Key Physical Factors in the Serve Velocity of Male Professional Wheelchair Tennis Players

Alejandro Sánchez-Pay, Rafael Martínez-Gallego, Miguel Crespo and David Sanz-Rivas
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Alejandro Sánchez-Pay: Department of Physical Activity and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Murcia, C/Argentina, s/n, 30720 San Javier, Spain
Rafael Martínez-Gallego: Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Valencia, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 13, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Miguel Crespo: International Tennis Federation, London SW15 5XZ, UK
David Sanz-Rivas: Tennis Research Group, 28080 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-10

Abstract: The aim of this study was to identify the physical factors related to serve speed in male professional wheelchair tennis players (WT). Nine best nationally-ranked Spanish male wheelchair tennis players (38.35 ± 11.28 years, 63.77 ± 7.01 kg) completed a neuromuscular test battery consisting of: isometric handgrip strength; serve velocity; 5, 10 and 20 m sprint (with and without racket); agility (with and without racket); medicine ball throw (serve, forehand and backhand movements); and an incremental endurance test specific to WT. Significantly higher correlations were observed in serve (r = 0.921), forehand (r = 0.810) and backhand (r = 0.791) medicine ball throws showing a positive correlation with serve velocity. A regression analysis identified a single model with the medicine ball throw serve as the main predictor of serve velocity (r 2 = 0.847, p < 0.001). In conclusion, it is recommended that coaches and physical trainers include medicine ball throw workouts in the training programs of WT tennis players due to the transfer benefits to the serve speed.

Keywords: tennis; movement; biomechanics; physical tests (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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