Open AccessCharacteristics of Muscle Power and Agility in Top-Level Junior Soft Tennis Players
Author(s) -
Hiroki Aoki,
Shinichi Demura,
Masakatsu Nakada,
Tamotsu Kitabayashi
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
world journal of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1925-0754
pISSN - 1925-0746
DOI - 10.5430/wje.v8n5p211
Subject(s) - trunk , physical therapy , psychology , medicine , ecology , biology
This study examined the characteristics, such as muscle power and agility, of top-level junior soft tennis players. 36Japanese top-level junior (under-14) boys soft tennis players (age 13.4 ± 0.8 yearsheight 165.0 ± 9.7cmandweight 53.9 ± 11.1 kg) with experience in international meet participation and 25 junior boys soft tennis players(age 13.1 ± 0.7 yearsheight 158.2 ± 9.5cmweight 47.0 ± 8.2 kg) with experience in prefectural meetparticipation were the subjects of this study. Medicine ball (2 kg) throws to the right or left by trunk rotation andforward and backward by trunk extension (exercises recommended by Japan’s soft tennis association) were selectedto evaluate the muscle power of the subjects. Side step, spider, and front–back shuttle run tests (used by an Americantennis association) were selected to test the agility of the subjects. The top-level athletes were significantly superiorto the other junior players in the forward medicine ball throw, side step, and spider tests. These results suggest thatmuscle power in the forward direction and agility when moving to the right, left or diagonal direction are moredeveloped in top-level soft tennis players than in other players.