Abstract
This study aimed to examine the effects of change of direction (COD) speed and technique modification training on 180° turning performance (completion time, ground contact time [GCT], and exit velocity), kinetics, and kinematics. A non-randomised 6 week intervention study was administered. Thirteen male multidirectional sport athletes formed the intervention group (IG), participating in two COD speed and technique modification sessions per week. A total of 12 male multidirectional sport athletes formed the control group (CG). All subjects performed six modified 505 trials, whereby pre-to-post-intervention biomechanical changes were evaluated using three-dimensional motion analysis. Two-way mixed analysis of variances revealed significant interaction effects (group × time) for completion time, mean horizontal propulsive force (HPF), horizontal to vertical mean braking and propulsive force ratios for the penultimate (PFC) and final foot contact (FFC), FFC peak knee flexion and PFC hip flexion angle (p ≤ 0.040, η2 = 0.170–0.417). The IG displayed small to large improvements post-intervention in these aforementioned variables (p ≤ 0.058, g = 0.49–1.21). Turning performance improvements were largely to very largely (p ≤ 0.062, r or ρ = 0.527–0.851) associated with increased mean HPF, more horizontally orientated FFC propulsive force and PFC braking force, and greater pelvic rotation, PFC hip flexion, and PFC velocity reductions. COD speed and technique modification is a simple, effective training strategy that enhances turning performance.
Highlights
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Significant interaction effects were observed for mean horizontal propulsive forces (HPF), final foot contact (FFC) and penultimate foot contact (PFC) mean horizontal to vertical braking and propulsive force ratios (Table 2), respectively, with the intervention group (IG) showing greater mean HPFs (p = 0.005, g = −1.21 ± 0.85), FFC (p = 0.010, g = 1.08 ± 0.84) and PFC mean horizontal to vertical propulsive and braking (p = 0.124, g = 0.63 ± 0.80) force ratios post-intervention compared to the control group (CG) (Table 3), respectively
Large significant interaction effects were observed for FFC knee flexion angle (KFA) range of motion (ROM) and PFC peak HFA (Table 2), with the IG showing lower FFC KFA ROM (p = 0.002, g = 1.31 ± 0.86) and greater PFC peak HFAs (p = 0.297, g = 0.41 ± 0.79) post-intervention compared to the CG (Table 3)
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Since COD is a skill, coaching and modifying athletes’ 180◦ turning technique by promoting the aforementioned technical and mechanical characteristics related to faster turning could be an efficacious, simple training method to improve turning performance [15,19,22,23] This can include increasing PFC hip and knee flexion (COM lowering), increasing PFC HBFs, increasing whole-body rotation, increasing COM velocity profiles, and increasing HPFs over shorter GCTs [15,19,22,23]. 6 weeks’ 180◦ COD speed and technique modification training which encouraged greater PFC braking, backwards trunk inclination, and a neutral foot position during the final foot contact (FFC) improved completion times and knee joint loads in female netballers [23] It should be noted there was no control group (CG), the results should be interpreted cautiously. If COD speed and technique modification does improve 180◦ turning kinetics, kinematics, and subsequent performance, the results can be used as a potential framework for pitch- or court-based COD speed training programmes
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