Energy Flow Analysis During the Tennis Serve

Abstract

The findings of this study imply that improper energy flow during the tennis serve can decrease ball velocity, increase upper limb joint kinetics, and thus increase overuse injuries of the upper limb joints.

Role of the kinetic chain in shoulder rehabilitation: does incorporating the trunk and lower limb into shoulder exercise regimes influence shoulder muscle recruitment patterns? Systematic review of electromyography studies

“…63 study the arm was supported with a towel, the head is observed to follow the movement and although the feet remain facing forwards, weight transfer towards the ipsilateral leg can be observed. This method of sequencing is arguably more in keeping with the frameworks that exist in the literature [1][2][3][4][5] and suggests that the order in which the KC is integrated may affect lower trapezius activation levels. However, it is not clear whether contributions from a particular KC component lead to the higher lower trapezius activation levels observed.…”

“…Closer inspection of the techniques employed during these two commonly prescribed KC exercises reveals a disparity between exercise execution and the recommendations within the literature. [1][2][3][4][5] In Tsuruke & Ellenbecker, 61 the 'lawn-mower' appears to have been without any lateral weight transference through the lower limb. [1][2][3][4][5] However, when evaluating this comparison in isolation it is not possible to infer whether this difference relates to Open access suboptimal KC sequencing or the inherent differences in gross movement patterns between each exercise.…”

“…1 7-9 15-17 In addition, substantially higher rates of energy transfer through the shoulder complex have been observed during a tennis serve in injured players compared with their uninjured counterparts. 4 Overhead athletes with lower limb injuries also appear to have an increased risk of upper limb injuries and pain, 1 4 7-9 15-19 as well as reduced performance. 4 20-22 Lower limb peak power has been found to be the primary determinant of throwing velocity in elite handball players 21 and also strongly correlated with sprint-swim speed in freestyle swimmers.…”

“…InTrODuCTIOn During sporting and non-sporting activities, the shoulder complex works as an integral part of the whole musculoskeletal system and not in isolation. [1][2][3][4][5][6] The term kinetic chain (KC) refers to the sequential task specific activation of body segments during functional movement patterns. 1 3 An efficient KC will generate, summate and permit efficient mechanical energy transfer throughout the whole chain contributing to function.…”

Timing of peak pelvis and thorax rotation velocity in baseball pitching

“…Besides quantifying the inter-segmental timing of the kinematic chain, additional calculation of the power flow from segment to segment could give insight into the energy transfer between the segments. This energy transfer, for a tennis serve, was studied by Martin et al 30) using a power-flow model. In baseball pitching, this model could give more insight in how the energy transfer is affected by separation time, and this insight may result in higher throwing velocity.…”