Level Of Play Research Articles

A Technical Study of Tennis Forehand Topspin Based on Sports Mechanics

INTRODUCTION: Forehand topspin is an important technique in tennis.OBJECTIVES: This paper studied the forehand topspin through sports mechanics to understand the technical feature differences of tennis players with different levels and to provide a reference for guiding the movement of forehand topspin of tennis players.METHODS: They were divided into groups A and B. Group A included the first-grade players, and group B included the second-grade players. The forehand topspin movement of the players was filmed by two high-speed cameras. The videos were processed using APAS software. The results showed that the ball speed of group A was 47.89 ± 5.64 m/s, which was significantly higher than that of group B (p < 0.05, i.e., significant level). After the back swing, group A had significantly smaller lower limb joint angles than group B (p < 0.05) and larger upper limb joint angles and velocities than group B. At the moment of swinging to hit the ball, the right elbow joint angle was smaller and the upper limb joint velocitywas faster in group A. At the end of the follow-through, group A had smaller right shoulder and elbow joint angles than group B (p < 0.05).RESULTS: The experimental results show the difference between players with different levels.CONCLUSION: Higher level players have more adequate lower limb pedaling and stretching and upper limb stretching and higher limb swing speed so that they can hit better topspin shots.

Cognitive representations of handball tactic actions in athletes-The function of expertise and age.

The tactical cooperation for the optimal interaction of team members is an essential performance-determining variable in sports games. The underlying cognitive memory structures of cooperative tactical actions have so far been little researched. Therefore, this study investigated the cognitive memory structure of tactical knowledge of handball actions in teams of different expertise and age groups. In the first experiment, tactical mental representation structures (TMRS) of 30 adult handball players of two different level of expertise were investigated. In the second experiment, TMRS of 57 youth handball players from three age levels were investigated. In both experiments the TMRS was measured with the structure dimensional analysis of mental representation (SDA-M) method. The SDA-M commences with a splitting procedure of a given set of concepts and reveals with a cluster analysis the relational structures of the concepts on an individual and a group level. Experiment one revealed that the TMRS differed significantly between skilled either/or less experienced handball players. Skilled handball players showed a hierarchical organized representation that shared more features with the basic tactical structure of the handball game than less experienced players. The second experiment revealed age-related differences of the TMRS between the age groups of the U15, U17 and U19 teams. Further data analysis revealed significant differences of the TMRS between experienced and less experienced handball players and between local and regional competition level players. We conclude that our current findings suggest that tactical expertise is mediated by elaborate cognitive tactical knowledge in memory. Furthermore, our results indicate that tactical knowledge plays a substantial role during tactical skill learning as it differs as function of age, experience, and competition level. From this point of view, team representations of game situations can be seen as a crucial factor for efficient and common interaction in fast-paced team sports.

Maturity Level and Motor Coordination Performance of Teenage Badminton Players in Malaysia

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of maturity and motor coordination performance of teenage badminton players in Malaysia. Researchers conducted this cross-sectional study, which involved 102 study samples (male=53, female=49) divided into four age groups (13 years, 14 years, and 15 years). The researcher used a purposive sampling method where the selected sample consisted of the top badminton players from all over Malaysia. The player's maturity level is determined by the method proposed by (Khamis and Roche) to predict adult height using the age of their mother and father. There are six motor coordination performance tests used in this study, namely KTK 'balance beam', KTK 'eye-hand coordination' (EHC), KTK 'jumping sideways' (JS), KTK 'shifting platform' (SP), 'shuttlecock throw' ( ST) and "plate tapping (PT). The findings of this study explain the pattern of increasing maturity levels among male and female badminton players with increasing age. The player's peak maturity level was detected at the age of 15 for boys at a rate of 98.9% or 2.34 cm difference between the mean height of the current and the predicted peak height, while for female players at a rate of 97.79 % or 3.83 cm. Overall, the maturity level of male and female players does not have a significant difference. The KTK test "shifting platform" detected a decrease in performance as the player's age increased. Male players were found to decline by 26 repetitions at the age of 13 to 15 years, while female players by 30 repetitions. The study found that changes in motor coordination performance occurred at different ages for male and female players. In conclusion, the researchers suggest that the management and coaches consider the players' maturity level and motor coordination performance in the player selection process. Coaches are encouraged to include elements of players' maturity levels in the process of designing their training programs. Motor coordination in badminton is seen as important and can be trained to improve game performance.

The Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Coping Ability in Senior Female Field-Hockey Players in South Africa.

Research has suggested that coping under pressure could be rooted in the ability to identify and manage one's emotions. In this study, we investigated this hypothesis using cross-sectional data obtained from a sample of South African national and university level female field-hockey players (N = 60, Mage = 21.57, SD = 3.65). A correlational research design was adopted of which a pen-and-paper survey containing the Emotional Intelligence Scale and Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 was used to collect the data. Descriptive results exposed players to yield higher than average levels of total emotional intelligence and coping ability in sport with significant differences noted between the national and university level players in terms of their ability to manage their own emotions (p = 0.018), utilise emotions (p = 0.007, d = 0.74), coping with adversity (p = 0.002, d = 0.84), coachability (p < 0.01, d = 3.17), and overall coping ability (p < 0.01, d = 1.00). After controlling for the level of participation, hierarchical linear regression analyses confirmed the relationship between the study variables exposing total emotional intelligence to be a significant predictor of players' ability to cope with adversity (β = 0.55, p = 0.006), concentrate (β = 0.43, p = 0.044), maintain confidence and achievement motivation (β = 0.42, p = 0.027), as well as overall coping ability (β = 0.28, p = 0.023). It was concluded that emotional intelligence may be a worthy contributor in the psychological profiling of players and a plausible intervention mapping tool in sport psychology practice to potentially enhance the coping ability of female field-hockey players.

Preparatory Study of Anxiety towards Sleep Quality and Physical Fitness of Elite Badminton Players

The main purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between Junior Purple League Badminton players' anxiety towards sleep quality and their physical health. Several clubs or teams that competed in the Purple League were the subjects of this investigation. Before conducting the real study, researchers need to conduct a pilot study first. For this pilot study, 30 players were chosen as respondents with the same characteristics as a real respondents. Utilizing the questionnaire method, this study is considered quantitative research. Research data was collected using a set of questionnaires that were administered online using the 'Google Forms software. The questionnaire instrument in this study contains four parts where Part A contains information related to demographics, part B relates to the badminton player's level of anxiety, part C relates to the self-report of sleep quality and finally, Part D covers questions related to physical fitness. The result of the pilot study revealed that, Cronbach's alpha value for anxiety variables was >0.8, Cronbach's alpha value for sleep quality variables was >0.8 and Cronbach's alpha value for physical fitness variables was >0.9. Thus, the findings of this pilot study show that this existing instrument is appropriate and can be used in the actual study later.

Predicting the Sustainability of Pickleball Competitions as a New Sport from the Behavioral Intention of Pickleball Players

This study focused on predicting the behavioral intentions of pickleball players. It analyzed the predictability of pickleball players’ behavioral beliefs on their attitudes, normative beliefs on subjective norms, control beliefs on perceived behavioral control, attitudes on behavioral intentions, subjective norms on behavioral intentions, and perceived behavioral control on behavioral intentions. The subjects were pickleball players, and purposive sampling was adopted for the questionnaire survey. A total of 226 valid questionnaires were collected. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling. The results show that behavioral beliefs had a significant impact on attitudes; normative beliefs had a significant impact on subjective norms; control beliefs had a significant impact on perceived behavioral control; attitudes had no significant impact on behavioral intentions; subjective norms had a significant impact on behavioral intentions; and perceived behavioral control had a significant impact on behavioral intentions. In the future, researchers are suggested to extensively collect empirical data from players of different levels in pickleball competitions through interviews or on-site observations, and the analyses based on relevant theories can be conducive to the predictive analysis of the behavioral intentions of pickleball players, and practical suggestions are proposed regarding the sustainability of pickleball competitions.

