Transfer of Training for Two Ball-Throwing Tasks

Abstract

The effects of training overhand ball throws to enhance underhand ball-throwing accuracy were studied with 921 Italian high school pupils (575 girls, M age = 16.5 yr., SD = 1.3; 346 boys, M = 16.5 yr., SD = 1.2) ages 14 to 18 years. A standardized test (10 underhand tennis-ball throws into the floor area delimited by an 80-cm radius wooden hoop lying on the floor 9 m from the standing pupil) was performed and scored. An Experimental group (435 girls, M age = 16.5 yr., SD = 1.3; 204 boys, M age = 16.5 yr., SD = 1.2) was randomly selected to participate in 10 weekly training periods. The set included 10 overhand throws of a rubber bouncing ball (14.5 cm diameter, weight 240 g) into a basketball hoop from 5 standardized positions (in front of the basketball hoop; at 45 degrees, 90 degrees on the right and on the left of the basketball hoop) at a distance of 4.40 m. The underhand test was repeated for both groups. On the average, boys obtained higher test scores than girls of the same age. Older adolescents had higher mean scores than younger adolescents. After 10 weeks, boys and girls of all ages improved. Mean differences between sessions were significant for the Experimental group (Student t test, p < .01). In Session 2, consistent differences between Experimental and Control groups were also found (Student t test, p < .05).