Given that serve velocity has been identified as one of the most important components influencing performance in tennis, identifying the factors associated with serve velocity is crucial for coaches and athletes. The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between physical performance, anthropometric characteristics and stroke velocity in youth tennis players. Twenty-seven youth players (male = 16, age = 15.69 ± 1.70 years; female = 11, age = 15.82 ± 1.40 years) underwent an anthropometric and physical performance assessment. On a tennis court, players were assessed for forehand, backhand and serve velocities. Pearson’s correlation coefficient revealed that forehand velocity was significantly correlated with height (r = 0.58) and handgrip strength (right hand: r = 0.68; left hand: r = 0.57), whereas backhand velocity was significantly correlated with running time (r = 0.52) and handgrip strength (right hand: r = 0.67; left hand: r = 0.55) in males. Similarly, in males, serve velocity was significantly correlated with height (r = 0.60), running time (r = 0.62) and handgrip strength (right: r = 0.77, left hand: r = 0.71). In females, a significant correlation was only demonstrated between serve velocity and body weight (r = 0.69). These findings highlight that handgrip strength, running time and body height variables are positively associated with stroke velocities in male youth tennis players.
The present study explored the external load in professional soccer players throughout the extent of a full competitive season using GPS tracking technology. Twenty-seven male players were categorized based on their playing position: (1) central defenders (n=5), (2) full-backs (n=4), (3) midfielders (n=9), (4) wingers (n=3), and (5) forwards (n=6). Their physical performance was analyzed and interpreted as the overall external load over the extent of 36 competition recordings and 169 recordings of training sessions from up to 5 days prior to match day (i.e., MD-5, MD-4, MD-3, MD-2 and MD-1). The data were collected only from outfield players (excluding goalkeepers) who participated in >90min of total duration in official games and were analyzed with the use of a 10-Hz GPS tracking device (WIMUPRO, RealTrack Systems Almeria, Spain). The results indicated match days minus three and four as the sessions with the highest intensities and physical demands, with no significant differences between the two days. Significant differences in high-speed running and sprint distance were observed between central defenders and full-backs during matches and training sessions. These results would benefit practitioners in designing the annual plan of professional soccer teams and allow for proper monitoring of the external load based on the players’ playing position.
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