Physiological demands of racket sports: a systematic review.

The practice of racket sports has had an exponential growth in the last decade, along with it, the scientific interest in researching the different disciplines: badminton, padel, table tennis, tennis, and squash. However, most research has focused on the technical and tactical field. Therefore, the aim of this review is to analyze and compare the indicators of the internal load of each sport: heart rate (HR), maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), oxygen consumption (VO2), and lactate (LA) in order to reset physiological references to adjust the training of the players and also use these references to propose the practice of these sports for healthy purposes to the general population. PRISMA Guidelines for Systematic Review were used to search for articles that met the inclusion criteria in three databases: Web of Science, Pubmed, and Sportdiscus. The search was performed between January 2010, and September 2022. Finally, a total 27 records were included for analysis in this study. The main findings were related to the differences in the intensity rates between sports. The highest lactate concentrations and heart values were found in badminton in the intensity of effort values (whose highest values were found in badminton) 10.11 (±4.99) mmol/L and 182.6 (±2.7) bpm respectively, whereas table tennis showed the lowest ones 1.2 (± 0.4) mmol/L, and 103.99 (±15.09) bpm, respectively. The highest mean VO2 was found in table tennis with a value of 36.8 (±13.2) ml/kg/min and the lowest in tennis with a value of 26.6 (±2.7) ml/kg/min. The highest VO2max was found in tennis players 58.0 (±4.6) ml/kg/min, and the lowest value was in table tennis with a value of 42.9 (±4.2) ml/kg/min. Since most of the studies were carried out on elite men players, future research should focus on amateur and women level players.

EFFECT OF 12 WEEKS SAQ AND CIRCUIT TRAINING ON DRIBBLING AND SHOOTING ABILITY OF SOCCER PLAYER

The research aims to find out the effect of 12 weeks SAQ and Circuit Training on skill ability of soccer players. The subjects were 30 males under 19 national level players. The selected players were divided into two different groups of SAQ and circuit group, consisting of 15 players each. Proper consent was taken from all the players and baseline data were collected before starting the training program. After the baseline collection, the players underwent the treatment for 12 weeks SAQ and Circuit Training for one hour each day for four days a week. The significant changes were found from baseline to post treatment in each player on Skill ability. The significant increase in shooting and dribbling were observed. The results indicate SAQ and Circuit Training program is an effective training program for soccer players to enhance their shooting and dribbling ability.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0024/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Relationships between selected indices of postural stability and sports performance in elite badminton players: Pilot study.

The main aim of this study was to determine the relationships between postural stability and the place in the ranking of badminton players. The study examined 10 elite players from Polish national badminton team. The scope of the study included basic somatic characteristics, such as body height, body weight, BMI, and training experience. A Microgate GYKO inertial sensor system was used to assess the postural stability of athletes. Using Spearman's rank correlation, cause-and-effect relationships between the place in the sports ranking and the analyzed variables characterizing postural stability were recognized. Depending on the distribution and homogeneity of variance, the significance of differences in variables that characterize postural stability between players of different sports skill levels (two groups) was calculated. The Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney's U-test was used for this purpose. In general, the athletes with higher positions on the ranking list presented a higher level of postural stability in both tests, which is also confirmed by the normalized values. However, for all variables of postural stability, no statistically significant correlations with sports ranking were observed. Higher values of Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were found for the test performed in the one-foot standing test compared to the two-foot test. The results obtained indicate that particular attention in badminton training should be paid to the development of the level of postural stability in order to improve sports performance.

