THE BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ONE-HANDED AND TWO-HANDED BACKSTROKE IN TENNIS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze similarities and differences in spinal movement patterns between the one-handed and two-handed backswing in tennis (1) quantify the angles in degrees in the coronal, sagittal, and transverse planes (2) determine if the CA-6000 Spine Motion Analyzer (electrogoniometry) is an appropriate instrument to evaluate high velocity dynamic sport movements. A temporal and spatial relationship in a-p flexion, lateral bending, and axial rotation evaluated. These variables were compared for 8 elite tennis players, 5 male and 3 female. This descriptive study found that from the elgon tracings there was a greater degree of rotation and lateral bending for the two-handed back hitters when compared with the one-handed hitters; and all of the players exhibited forward flexion. Many of the players produced distinctive spinal patterns when performing the dynamic tennis stroke. In the basic static standing movement, many of the tracings were similar.