ATHLETIC TESTING: PROFESSIONAL TENNIS

ASHWINI KULKARNIKINE 5313-001: Assessment and Evaluation of Athletic PerformanceATHLETIC TESTING: PROFESSIONAL TENNIS

INTRODUCTION

Tennis- global sport played year round.Short-duration and repetitive bouts of energyPredominantly anaerobic sport requires high level of aerobic conditioning to aid recovery between points and avoid fatigue.

COMMON TENNIS TERMSAce. A powerful serve that blows by the receiver. Or an amazing tennis player.Advantage in. The server has the advantage and can win on the next point.Advantage out. The receiver has the advantage and can win on the next point.Backhand. A tennis stroke where your racquet arm crosses over your body to hit the ball with the back of your racquet hand facing the ball.Ball Person. The person who gathers the balls that went out of play.Baseline. The chalk line at the end of the court that marks out-of-bounds.Court. The area where you play the game of tennis. Can be made of grass, clay or concrete.Deuce. A score of 40-40.Dink. A tennis shot with little or no pace.Doubles. A four-player game of tennis, with two players on each side of the court.Fault. A failed serve that doesn't make it into the service box.Frame. The head or top of the racquet where the strings are.First Service. The first serve.Follow Through. The part of your tennis swing after you hit the ball.Forehand. Tennis stroke where your racquet hand faces forward.Grand Slam. Four major tennis tournaments: Wimbledon, U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open.Head. Part of the tennis racquet contained the frame and strings.Let. A voided serve where a served ball hits the net but makes it onto the service court.Love. Score of zero in tennis.Match Point. When the leading player can win the match with just one point.Mixed Doubles. A doubles match where each team contains one male and one female.Net. White netting spanning the middle of the tennis court.No-Man's Land. Area of the tennis court between the baseline and service line.Out. Any tennis ball that goes outside of the designated playing area.Point. Time between the successful serve until the ball goes out.Racquet. Tennis equipment used to hit the ball over the net. Also called a stick.Receiver. The player who is receiving the serve.Serve or Service. This has nothing to do with food, but everything to do with hitting the tennis ball to a certain point on the tennis court.Singles. A two-player game of tennis, with one player on each side of the court.

Stroke. Way of hitting a tennis ball. Can be forehand or backhand.Volley. Yes, you're still in the tennis terms article. Volleying is when you hit the tennis ball before it touches the ground.

OBJECTIVESNeeds AnalysisResearch supporting selection of test batteryTest batteryAnthropomorphic measurementsAgeHeightWeightLimb lengthBody CompositionBIDSkinfoldsSpeed20m Sprint testAgilityHexagon testPowerLower limb- Vertical jumpAnaerobic capacity300yd shuttle testAerobic capacityTreadmill testing- metabolic cartsStrengthGrip strengthMusculoskeletal testFlexibility- Sit and reachVision- Dynavision Tennis specific testServe velocitySwing velocityCollect dataCompare it to norms and results of other similar researchesIndividual considerationsRecommendationsPractical implications

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NEED ANALYSISBIOMECHANICAL NEEDSBIOENERGETIC NEEDSClosed skill sportGenerating high ball speedsAbsolute level of strength in coordination with forces through varying joint ROMs Technical expertise, tactical sense, and psychological skillBiomechanical movements and planes: Flexion/Extension Adduction/Abduction All planes of the body Vital components are: Time-motion characteristics, speed, agility, strength, endurance, powerCommon movements are running, sprinting, changing directions, turns, rotations, jumps, sides and so on.(Hamilton, McDonald, & Chenier,1992)

Energy metabolism in playing tennis- 10.9 kcal/min Caloric expenditure -634kcal/hAverage intensity of metabolism 919.5% BMR(Arnot & Gaines,1984).

PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS OF TENNISDistance covered3 m per shot and a total of 812 m in the course of a point

# of effortsefforts-300 to 500 high intensity efforts

Number of directional changes in an average point4

Duration of rallyless than 8 seconds (5 to 7).