High-level soccer players have a low rate of return to performance after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome

PurposeFemoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) is a known cause of impaired sports performance in athletes and the relationship between FAIS and soccer players has previously been described. Hip arthroscopy is a viable treatment option that can facilitate athletes’ return to sport (RTS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the RTS and return to performance (RTP) with objective measurements in high-level soccer players after hip arthroscopy for FAIS.MethodSoccer players, with a hip sports activity scale (HSAS) level of 7 or 8 before symptom onset and undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAIS between 2011 and 2019 were identified in the Gothenburg hip arthroscopic registry. A total of 83 high-level soccer players, with a mean age of 23.9 (SD 4.4) years at surgery, were included. To verify the activity level and further stratify players as elite or sub-elite, player statistics were collected from soccer-specific scout webpages and the Swedish national soccer association. The return to sport was defined as return to one game of soccer. Return to performance was defined as playing at the same level, or higher, and participating in at least 80% of the number of games played the season before symptom onset or the season before surgery either the first or second season after hip arthroscopy.ResultsIn total, 71 (85.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 76.1–92.3%) of the players returned to sport the first or second season after surgery. Compared to the season before symptom onset, 31 (37.3%, 95% CI 27.0–48.7%) players returned to performance the first or second season after surgery, and 32 (38.6%, 95% CI 28.1–49.9%) players returned to performance the first or second season after surgery compared to the season before surgery.ConclusionA high rate of elite and sub-elite soccer players return to soccer after hip arthroscopy for FAIS. However, less than half of the players RTP when evaluating performance through level of play and number of games played.Level of evidenceLevel IV.

The golden generation of Australian Soccer: understanding the factors which influenced their development

ABSTRACT While sporting research has focussed on the performance factors and activities contributing to elite performance, there is still limited acknowledgement of the athlete’s voice on the specific experiences and milestones that shaped their development into elite athletes. Therefore, the current study, used qualitative first-hand experiences of international level players to understand their developmental stories. In total, 17 players who represented the Australian National Soccer team during the “Golden Generation” Australian soccer (i.e. represented the Australian National Soccer Team during the Qualification period and subsequent 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup competitions) participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with all participants, with the analysis identifying six key themes which described the developmental story of players. The themes included, Passion; Family; Mentality; Environment; Practice; and Pathway. The findings provide a detailed description of the environmental and socio-cultural factors the players perceived as critical in their journey to representing their nation.

Field-based upper-body motor variability as determinant of stroke performance in the main tennis strokes

Performance in tennis relies heavily on the skilful repetition of several types of tennis strokes, yet the role of motor variability has still received little scientific attention – especially at the within subject level. The present study aims to evaluate the role of motor variability depending on the strokes/body segment and the level of expertise. Thirty-five players performed a field test (including first and second serves, forehand and backhand strokes) with four synchronized gyroscopes placed on the trunk, head, upper arm and forearm. Variability was measured based on the coefficient of variation (CV) of the angular velocity peaks per stroke in each body segment. MANOVA revealed greater motor variability in the forehand and backhand than in the serve ( p &lt; 0.001), with head and forearm segments showing the highest variability (CV &gt; 15% in some cases). This result also translated to differences in variability between levels of expertise, with variability being greater among lower level players ( p &lt; 0.02 in all strokes, with Cohen d &gt; 1 in some cases). Summarized, groundstrokes could imply more compensatory kinematic movements to keep the result of the action stable. Motor variability must be considered to evaluate performance, as a reduced motor variability was found in players with higher level of expertise. The compensatory action of the body segments (especially in groundstrokes and in the forearm and head, where the coefficients of variation were high) should be studied in depth because it can help design motor tasks, making them more specific.

