Music-Assisted Training for Dart Throwing Novices: Post-Training Effects on Heart Rate and Performance Accuracy

While previous research has suggested that lowering athletes’ heart rates can enhance sports performance, it is unknown whether slow-paced music might induce a lower heart rate and thereby improve some types of motor performance. In this study, we investigated the effects of different types of music during dart-throw training on both heart rate and dart-throwing performance in 45 ( M age = 19.7, SD = 0.31 years) novice dart throwers who were randomly assigned to either a Slow Music Group (SMG), a Fast Music Group (FMG), or a Control Group (CG). All participants completed three dart-throwing blocks - Pre-Test, Practice, and Post-Test. During the Practice block, participants practiced dart-throwing with either slow-paced, fast-paced or no music according to their assigned group. We recorded the participants’ heart rates and total dart-throwing accuracy scores during Pre-Test and Post-Test. Music-assisted dart-throw training with slow-paced music was effective in significantly inhibiting a performance-related increase in heart rate and was associated with the greatest dart throwing improvement after training.

Effect of thrower’s ten exercise program on scapular dyskinesia and throwing accuracy in cricket bowlers

Background: 19.8–34.1% of Upper limb injuries are recorded of total injuries in cricket. Shoulder joint is the most affected joint in bowlers. Inadequate force generation due to improper position of scapula and less strength of shoulder muscle might affect the performance of the players. So the objectives of the study was to see the effect of Thrower’s Ten Exercise Program on scapular dyskinesia and throwing accuracy . Methodology: 30 cricket bowlers (district and state level) with scapular dyskinesia were selected. Pre and post evaluation for scapular dyskinesia and Functional Throwing Performance Index (FTPI) was done post intervention. The intervention was carried out for 6 weeks . Results: There was significant improvement seen in scapular dyskinesia (p=0.0001) and in throwing accuracy (p=0.0002). Conclusion: This study concludes that the Thrower’s Ten Exercise Program when given for a period of 3dyas for 6 weeks showed highly significant improvement in scapular dyskinesia and throwing accuracy. KEY WORDS: Scapular Dyskinesia, Cricket Bowlers, Throwing Accuracy, Thrower’s ten program.

Learning of a Basketball Free Throw With a Flexible Link Robot

Object throwing is an efficient approach for overcoming the kinematic workspace limitations of robots in placement scenarios. Throwing of objects with rigid link robots has been widely studied in literature. Although using robots with spring-like flexible links can significantly increase the throwing distance, existing contributions are very rare. Therefore, we propose an efficient iterative learning control throwing algorithm and apply it to a flexible link robot. A simple rigid link throwing model is used to generate the motor motion. Errors caused by this simplification are corrected by a flexible link throwing model based on the finite element method. As representative scenario a basketball free throw is selected which requires high throwing accuracy. Here, we demonstrate that the controller can be efficiently pre-learned in simulations to reduce real-world training time. Experiments then validate that our learning control method achieves the required free throw accuracy within very few real-world learning iterations.

Pain-Induced Impact on Movement: Motor Coordination Variability and Accuracy-Based Skill

Studies on pain are generally conducted for two purposes: first, to study patients with pain who have physical changes due to nerve and muscle lesions, and second, to regain the appropriate kinematic post-pain pattern. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of pain on the coordination variability pattern and throw accuracy. Participants included 30 people with a mean age of 18-25 years who volunteered to participate in the study. Individuals were randomly divided into three groups of local pain, remote pain, and control group. Without pain, participants practiced and acquired skills in 10 blocks of 15 trials. In the retention and transition phase, which were associated with pain, in their respective groups, included 1 hour, 24- hour, and 1- week acquisition; they were re-tested twice in a 15-block trial, which was once with and without pain. The results revealed that pain did not affect the throwing accuracy (p = 0.469). Besides, in the phase of decreasing acceleration in throwing, movement variability pattern in the pain-related groups in the shoulder and elbow joints (p = 0.000), elbow and wrist (p = 0.000), were more than the painless groups. Based on the results, it can be said that the increase in variability in pain-related groups is due to the different strategies and patterns that individuals use to avoid pain. Also, despite the pain, the nervous system attempts to increase the variability find the least painful pattern of movement and reduces this variability over time and using a repetitive pattern.

