FACTORS RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BALL SPEED AND TO THE INCIDENCE OF ONE-LEGGED LANDINGS IN THE FRONT-ROW VOLLEYBALL ATTACK

Abstract

A three-dimensional video analysis was used to identify factors related to the development of ball speed and to the incidence of one-legged landings in high-outside, front-row volleyball attacks. At ball contact, hand speed was 11.9±O.9 m·s-1 (mean±SD). Post-impact ball speed was 19.4±2.3 m·s-1. Shoulder and elbow rotations accounted for about 75% of hand speed at the instant of ball contact while the speed of the CM itself accounted for about 16% of hand speed. Trunk rotation and wrist rotation contributed 11 % and 2% to hand speed, respectively. Attackers possessed forward somersaulting, counterclockwise twisting, and counterclockwise "cartwheeling" angular momentum that resulted in faster hand speeds at contact but also a tendency for one-legged landings. Unfortunately. factors contributing to one-legged landings could not be clearly identified.