Correlations of handgrip strength with selected hand-anthropometric variables in university softball players

Study aim: To assess the handgrip strength in Indian university softball players as dependent on selected hand-anthropometric variables.

Material and methods: Indian university softball players (121 males and 122 females) and untrained controls (98 males and 102 females) aged 18 - 25 years participated in the study. The following variables were recorded: body height and mass, BMI, right hand width and length, lengths of the right 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th digits and right handgrip strength.

Results: One-way ANOVA showed significant differences (p<0.05 - 0.001) in all the characteristics studied, except body height, right hand length and right 2^nd digit length among these four sets of data. The right handgrip strength was significantly correlated (p<0.01 - 0.001) with all the variables studied. Both in male and female softball players, the partition of R² into the contributions of individual independent variables revealed that body height (18%), hand width (11%), body mass (8%) and hand length (5%) significantly contributed to the total variance (44%) of handgrip strength.

Conclusions: The data might be useful in selecting players and in talent identification for softball.