A Study on Quantification and Application of serve ball speed and spin rate in Japanese male Paralympian Wheelchair Tennis Players

• Published in: Research Journal of Physical Arts Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 49 - 59
• Main Authors: SATO, Bumpei, SATO, Shuhei, FUNATO, Kazuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Society for the Studies of Physical Arts 15.03.2019
• Subjects: feedback; Paralympian; serve; speed; spin; wheelchair tennis
• ISSN: 1340-4393; 2436-8032
• DOI: 10.51078/physicalarts.2019.005

Quantification of serve ball speed and spin rate in Japanese male Paralympian Wheelchair Tennis Players.Research on wheelchair tennis in Japan has mostly used sports medicine and game analysis approaches. However, to gain an overall understanding of wheelchair tennis, research in the field of sports biomechanics is essential. In the present study, we used a TRACKMAN ball-tracking device to measure the serve speed and spin rate among Japanese Paralympian wheelchair tennis players, for use in improving serve performance.The results are as follows:1. A male Paralympian wheelchair tennis player (P1) exhibited serve speeds and spin rate of 134.6±3.9 (km/h) and 2,369.0±196.8 (rpm) for flat serves, 123.7±3.9 (km/h) and 3,210.0±353.8 (rpm) for slice serves, and 116.1±3.4 (km/h) and 3,410.9±88.7 (rpm) for kick serves.2. A male Paralympian wheelchair tennis player (P2) exhibited serve speeds and spin rate of 129.5±1.7 (km/h) and 1,413.1±91.2 (rpm) for flat serves, 113.5±4.7 (km/h) and 2,529.6±249.5 (rpm) for slice serves, and 107.9±3.1 (km/h) and 2,676.2±180.9 (rpm) for kick serves.3. The serve speeds of Japanese Paralympian wheelchair tennis players were highest for flat serves, followed by slice and kick serves in actual measurement value. The spin rate were highest for kick serves, followed by slice and flat serves in actual measurement value.4. A significant negative correlation between the speed at which a ball is served and its spin rate (trade-off relationship) was observed in a P1, P2 and UT group as measured using TRACKMAN.5. By providing feedback of the serve ball speed and the spin rate scores to each of the participants, it was found from their inner reflection that, since their hitting perception almost matched the scores, they were able to concretely imagine the next step for their ball speed and spin rate scores, leading to stronger motivation. From these results, it can be implied that this research can contribute to the development of wheelchair tennis players serve performance.