://doi-org.proxygsu-scob.galileo.usg.edu/10.1142/S0218810412500293

solved/ researched earlier in the year, so I do not Xiao, Z. G., Menon, C., & Jin, Z. (2020). Towards the investigation on the effect of the forearm rotation on the wrist FMG signal
pattern using a high-density FMG sensing matrix. Cogent Engineering, 7(1), 1–21.

feel so far behind at the STEM summer academy.  https://doi-org.proxygsu-scob.galileo.usg.edu/10.1080/23311916.2020.1795051

Research

◦ One source I used was the article “Training day sports practice
aids that deliver results” by K. Newell. This document
discussed some different repetition machines used in baseball
practice to train a player’s muscle memory to perform different
tasks. I used this to support how the construction of my device
could help players with the element of repetition.
◦ While conducting trials on my device, the goniometer fell off
several times because it was too heavy to hold on with hot glue.
To fix this issue, I used JB-Weld adhesive instead of hot glue.
◦ Next year, I will start my trials earlier in the semester, so I do
not feel as overwhelmed with everything that is due.
 First, I researched deeper into muscle memory techniques in baseball.
Then I created a new device based on last year’s design and tested the
amount wrist rotation thrown with a slider every day for 2 weeks. I
made a graph to track the amount of rotation and then compared it to last
year’s product, seeing which had less rotation and was, in turn, the better
prototype.

Challenge: The most challenging part of the procedure was testing the

Procedure product because sometimes the device would fall apart or not work
properly. Eventually though, I managed to use JB Weld to hold it
together and it worked perfectly.

To make this part of the process easier, next year I will begin my trials
over a weekend to make sure that I will have the most time to collect my
data.
Paperwork
◦ Lit review challenge: This was the most difficult
part of the project for me, and what I struggled
with most was managing my time with my other
classes to write it.
◦ GSEF paperwork challenge: This part was easier
for me than it was last year, but the most difficult
part was submitting the different papers into Zfairs.
◦ Research journal challenge: I had trouble finding
the motivation to write down everything I was
doing into my journal.
◦ Tri-fold poster challenge: The most difficult part
was getting the measurements right on PowerPoint
to match the board.
◦ Advice: Try to start the paperwork as soon as you
know what your project is to get a head start
because of how much time it takes.
Science Fair

At first, the rotation of the wrist was going down when the new
prototype was being used. It did spike up again, but it did begin to trend I. One thing I enjoyed about science fair was
down again, proving the device effective. It is more constant than last being able to see my friend’s projects and
year’s device as well, making it overall the better of the two. The digital their finished results after hearing from
goniometer gave a more accurate representation of the amount of wrist them what their project was about.
rotation while throwing a slider, and the wrist adapted to not having II. One thing I need to work on is time
rotation because of the addition of the rubber band restraint holing the management with other classes and
fourth finger back while pitching. prioritizing science fair.