Differences in ball speed and accuracy of tennis groundstrokes between elite and high-performance players

The purpose of this study was to quantify ranges and speeds of movement, from shoulder external rotation to ball impact, in the tennis service actions of world class players. Two electronically synchronised 200 Hz video cameras were used to record 20 tennis players during singles competition at the Sydney 2000 Olympic games. Three-dimensional motion of 20 landmarks on each player and racquet were manually digitized. Based upon the mean values for this group, the elbow flexed to 104 degrees and the upper arm rotated into 172 degrees of shoulder external rotation as the front knee extended. From this cocked position, there was a rapid sequence of segment rotations. The order of maximum angular velocities was trunk tilt (280 degrees/s), upper torso rotation (870 degrees/s), pelvis rotation (440 degrees/s), elbow extension (1510 degrees/s), wrist flexion (1950 degrees/s), and shoulder internal rotation. Shoulder internal rotation was greater for males (2420 degrees/s) than females (1370 degrees/s), which may be related to the faster ball velocity produced by the males (50.8 m/s) than the females (41.5 m/s). Although both genders produced segment rotations in the same order, maximum upper torso velocity occurred earlier for females (0.075 s before impact) than for males (0.058 s). At impact, the trunk was tilted 48 degrees above horizontal, the arm was abducted 101 degrees and the elbow, wrist, and lead knee were slightly flexed. Male and female players should be trained to develop the kinematics measured in this study in order to produce effective high-velocity serves.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of fatigue from maximal tennis hitting on skilled tennis performance. Eighteen senior county tennis players (9 males, 9 females) volunteered to participate in the study. Their mean (+/- s(mean)) age and body mass were as follows: males 20.7 +/- 0.9 years and 60.6 +/- 2.7 kg respectively, females 21.7 +/- 0.6 years and 71.5 +/- 1.8 kg respectively. The players undertook two performance tests, both against a tennis ball serving machine, on an indoor tennis surface: (1) a pre- and post-skill test of groundstrokes and service; (2) the Loughborough Intermittent Tennis Test (4 min work plus 40 s recovery) to volitional fatigue. Body mass decreased by 1.5% (P < 0.0001). Mean heart rates differed between rest, post-warm-up and all intermittent test values (P < 0.01), between the pre- and post-skill tests (P < 0.0001) and between bouts and recoveries (P < 0.01). Peak blood glucose and lactate concentrations were 5.9 mmol l(-1) (50% into the intermittent tennis test) and 9.6 +/- 0.9 mmol x l(-1) (25% into the test) respectively. Mean time to volitional fatigue was 35.4 +/- 4.6 min. Groundstroke hitting accuracy decreased by 69% from start to volitional fatigue in the intermittent test (P < 0.01). Service accuracy to the right court declined by 30% after the intermittent tennis test. The results of this study suggest that fatigue was accompanied by a decline in some but not all tennis skills.

Expert team-handball players do not show the typical trade-off between speed and accuracy in overarm throwing. Van den Tillaar and Ettema (2003a) attributed this result to the uniqueness of the training experience of this group. The purpose of this study was to test their hypothesis by comparing experts with novices on overarm throwing by manipulating the goal of the task using different instructions. No trade-off between speed and accuracy was found for novices (n = 13; M age = 22.7 yr., SD = 2.2) or experts (n = 9; Mage = 24 yr., SD = 2.2): accuracy did not change by instruction. Furthermore, the linear velocities of the ball and endpoints of body segments and their timing were affected by instruction in a similar fashion in both groups. This finding indicates that training experience is not related to speed-accuracy tradeoff in overarm throwing.