Shimizu R1, Urabe Y1, Sasadai J1, Fukui K1, Maeda N1
1Hiroshima University, Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Department of Sports Rehabilitation, Hiroshima, Japan
Background: Wheelchair basketball (WB) is a popular sport played by athletes with lower limb and/or trunk disability. Chest pass, an essential technique in basketball is frequently used during WB. Compared to basketball, WB requires limited contribution from the lower limbs and depends on the motion of the upper limb joints and trunk. However, few studies have analyzed the chest pass motion in WB.
Purpose: This study aimed to elucidate the differences in performance (initial ball velocity and accuracy value) and elbow/wrist joint motion of chest pass in WB, with or without experience in playing basketball and to provide guidance for chest pass motion for WB players.
Methods: The subjects were 12 healthy women, 6 with experience of playing basketball (basketball experience: 9.7±2.9 years) and 6 without experience. The subjects performed chest pass on a sports wheelchair towards a target 3 m away. This motion was analyzed using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. As a measurement interval, the time from maximum elbow flexion to ball release was normalized to 100%. Initial ball velocity (0.05 seconds from ball release), accuracy value, and timing of maximum angular velocities of elbow joint extension and wrist palmar flexion were calculated. Differences in each parameter between the experienced and inexperienced groups were determined using the Mann-Whitney U test. The significance level was set at 5%.
Results: Initial ball velocity was 5.3±0.5 m/s in the experienced group and 4.4±0.3 m/s in the inexperienced group (p 0.05). Accuracy value was 90.0 ± 8.9% in the experienced group and 61.7±11.7% in the inexperienced group (p 0.05). Timing of maximum angular velocity for elbow joint extension was 60.0±3.0% in the experienced group and 72.8±5.6% in the inexperienced groups (p 0.05). Timing of maximum angular velocities for wrist palmar flexion was 94.0±4.7% in the experienced group and 100.0 ± 0.0% in the inexperienced group (p 0.05).
Conclusion(s): The experienced group had earlier timing of maximum angular velocity for elbow joint extension and wrist palmar flexion than the inexperienced group. The results reflect the players' driving force to the ball, leading to a higher initial ball velocity in the experienced group. For accuracy, fingertip motion for pushing the ball out at release is important (Shiomi et al., 2003), and the maximum angular velocity is generated in the order of the elbow joint, the wrist joint, and the fingertip (Yasaka et al., 1999). Ball accuracy in the experienced group was higher because the timing of maximum angular velocity of wrist palmar flexion before ball release enabled the generation of fingertip motions at ball release. Unlike in basketball, which involves lower limb joint motion, these results are directly associated with the performance of chest pass in WB. Since this research does not compare WB to basketball, this aspect must be studied in the future.
Implications: This research could aid in teaching the chest pass motion in WB from a kinematic point of view.
Keywords: Wheelchair basketball, chest pass, upper limb joint motion
Funding acknowledgements: No funding was received for this study.
Purpose: This study aimed to elucidate the differences in performance (initial ball velocity and accuracy value) and elbow/wrist joint motion of chest pass in WB, with or without experience in playing basketball and to provide guidance for chest pass motion for WB players.
Methods: The subjects were 12 healthy women, 6 with experience of playing basketball (basketball experience: 9.7±2.9 years) and 6 without experience. The subjects performed chest pass on a sports wheelchair towards a target 3 m away. This motion was analyzed using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. As a measurement interval, the time from maximum elbow flexion to ball release was normalized to 100%. Initial ball velocity (0.05 seconds from ball release), accuracy value, and timing of maximum angular velocities of elbow joint extension and wrist palmar flexion were calculated. Differences in each parameter between the experienced and inexperienced groups were determined using the Mann-Whitney U test. The significance level was set at 5%.
Results: Initial ball velocity was 5.3±0.5 m/s in the experienced group and 4.4±0.3 m/s in the inexperienced group (p 0.05). Accuracy value was 90.0 ± 8.9% in the experienced group and 61.7±11.7% in the inexperienced group (p 0.05). Timing of maximum angular velocity for elbow joint extension was 60.0±3.0% in the experienced group and 72.8±5.6% in the inexperienced groups (p 0.05). Timing of maximum angular velocities for wrist palmar flexion was 94.0±4.7% in the experienced group and 100.0 ± 0.0% in the inexperienced group (p 0.05).
Conclusion(s): The experienced group had earlier timing of maximum angular velocity for elbow joint extension and wrist palmar flexion than the inexperienced group. The results reflect the players' driving force to the ball, leading to a higher initial ball velocity in the experienced group. For accuracy, fingertip motion for pushing the ball out at release is important (Shiomi et al., 2003), and the maximum angular velocity is generated in the order of the elbow joint, the wrist joint, and the fingertip (Yasaka et al., 1999). Ball accuracy in the experienced group was higher because the timing of maximum angular velocity of wrist palmar flexion before ball release enabled the generation of fingertip motions at ball release. Unlike in basketball, which involves lower limb joint motion, these results are directly associated with the performance of chest pass in WB. Since this research does not compare WB to basketball, this aspect must be studied in the future.
Implications: This research could aid in teaching the chest pass motion in WB from a kinematic point of view.
Keywords: Wheelchair basketball, chest pass, upper limb joint motion
Funding acknowledgements: No funding was received for this study.
Topic: Sport & sports injuries
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Ethics in Clinical Research
Ethics committee: Hiroshima University Committee
Ethics number: E-1168
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
