Utilizing Perceptual–Motor Integration and Imagery Training in Enhancing Baseball Batting Accuracy

Abstract

Batting accuracy is a key skill in baseball that depends on perceptual judgment, timing, and coordinated motor skills. However, many athletes find it difficult to make accurate contact with the ball due to the complex perceptual–motor demands of the task. Grounded in the Perceptual-Action Coupling Theory and Psychoneuromuscular Theory, findings suggest that perceptual-motor training enhances batting accuracy. This study investigated the effectiveness of Perceptual–Motor Integration Training (PMIT) and Imagery Training in improving batting accuracy among junior high school student-athletes. The study used a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with 70 male Grade 9 baseball players from a school in Misamis Oriental, Philippines, during the 2025–2026 school year. Participants were divided into two groups, each with 35 students. Batting accuracy was assessed with the Home Run Metrics Test. The interventions lasted six weeks, with the PMIT group performed movement-based perceptual–motor drills, while the Imagery Training group practiced progressive muscle relaxation and visualization exercises. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, and ANCOVA. Results indicated that participants’ batting accuracy consistently stayed within the Competent performance level of performance before and after the intervention. However, paired t-test results revealed a significant improvement in the PMIT group with a large effect, while the Imagery Training group showed a significant difference with a moderate effect size. ANCOVA further demonstrated that PMIT was significantly more effective than Imagery Training in enhancing batting accuracy after accounting for pre-test scores. It is also recommended that future researchers examine longer intervention durations, larger sample sizes, and combined effects of perceptual-motor integration and imagery training to further determine their effectiveness in batting accuracy.