Effects of ball properties on throwing in young team-handball beginners

Throwing a ball is a primary skill in team-handball and can be directly influenced by the properties of different types of balls. Therefore, the use of different balls (i.e., methodic ball) recommended by the handball federations (e.g., IHF) and the education guidelines, are important in teaching throwing. Previous studies have shown that movement patterns and throwing velocity can be influenced by different ball types and sizes. However, the influence of these factors on throwing accuracy has not been investigated in detail yet. This study aims to replicate the findings of previous studies on increasing throwing velocity in children by comparing the use of a soft methodic ball with a size 0 handball. Furthermore, this study investigates the influence of these balls on throwing accuracy. In an experimental study, participants (10-years of age) threw a soft methodic ball and a size 0 ball at target areas in a handball goal. For all the throws, throwing velocity and accuracy were measured. Commensurate with previous research, throwing velocity was higher for the soft methodic ball compared to a size 0 ball. No difference was found in accuracy, although, it is worth mentioning that the participants were only experienced in throwing using the size 0 ball. Moreover, only one-third of the children favored throwing with a size 0 ball, which is what they are used to in training and competition. The results of our study, therefore, confirm that using soft methodic balls additionally, positively influences the throwing velocity and has no negative effect on the accuracy in throwing among young handball beginners.

Effects of first- and third-person perspectives created using a head-mounted display on dart-throwing accuracy

The first-person perspective (1PP) and third-person perspective (3PP) have both been adopted in video games. The 1PP can induce a strong sense of immersion, and the 3PP allows players to perceive distances easily. Virtual reality (VR) technologies have also adopted both perspectives to facilitate skill acquisition. However, how 1PP and 3PP views affect motor skills in the real world, as opposed to in games and virtual environments, remains unclear. This study examined the effects of the 1PP and 3PP on real-world dart-throwing accuracy after head-mounted display (HMD)-based practice tasks involving either the 1PP or 3PP. The 1PP group showed poorer dart-throwing performance, whereas the 3PP task had no effect on performance. Furthermore, while the effect of the 1PP task persisted for some time, that of task 3PP disappeared immediately. Therefore, the effects of 1PP VR practice tasks on motor control transfer more readily to the real world than do those of 3PP tasks.

Pain-Induced Impact on Movement: Motor Coordination Variability and Accuracy-Based Skill

Studies on pain are generally conducted for two purposes: first, to study patients with pain who have physical changes due to nerve and muscle lesions, and second, to regain the appropriate kinematic post-pain pattern. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of pain on the coordination variability pattern and throw accuracy. Participants included 30 people with a mean age of 18-25 years who volunteered to participate in the study. Individuals were randomly divided into three groups of local pain, remote pain, and control group. Without pain, participants practiced and acquired skills in 10 blocks of 15 trials. In the retention and transition phase, which were associated with pain, in their respective groups, included 1 hour, 24- hour, and 1- week acquisition; they were re-tested twice in a 15-block trial, which was once with and without pain. The results revealed that pain did not affect the throwing accuracy (p = 0.469). Besides, in the phase of decreasing acceleration in throwing, movement variability pattern in the pain-related groups in the shoulder and elbow joints (p = 0.000), elbow and wrist (p = 0.000), were more than the painless groups. Based on the results, it can be said that the increase in variability in pain-related groups is due to the different strategies and patterns that individuals use to avoid pain. Also, despite the pain, the nervous system attempts to increase the variability find the least painful pattern of movement and reduces this variability over time and using a repetitive pattern.