Distance covered per game3 miles : 4.82 km

Mean Exercise Intensities< 6070% of VO2 max

Mean maximum heart rates60 80%

VO2 levels during tennis play 23 to 29 ml/kg/mn

BASIC RESEARCHFernandez-Fernandez J, Ulbricht A, & Ferrauti A.(2014). Fitness testing of tennis players. How valuable is it? Br J Sports Med.;48:i22i31.A players technical and tactical skills are predominant factors in tennis it is of great importance to organize the fitness training as efficient and time saving as possible. The German Tennis Federation (DTB) has established a biannual nationwide physical testing including 400 squad players. The results obtained are used for basic talent identification as well as the development of training guidelines, including individualized training programs. The present article shows the concept for fitness testing and training design of the DTB. Two sample player profiles are presented to show the usefulness of the testing protocols and the individual conclusions obtained in order to design individualized training programs.Bangsbo J, Mohr M, & Poulsen A, (2006). Training and testing the elite athlete J Exerc Sci Fitness;4:113.The performance of a top-class athlete can be improved by appropriate training.The fitness training should be closely related to the activities of the athlete during competition. Furthermore, the capacity of the athlete should be known. For that purpose, 300 yd shuttle tests can be used since they have been shown to be sensitive and to give valid measures of performance in many sports. The fitness training can be divided into aerobic, anaerobic and specific muscle training. Each type of training has a number of subcategories, which allows for a precise execution of the training when the aim of the training is known. A critical factor when training elite athletes is when to do what, i.e. to plan the training.

ATHLETEName- Marina Vicens MiquelAge- 19 yearsSex- FemaleHeight- 165 cmWeight- 59.9kg / 135.02lbCountry of origin- SpainYear in college- FreshmanMajor- Computer scienceType of racket- Technifibre 300gmsString tension- 24 kgPreferred serving style- TopspinTotal number of matches played- 2 matches per weekTotal number of matches won- 10 out of 14Current position in college- 6/7

ANTHROPOMORPHICMEASUREMENTSObjectives: To provide the data used in the indirect appraisal of body composition. Skin folds can be entered into a number of equations to estimate the body density, total body fat and the overlying subcutaneous fat

Test Description: Height and Weight- Subject is positioned barefoot on a stadiometer. The subject stands erect with heels and toes together and the arms hanging by the sides. The measurement is taken as the maximum distance from the floor of the stadiometer to the vertex of the head, which is from the floor of stadiometer to the highest point on the skull. Weight is displayed on the digital meter.Skinfolds- Calliper testing is used to determine a clients body fat percentage and is based on the densitometry technique. The prediction equations are 'population specific'.

Test area: IH 142 (Biomechanics Lab)

Equipment: Stadiometer, measuring tape, OMRON body fat analyzer HBF- 306, OMRON calliper.

Reliability: Excellent with high inter tester reliability 0.92-0.96 in several studies (Khor, Cheong, Zainnudin & Yousaff, 2009)

Validity: Valid as found by (Restrom, Skoldvang, Pederson & Medsen, 2012)

Alternative tests: measuring tape, other types of stadiometer, standard wall measure

ANTHROPOMORPHIC MEASUREMENTSHeight and weight measurement

Skinfold measurements

Height- 165cmWeight- 59.9kgBody fat- 18.3%Lean body mass- 48.9kgFat weight- 10.9kgSite Measurement(in mm)Subscapular skinfold7.2Biceps skinfold6.1Triceps skinfold5.8Abdominal skinfold10.2Thigh skinfold7.6Calf skinfold5.0Suprailiac skinfold8.5SUM of 7skinfolds50.4

Alternative methods- Tape measure, weighing machine

NORMATIVE DATAANTHROPOMORPHICS

SPORTGENDERSQUADAGEnHEIGHTMASS in kg7 SKINFOLDS

Table 11.1: Anthropometric data for female tennis players(by AIS)

(Rodriguez, Collado, & Salar,2015)Rodriguez, Collado and Salar (2015) used similar test procedures as used in this project

