Association between eye and hand dominance and hitting, fielding and pitching skill among players of the Southern Baseball League.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between eye dominance and batting skill in baseball has been investigated, but conflicting results have been obtained. In addition, little attention has been given to the relationship, if any, between eye dominance and fielding and pitching skill.


METHODS
A vision screening of 215 professional baseball players in the Southern Baseball League was performed and the eye dominance of these players was determined by a sighting test. Handedness for batting, fielding, and pitching was determined by history.


RESULTS
The screening revealed that 66 percent of players were right-eye dominant and that, of 92 players who met the criteria established to qualify for the league batting championship, 60 percent had matched dominance of eye and hand. When official league batting averages were obtained for these 92 players, it was found that there was no statistically significant difference between batters with matched dominance (.278 mean batting average). For the 149 fielders in the league, no statistically significant differences based on eye dominance were found for fielding average (.893 matched dominance, .864 crossed dominance); for the 89 pitchers, a similar result was obtained. Pitchers were also evaluated with respect to eye dominance and earned run average, but no significant difference was found (3.91 matched dominance, 4.03 crossed dominance).


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicate that there is no association between eye dominance, and hitting, fielding, or pitching skill in baseball.
Classe
J G
JG
University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294, USA, JClasse@icare.opt.uab.edu
Daum
K
K
Semes
L
L
Wisniewski
J
J
Rutstein
R
R
Alexander
L
L
Beisel
J
J
Mann
K
K
Nawakowski
R
R
Smith
M
M
Bartolucci
A
A
D001484:Baseball; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009799:Ocular Physiological Phenomena