Forearm muscle profiles in tennis players

We aimed to clarify the effect of ball–racquet impact locations on the dynamic behavior of tennis racquet, the accuracy of shots and muscle activation of the forearm. Eight male intermediate tennis players performed ten forehand groundstrokes. A motion capture system was used to measure the motions of racquet, ball and human body at 2000 Hz, and electromyography (EMG) activities of wrist extensor and flexor muscles were measured simultaneously. The flight parameters of the ball were measured by ballistic measurement equipment. All shots were divided into tertiles based on ball impact location along the lateral axis of tennis racquet. We found that the off-center, upper-side impact induces a larger muscular activity in extensor carpi radialis. Passive radial deviation of the wrist occurring immediately after ball impact may account for this. Furthermore, the off-center, upper-side impact could be associated with a missed shot having a lower, outward ball launch angle.

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Effects of String Stiffness on Muscle Fatigue After a Simulated Tennis Match

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.2013-0065 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 401-406 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jean Bernard Fabre ◽

Vincent Martin ◽

Gil Borelli ◽

Jean Theurel ◽

Laurent Grélot

Keyword(s):

Resonant Frequency ◽

Muscle Fatigue ◽

Ball Speed ◽

Tennis Players ◽

High Stiffness ◽

Fatigue Development ◽

Low Stiffness ◽

Exercise Muscle ◽

Forearm Muscle ◽

Tennis Match

We tested the influence of string stiffness on the occurrence of forearm muscle fatigue during a tennis match. Sixteen tennis players performed two prolonged simulated tennis matches with low-stiffness or high-stiffness string. Before and immediately after exercise, muscle fatigability was evaluated on the forearm muscles during a maximal intermittent gripping task. Groundstroke ball speeds and the profile of acceleration of the racquet frame at collision were recorded during each match. The peak-to-peak amplitude of acceleration and the resonant frequency of the frame were significantly greater with high- (5060 ± 1892 m/s2and 204 ± 29 Hz, respectively) than with low-stiffness string (4704 ± 1671 m/s2and 191 ± 16 Hz, respectively). The maximal and the averaged gripping forces developed during the gripping task were significantly reduced after the tennis match with high- (−15 ± 14%, and −22 ± 14%, respectively), but not with low-stiffness string. The decrease of ball speed during the simulated matches tended to be greater with high- than with low-stiffness string (P= .06). Hence, playing tennis with high-stiffness string promotes forearm muscle fatigue development, which could partly contribute to the groundstroke ball speed decrement during the game.

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The effect of spin level and ball exit speed on forearm muscle activity in the tennis forehand stroke

International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching ◽

10.1177/17479541211007611 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 174795412110076

Author(s):

Chantelle Rigozzi ◽

Jeremy Cox ◽

Gareth A Vio ◽

William L Martens ◽

Philip Poronnik

Keyword(s):

Muscle Activity ◽

Ball Speed ◽

Tennis Players ◽

Spin Level ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Exit Speed ◽

Post Hoc ◽

Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy ◽

Extensor Carpi Radialis ◽

Forearm Muscle

Elbow tendinopathy injuries are very common in tennis players. One of the commonly accepted theories describing the development of elbow tendinopathy in tennis is based on stiffness of the forearm skeletal muscle units and their repetitive overuse in the forehand stroke. Our objective was to use a novel microcontroller based wearable device to compare the influence of different forehand spin levels (flat, topspin and lob) and ball exit speed on forearm muscle activity in the potential onset of elbow tendinopathy in experienced adult tennis players. Peak normalised extensor carpi radialis (ECR) and flexor carpi radialis (FCR) muscle activity corresponding to each forehand shot and ball exit speed were determined and analysed. For the ECR shots (flat = 121, topspin = 272 and lob = 273) by 8 players, Kruskal-Wallis test (p < 0.001) and Post-Hoc tests revealed a significant difference between the flat and topspin spin levels (p < 0.01) and flat and lob spin levels (p < 0.001). For the FCR shots (flat = 125, topspin = 301 and lob = 303) by 9 players, Kruskal-Wallis test showed no significant difference between the three spin levels. For the corresponding ball speed, the Kruskal-Wallis (p < 0.001) and subsequent Post-Hoc (p < 0.001) showed that flat hits had the significantly highest ball speed followed by topspin then lob accordingly for both muscles included shots. Our results suggest that coaches could consider recommending players to hit forehands with topspin in order to potentially reduce the risk of developing lateral elbow tendinopathy.

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Trunk and Upper Limb Muscle Activation During Flat and Topspin Forehand Drives in Young Tennis Players

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.27.1.15 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 15-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Isabelle Rogowski ◽

David Rouffet ◽

Frédéric Lambalot ◽

Olivier Brosseau ◽

Christophe Hautier

Keyword(s):

Upper Limb ◽

Vertical Velocity ◽

Muscle Activity ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Emg Activity ◽

Shoulder Abduction ◽

Joint Angles ◽

Tennis Players ◽

Shoulder Muscle ◽

Forearm Muscle

This study compared EMG activity of young tennis players’ muscles during forehand drives in two groups, GD—those able to raise by more than 150% the vertical velocity of racket-face at impact from flat to topspin forehand drives, and GND, those not able to increase their vertical velocity to the same extent. Upper limb joint angles, racket-face velocities, and average EMGrms values, were studied. At similar joint angles, a fall in horizontal velocity and a rise in racket-face vertical velocity from flat to topspin forehand drives were observed. Shoulder muscle activity rose from flat to topspin forehand drives in GND, but not for drives in GD. Forearm muscle activity reduced from flat to topspin forehand drives in GD, but muscle activation was similar in GND. The results show that radial deviation increased racket-face vertical velocity more at impact from the flat to topspin forehand drives than shoulder abduction.

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