Correlation of Grip Strength and Spin Rate as it Relates to Fastball Pitches for Adolescent Athletes

Pitchers with higher spin rates generally see higher swing and miss rates when pitching. The goal of this study was to find out how to improve spin rates without cheating (using foreign substances like pine tar). The hypothesis was that an increase in grip strength would show a positive correlation to spin rate. The study split 37 athletes into two groups. Both groups went through preliminary testing. The test group received extra grip strength exercises while the control group did the normal lifting routine for a three-month period. At the end of the study, post-testing data was collected for both groups. The data proved to be inconclusive, as there were no significant differences in grip strength between the test group and the control group.