A Three-Dimensional Cinematographic Analysis of Badminton Strokes

Abstract

Badminton and tennis are two of the most popular striking activities, Broer & Zernicke (1979) stated that one evident difference between the two sports skills was the degree to which the wrist snap was used. They stated that the wrist snap just before impact was the most essential action of badminton strokes and it was enabled by the lightness of the badminton racket. Gowitzke & Waddell (1979) analyzed forehand and backhand smash strokes, representative of the most powerful overhead striking motions in badminton. They concluded that medial rotation of the humerus at the shoulder joint and pronation of the forearm at the radio-ulnar joints were the principal contributing movements for the forehand smash, In badminton strokes, many joint actions in three planes are involved in the striking motion, so that two-dimensional procedures are insufficient for analyzing the stroke motion of badminton. Relatively small numbers of biomechanical studies have been completed on kinematic parameters of badminton strokes. Quantitative studies with threedimensional procedures have been even more limited. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the changes of joint angles of the upper body during the execution of the drop shot and the cut shot in badminton using three dimensional cinematography.