Abstract
In this study, we examine the structure of postural variability in six elite-level recurve archers using the uncontrolled manifold concept. Previous research showed equivocal results for the relationship between postural control and shooting accuracy, but these studies were mainly limited to a descriptive approach to postural variability/stability and did not take the simultaneous movements of the upper limb joints into account. In this study, we show that the goal-equivalent variability which stabilizes the orientation of the arrow in space is significantly larger than that of the non-goal-equivalent variability in arrows of high accuracy (score 9 or 10). Conversely, arrows of lower accuracy (score 6, 7, or 8) failed to reach significant thresholds throughout the majority of the aiming phase. This analysis reveals that it is not necessary (or even possible) for elite archers to minimize the movements of all degrees of freedom during aiming, but rather that the structure of variability of the redundant kinematic chain is exploited so that the relevant performance variable (orientation of the arrow) is stabilized.
Highlights
Recurve archery is an Olympic sport where the athlete has to aim the arrow very accurately to the target
Previous research in archery examined and identified multiple accuracy-related movement characteristics like muscle activity patterns of the forearm [1,2,3,4], releasing the arrow within the ST-phase of the cardiac cycle [5], timing of several key actions and phases [6], special skills related to specificity of the target distance [7], and postural control
A study with Malaysian archers revealed that the magnitude of postural sway during the set-up phase was negatively correlated with performance (r = −0.22), while sway during the release phase was positively correlated with performance (r = 0.25) and sway during the aiming phase was uncorrelated (r = −0.02) [8]
Summary
Recurve archery is an Olympic sport where the athlete has to aim the arrow very accurately to the target. A classical reasoning seen in many studies on postural control in archery and other precision shooting sports is that the postural sway and limb movements should be minimized In first approximation, this is correct, but it should be acknowledged that they can never reach a globally stable minimum of zero movement due to cardiac and breathing cycles and small unpredictable fluctuations in the external force on the bow and string hands due to a non-constant hand position and muscle tremors. In the present study, we aimed to provide a deeper insight into the relationship between postural control and shooting accuracy by testing specific hypotheses within the uncontrolled manifold concept [12] This method allows taking specific covariations between the degrees of freedom of a redundant kinematic chain into account in the assessment of achieving success in selected performance variables
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