Comparison and analysis of the biomechanics of the lower limbs of female tennis players of different levels in foot-up serve.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine biomechanical performance of the foot-up serve (FUS) in female tennis players at different skill levels. Methods: FUS analysis was completed in the biomechanical laboratory by 32 female college tennis players at three different levels. During FUS, 3D-biomechanical data from tennis players' lower limbs were collected. One-way ANOVA was used to examine differences in kinematic and kinetic data between groups Results: Range of motion (ROM) of bilateral lower-limb joints revealed significant differences in kinematics performance during both the preparation and landing cushion phases (p < 0.05). During preparation, Level 3 was significantly longer than Level 2 (P-a = 0.042, P-b = 0.001, and P-c = 0.006). During the flight phase, significant differences between levels 1 and 3 (P-a:0.002) and levels 1 and 2 (P-c:0.000) were discovered (P-a:0.002 and P-c:0.000). There were significant height differences between levels 1 and 2 as well as between levels 1 and 3. (P-a = 0.001, P-c = 0.000). During serve preparation (P-c = 0.001) and landing, GRF's peak was significantly higher than level 3. (P-c:0.007). Significant differences were found between groups in the LLS preparation stage, with level 3 significantly higher than levels 1 and 2. (P-a = 0.000, P-b = 0.001, and P-c = 0.000); during landing, level 2 LLS was significantly higher than levels 1 and 3. (P-a = 0.000, P-b = 0.000, and P-c = 0.035). Conclusion: The range of motion of joints and the stiffness of the lower limbs have a significant impact on a tennis player's FUS performance. A larger of joint mobility and lower-limb stiffness promote better performance during the FUS preparation stage.

Effect of stroke direction on plantar pressure in each foot during the forehand and backhand stroke among healthy adult tennis players of different performance levels

BackgroundIn tennis, previous studies have shown differences in plantar pressure depending on tennis-specific movements (i.e., baseline play, serve & volley play, change of direction), playing surface (e.g., hard, grass, or clay), and serve type (e.g., slice, topspin or flat). However, the influence of stroke direction on plantar pressure in tennis players with diverging skill level is unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of stroke direction on plantar pressure in each foot during the forehand and backhand stroke among players of different performance levels.MethodsThirty-nine female and male healthy adult tennis players (mean ± SD age: 23.5 ± 6.4 years) representing athletes from three performance levels (recreational, intermediate, advanced) participated in this study. The players performed longline/cross forehand and backhand groundstrokes (topspin) on a clay court while plantar pressure distribution was measured in each foot using flexible instrumented insoles.ResultsThe three-way ANOVA (performance level × stroke direction × foot dominance) showed (a) no significant differences in plantar pressure data between cross and longline strokes in almost all cases, (b) in part, significantly larger pressure values in advanced compared to intermediate and recreational players, and (c) significantly larger pressure data for the dominant compared to the non-dominant foot in nearly all comparisons.ConclusionRegarding an appropriate plantar pressure distribution, our results suggest that during training of especially recreational and intermediate players attention should be paid to the feet rather than to stroke direction.

Countermovement Jump Performance and Team Membership of Youth Female and Male Ice Hockey Players

This study compared the CMJ performance of two teams of young male ice hockey players and two teams of female ice hockey players of different levels of competition and examined whether a specific CMJ variable could predict Prep or Varsity team membership and thus be used as part of the talent identification process for ice hockey. A retrospective analysis of six CMJ variables collected via force platforms was conducted. Independent samples t-tests were used to compare the means of the six CMJ variables between the male teams and female teams and a logistic regression analysis was performed to compare team membership to Prep or Varsity teams with the specific CMJ variables. Significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) were found between Prep and Varsity male players in four CMJ variables, all in favor of the Varsity group: mRSI (p = 0.016, ES = -0.860), peak propulsive power (p = 0.022, ES = -0.811), time to take-off (p = 0.005, ES = 1.008), and braking rate of force development (p = 0.005, ES = -1.025). For the female players, only countermovement depth was significantly different (p = 0.030, ES = 0.841) between Prep and Varsity teams, in favor of the Varsity group. Following the logistic regression analysis, only countermovement depth (Wald's p-value = 0.011) could predict team membership to the Prep or Varsity group for the girls while no CMJ variables could significantly predict team membership to the Prep or Varsity teams for the boys. Results from this study suggest that other CMJ kinetic variables should be used when comparing CMJ performance between athletes rather than only using jump height. In addition, countermovement depth can be used by coaches of female ice hockey players to predict team membership.

