Vol. 1 - Nº 2 (2019)

Psychobiosocial states in competitive badminton: Similarities and differences between juniors, adolescents and adults

2021-06-15T17:27:33Z

Psychobiosocial states in competitive badminton: Similarities and differences between juniors, adolescents and adults Chia-Smith, Yun-Dih Emotions affect the way elite athletes respond during competitive play. Elite athletes who identify and regulate emotions can increase their consistency and optimize high quality play. This cross-sectional study examined the extent to which psychobiosocial states of elite badminton players vary by age. Ninety-one elite badminton players in three age groups (lower juniors, upper juniors, and adults) rated their post-play perceptions on eight components of psychobiosocial states (Bortoli, et al., 2008) for both their best and worst performance during the tournament. Descriptive statistics assessed the relative strength of emotions on each item and an analysis of variance examined differences between the three groups. Age differences were found in the perception of the psychobiosocial states in competitive badminton matches in terms of most identified states and intensity. The findings inform coaches’ understanding athlete's individual zone of optimal function (IZOF) and can help them cope with psychobiosocial states during matches.

Footwork technique used in elite table tennis matches

2021-06-15T17:27:36Z

Footwork technique used in elite table tennis matches Malagoli Lanzoni, Ivan; Katsikadelis, Michail; Straub, Gunter; Djokić, Zoran Notational and Match analysis are very well-recognized methods to collect information about the most common technical-tactical performance indicators in table tennis: footwork and stroke types. The aim of this study was to compare footwork distributions in men (M) and women (W) elite table tennis competitions. Nine men’s and nine women’s matches were analyzed. All players were in the top 120 (M) and 111 (W) positions of the ITTF world ranking. An expert coach analyzed game video recordings in slow motion with the software Kinovea and collected data about the footwork types used by the players during the games. The results showed differences between M and W: M prefer to use one step (35.6%, W: 21.9%), W prefer to hit the ball without performing any step (W: 40.2%, M: 20.4%), the chassé is equally used (M: 19.7%, W: 21.7%), and the crossover is mainly used by M (11.1%, W: 3.7%). The pivot is mainly used by M (9.9%, W: 7.8%), and W prefer the slide (4.9%, M: 3.2%). In conclusion, this study can be useful for physical trainers, performance analysts, and coaches, to design specific footwork training sessions for M and W elite table tennis players.

Comparison of hip joint mechanical energetics in table tennis forehand and backhand drives: a preliminary study

2021-06-15T17:27:35Z

Comparison of hip joint mechanical energetics in table tennis forehand and backhand drives: a preliminary study Marsan, Thibault; Rouch, Philippe; Thoreux, Patricia; Jacquet-Yquel, Rozenn; Sauret, Christophe Hip joints are highly involved in table tennis. Some authors found both pelvic angular velocity and hip joint torques are related to the racket velocity. Others have also demonstrated how some of the best players have higher ranges of motion of the lower-limb joints. Therefore, the mechanical work generated by the playing-side-hip can be seen as indicator of the playing intensity associated with different strokes. The aim of this study was to quantify the hip joint mechanical work and power during four classical strokes. Motion capture acquisitions were performed on two international players. A biplanar radiographic acquisition was also performed to personalize the biomechanical model. Hip joint velocity and torques were calculated on the dominant side, allowing mechanical power and work to be calculated between the end of backswing and the ball impact. The highest level of mechanical work from the hip joint was found for forehand drive against backspin and forehand topspin drive with pivot. A backhand drive required the lowest hip mechanical work, and the forehand drive against topspin was found to be intermediate. The lower work required from the backhand stroke makes it suitable as a waiting stroke.

A tennis field test to objectively measure the hitting accuracy based on an Excel spreadsheet: Practical guidelines and applications

2022-07-08T08:07:23Z

A tennis field test to objectively measure the hitting accuracy based on an Excel spreadsheet: Practical guidelines and applications Delgado García, Gabriel; Vanrenterghem, Jos; Courel Ibáñez, Javier; Ruíz Malagón, Emilio José; Ruiz Alías, Santiago Alejo; Soto Hermoso, Víctor Manuel Stroke accuracy is highly related with tennis performance and has traditionally been quantified using general areas of scoring. Hence there is a need to develop methods that allow accuracy to be measured with higher resolution. The aim of the work is to develop a field test and an Excel spreadsheet associated that allows to evaluate the accuracy of the strokes with a resolution up to centimetres and to study how shots landings are distributed. The test consists of 4 series of 20 groundstrokes performed in the down the line or cross-court direction (this is modifiable). The 2D coordinates of bounce of the ball is recorded with a camera, digitalized using a specialized software and introduced in the Excel spreadsheet. Then it computes a series of parameters that describe the 95% confidence ellipse of the shot landing on the court. A real example of the test outcomes of two advanced players - performing forehands and backhands down the line- is shown. Consistent with previous literature both players obtained a better accuracy in the mediolateral direction than in the longitudinal direction and ellipses were oriented almost parallel to the sideline (ellipse tilts were below 12 degrees in all cases). Ellipse area was considerably greater for the backhand than for the forehand in player two (38.8 vs. 55.5 m2) but not in player one (51.5 vs. 50.8 m2). Finally, the centre location of the ellipse in the longitudinal axis was positive in all cases (near 200 cm) which suggest that both players preferred to make short shots rather than send the ball out of the limits of the baseline. We conclude that this methodology can be used by researchers that want to assess accuracy with high resolution and by coaches that want to evaluate -with high sensibility- the player progression after a training program.

Influence of sport-practice-hours on burnout and coping in table tennis players

2021-06-15T17:27:33Z

Influence of sport-practice-hours on burnout and coping in table tennis players González-García, Higinio; Martinent, Guillaume The aim of this research was to analyse burnout (estimated by emotional and physical exhaustion) and coping (as estimated by the need to seek support) in relation to the number of sport-practice-hours undertaken by table tennis players of various levels of success. A sample of 180 Spanish table tennis players (mean age = 33.87 years; SD = 16.64; 149 men and 31 women) voluntarily participated in the study and filled out a series of self-report questionnaires. The results revealed that there was a significant difference among table tennis players on emotional and physical exhaustion (p < 0.01) with players who practiced more than ten hours reporting higher levels of emotional and physical exhaustion. There was a significant difference in coping behaviour (p < 0.01) with players who practiced more than 10 hours reporting the greatest need. Finally, players who played at a higher level (nationally or internationally) had a greater number of hours of training. It is concluded that players and coaches should take account of the time spent in sport-practice should because it can increase burnout levels in table tennis players. Moreover, coping skills could be influenced by sport-practice-hours, but further research should clarify these outcomes.