Gender Differences in Kinematic Parameters of Topspin Forehand and Backhand in Table Tennis

Abstract

Background: The identification of gender differences in kinematics and coordination of movement in different body segments in sports may improve the training process by emphasizing the necessity of its differentiation, and consequently individualization, developing, and improving the technique in women and men. Indicating differences can also help in determining the risk of injury in order to prevent from them by diversifying training programs. However, there is no information regarding this problem in the existing literature pertaining to table tennis. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the differences in the values of selected angular and kinematic parameters during topspin forehand and topspin backhand shots between male and female table tennis players. Methods: Six male and six female advanced table tennis players performed topspin forehand and topspin backhand shots, both receiving a backspin ball. The angular parameters in four events (ready position, backswing, maximum acceleration, and forward) at chosen joints as well as the maximal acceleration of the playing hand were measured, using the myoMotion system, and were compared between male and female players. Results: Significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were found in the magnitude of angular parameters and maximum hand acceleration between men and women. The movement pattern of topspin strokes performed by men takes into account, more than that in the case of women, movements that use large muscle groups and large joints (hip joints, trunk joints, shoulder joints in extension, and flexion). The difference in the values of maximal acceleration reached almost 50 m/s2 in topspin forehand (p < 0.01) and 20 m/s2 in backhand (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Differentiation of movement patterns can be a manifestation of movement optimization due to anthropological differences and limitations. The differences in the values of maximal acceleration suggest that women could use both sides to perform a topspin attack against the backspin ball, while men should seek opportunities to make a stronger shot with a forehand topspin.

Physical Fitness Profiling of National Category Table Tennis Players: Implication for Health and Performance

“…Despite the fact that table tennis is not a majority sport in many countries, about 300 million individuals participate in table tennis [1], of whom at least 40 million are competitive players [2]. As in other sport disciplines [3,4], it is important to know the health status of the athletes, especially in amateur category players who usually cannot count on being monitored by qualified personnel in training sessions and competitions.…”

“…If health status can be analyzed from different dimensions (physical-physiological, psychological, emotional status) [5], some health benefits have been found in table tennis [6], and an adequate physical condition can be related to better health levels [7] in different age populations. Specifically, the benefits of playing table tennis are related with handeye coordination, balance, coordination, brain stimulation and development of cognitive functions, development of body composition, and improving fat distribution [1]. Furthermore, as previous studies mentioned before, children who regularly play table tennis have greater bone development and superior physical fitness (strength, range of movement, and cardiovascular fitness) compared to those who are physically active, while benefits in muscle strength and neuromotor skills are shown to be maintained in older people [8].…”

The Application of Statistical Parametric Mapping to Evaluate Differences in Topspin Backhand between Chinese and Polish Female Table Tennis Players

“…Inertial sensors were located on the body of the study participant to record the accelerations, according to the myoMOTION protocol described in the manual. The accuracy and validity of the inertial measurement unit (IMU) system in angle determination were the subject of the previous research [14,15]. Sensors were attached with elastic straps and selfadhesive tape.…”

Influence of Physical and Technical Aspects on Change of Direction Performance of Rugby Players: An Exploratory Study

“…A root-meansquared error of 0.50 has been observed for the MyoMotion when compared to the Vicon Motion Capture System (Vicon, Centennial, CO, USA) with correlation coefficients of 0.99 between both systems during dynamic trials [20]. Moreover, this system has been used to assess kinematic parameters in previous research with national-team-level athletes [21]. To collect the data, eight inertial sensors were placed according to manufacturer's guidelines on the athletes' feet (strapped to the top of the shoe, below the ankle), shanks (frontal attachment on the tibia bone), thighs (frontal placement on the quadriceps, on the area of lowest muscle belly displacement in relation to the underlying bone), pelvis (bony area of the sacrum), and lower thorax (on the spinal cord at approximately L1/T12) (Figure 4).…”