Abstract
The present study aimed to examine the effect of an 8-week balance training on the agility, strength, balance performance and tennis skills of tennis players aged 10-14. The study was participated by 19 tennis players (10 males and 9 females) playing in the EA Tennis Academy. The participants were selected randomly and divided into two groups as experimental group (9 players) and the control groups (10 players). Firstly, vertical jump, pro-agility, dynamic balance and ITN tennis skills tests were applied to all the participants. After all the test were completed, the experimental group were applied 8 weeks of balance and tennis training while the players in the control group continued tennis training only. The same tests were applied to the participants at the end of the 8 weeks. The findings of the study showed statistically significant improvement in the agility, balance index and tennis skills tests in the pre-test and post-tests of the experimental group (p = 0.034, p = 0.025, p = 0.003), whereas improvement was seen only in the tennis skills test of the control group (p = 0.000). In addition, no statistically significant difference was found in the vertical jump performance used to determine the explosive strength both in the experimental and control groups. As for the difference between groups, a significant difference was found only in the pro-agility post-tests of the experimental and control groups (p < 0.05). Based on these findings, it was revealed that balance training would improve agility and balance in 10-14 year-old children as well as contributing to their tennis skills. Therefore, it is considered that balance training should be included in training plans.
Highlights
Tennis has become one of the world’s most popular sports with the gradually increasing number of active athletes (Mallilou et al, 2010)
The present study aimed to examine the effect of an 8-week balance training on the agility, strength, balance performance and tennis skills of tennis players aged 10-14
At the beginning of the study, vertical jump, pro-agility, dynamic balance and ITN tennis skills tests were applied to all the participants and the participants in the experimental group (n = 9) were given a tennis specific 8-week balance training program on stable and unstable grounds
Summary
Tennis has become one of the world’s most popular sports with the gradually increasing number of active athletes (Mallilou et al, 2010). Competition and success in tennis requires a number of physical characteristics like speed, agility, endurance, flexibility and strength as well as tennis specific skills (Fernandez et al, 2009; Isha et al, 2018). It involves the skills of reacting fast and coping with fatigue and pressure during a match the elite adolescent player averages 2.3 hours of practice or play per day, a mean of 6.1 days a week (Barber-Westin et al, 2010). Balance is one of the main qualities to be improved for a tennis player while a limited number of studies can be found in the literature on the subject. Kibele and Behm (2009) found a statistically significant increase in the knee extension movement, static and dynamic balance, long jump, hopping tests and shuttle run tests as a result of a 7-week balance training
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