Gaze behaviour differentiates elite from non-elite female soccer players: a 2D video projections exploratory study

The present study explored visual strategies employed by female soccer players of high, medium, and low levels of expertise. We used eye-tracking technology to examine how skill-based differences related to gaze behavior in 30 participants (10 in each group) who were required to respond physically to film images projected on a screen using soccer skills (penalty kick, dribbling, pass reception, and defensive cover). Data were collected from search rate (visual fixations duration and number, and number of fixated areas), percentage of viewing time, and variability of pupil diameter. Analyses revealed that female elite players engaged in more visual fixations, directed gaze toward more relevant areas of the scene, and showed less variability of pupil diameter, compared to their non-elite counterparts. Our findings seem to corroborate prior research which compared participants with different levels of expertise while performing soccer skills.

ESTUDO SISTEMÁTICO SOBRE O CONTROLE CORPORAL EM JOGADORES DE GOLFE

ABSTRACT Introduction: Golf is a high-precision sport that requires excellent manual skills and motor coordination. These requirements are essential to determine a player's swing level and, consequently, their sports performance. Objective: Investigate the impact of athletes’ body control on golf performance. Methods: To study the three-dimensional motion of golf players in China, the relevant theories and techniques of sports biomechanics were used on 12 golfing volunteers. Real-time sampling correction and analysis were performed using APAS dynamic analysis technology. This paper uses the DLT method to analyze the spatial location of each point three-dimensionally. SPSS15.0 software was used for statistical processing and screening of the results of the tests. Statistics are presented as mean and standard values. Results: The correlation between the golfers’ center of gravity in hitting and the rate of motion in the swing was evidenced. The velocity obtained by the racket when hitting the ball is related to the golfer's hip inversion angle. Conclusion: A lower body center of gravity is beneficial to improve golf swing efficiency. Keeping the body in balance is the key to mastering the stroke and acceleration of the racquet. When the athlete performs the reverse pull, the energy they receive also increases, highlighting the need for specific training to promote the athlete's body balance. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies – investigation of treatment outcomes.

Elite young soccer players have smaller inter-limb asymmetry and better body composition than non-elite players

Body composition (BC) and inter-limb anthropometric asymmetries (LA) may influence the physical performance of soccer players. This study aimed to determine differences in BC and LA among soccer across four performance levels. The study involved 110 male soccer players participating in Czech senior teams who were grouped into four different performance levels (i.e. G1: national team, G2: 1st division, G3: 2nd division, G4: 3rd division). The following BC and LA parameters were compared among groups: body height, body mass, absolute fat-free mass, relative fat-free mass (FFMrel), percentage of fat mass (FM), total body water (TBW), intracellular water (ICW), extracellular water (ECW), phase angle, and bilateral muscle mass differences in the upper and lower extremities. Significant differences were observed in BC parameters among all groups (λ = 0.06, F75,246 = 5.38, p = 0.01, ηp 2 = 0.62). High-performance players (i.e. G1, G2) had significantly (p < 0.01) lower FM than lower performance players (i.e. G3, G4). The lowest values of FFMrel, relative TBW, relative ICW and ECW were detected in the lowest-performance players (i.e. G4). Significantly lower bilateral muscle mass differences were detected in G1 players (2.71 ± 1.26%; p < 0.01) compared with G4 players (3.95 ± 1.17%). G1 and G2 players had a higher proportion of muscle mass in the torso (p < 0.01) and upper limbs than G3 and G4 (p < 0.01). Elite and high-performance players have better BC and lower inter-limb anthropometric asymmetries compared with low-performance level players.

An Analysis of Adjustment among Intercollegiate and State Level Players in Relation to Adjustment

An Analysis of Adjustment among Intercollegiate and State Level Players in Relation to Adjustment

A study of judokas for Performance motivation among intercollege and national level players

A study of judokas for Performance motivation among intercollege and national level players