CONSTRUCTION OF UNDERHAND PITCHING TEST FOR NATIONAL LEVEL SOFTBALL PLAYERS

Dr. Ashish Phulkar and Mr. Anthony Augustine

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to construct underhand Pitching tests in softball. The test was conducted on Two hundred male softball players who participated in senior national softball championship held at Eklavya Stadium, Agra (U.P.) from 12^th to 19^th Jan. 2003, were selected to serve as subjects for this study. The criterion measure was the average of the playing ability scores of the softball players assigned independently by three softball experts. The specific skill tests were developed through objective methods. Data for this was collected by administering tests initially on following skills with its two different variations for Pitching  skill i.e., Under hand Pitching and Underhand Pitching for Accuracy. Reliability of data (N=20) was established for each selected specific skill and was found to be significant for Underhand pitching (0.858), Underhand pitching accuracy (0.824). For assessing the scientific authenticity of the selected specific skill tests, validity of the specific skill tests were established by using Pearson’s product moment correlation, i.e. the test scores with the softball playing ability scores assigned independently by three softball experts. Inter class correlation coefficients by analysis of variance method was employed to compute the reliability and objectivity of the tests. Validity of the selected specific skill tests were also found to be significant for, Underhand pitching (0.831), Underhand pitching accuracy (0.698).Thus one specific skill test out of the two with higher validity values from each skill variation selected for Underhand pitching. Further the differential validity was found when the scores of District, State and National level softball players were compared for each specific skill test separately  for Underhand pitching (F=98.31), were significant at 0.05 level. Thus Least Significance Difference (L.S.D) test for Post-Hoc comparison resulted in Mean difference values greater than the critical difference values among District, State and National level players on each selected test.

Keywords: Performance, Softball, Throwing and Speed.