BIOELECETRICAL IMPEDANCE

Objective- To assess body composition based on electrical conductivity of FM and FFMEquipment- OMRON Body fat analyzer HBF-306Reliability and Validity- Not reliable and valid for assessment in athletes with Exercise induced hypo-hydration or even hyper hydration (Fornett, Pivanick, Foley & Fietcher, 2009).% fat- 18.3%BMI- 22.0Alternative tests- DEXA, Air- displacement PlethysmographyLIMB LENGTHObjective- To observe any limb length discrepancyEquipment- Measuring tapeReliability and validity- most reliable and valid toolAcromion to Radial styloid- right- 20.9, left- 20.5ASIS to medial malleolus of ankle- right- 33.5, left- 33.2Alternative methods- full-length standing AP computed radiograph

SPEED- 20 M SPRINT

Objective- To assess qualities of linear acceleration and speed.

Equipment- cones, Distance 20 m

Test description- Athlete starts the sprint with their body masses over their front foot, shoulders and hips square in a crouch position, heel up on back foot and go on the command.

Reliability and validity- Reliable but not valid (Lockie, Schultz, Callaghen, Jeffries & Berry, 2013; Hoffman,2006)

20 meters = 21.9 yardsRESULTTime- 3.05 secondsAlternative methods- 30m sprint testAnalysis- excellent

NORMATIVE DATA

Gore & Tanner (2000)

AGILITY TESTING- HEXAGON TEST

Topend sportsObjective- To test the ability to move quickly while maintaining balance.Equipment- Tape, chalk or tape for marking ground,Stopwatch. The length of each side should be 24 inches (60.5 cm).Each angle should work out to be 120 degrees.Test description- Athletes tested starts with both feet together in the middle of the hexagon facing the front line. On the command 'go', they jump ahead across the line, then back over the same line into the middle of the hexagon. Then, continuing to face forward with feet together, jump over the next side and back into the hexagon. Continue this pattern for three full revolutions. Perform the test both clockwise and anti-clockwise.Scoring- The athletes score is the time taken to complete three full revolutions.Reliability and validity- excellent reliability for measuring agility (Lowe, 2008)Result- 10.2 secondsAlternative test- 5-0-5 agility test

ANALYSIS- SUPERIOR

POWER- VERTICAL JUMPSObjective- To assess explosive and anaerobic power of the lower limbs and hipsEquipment- VertecTest description- Athlete should stand with their feet together. Athlete reaches up with the dominant hand as high as possible, fully elevating shoulders to displace vanes called as standing height. Athlete performs countermovement jumps and tries to displace the highest vane he can.Reliability and Validity-The reliability of the jumping tests ranged from 0.97 to 0.99 for Cronbach's alpha coefficients, from 0.93 to 0.97 for inter item correlation coefficients and from 2.1 to 2.8 for coefficients of variation (Sattller et al. 2012)Vertical jump height- 43cm /17The Sayers Equation (Sayers et al. 1999) also estimates peak power output (Peak Anaerobic Power output (PAPw) from the vertical jump.Predicted peak power (W)= (60.7 X jump height) + (45.3 X body mass) 2055= (60.7 X 43) + (45.3 X 59.9)- 2055 =(2610.1 + 2713.47) 2055

3268.57

ANAEROBIC CAPACITY- 300 YARD SHUTTLE TESTObjective: To monitor the athlete's intermediate anaerobic power (lactate system). Equipment: 2 cones placed 25yds (22.8m) apart, Stop watch, Assistant.Test description-Marker cones and lines are placed 25 yards apart to indicate the sprint distance. Athlete starts with a foot on one line. When instructed by the timer, the athlete runs to the opposite 25-yard line, touches it with their foot, turns and run back to the start. This is repeated six times without stopping (covering 300 yards total).Reliability - reliable and valid in basket ball players & volleyball players (Collins, Silberlicht, Perzinski, Smith, & Davidson, 2014).Validity- There are no published tables to relate results to potential performance in competition.Analysis: Analysis of the result is by comparing it with the results of previous tests. It is expected that, with appropriate training between each test, the analysis would indicate an improvement.Alternative test- 30 s wingate test, 60y shuttle

Result 1minute 02 seconds

ACSM; Vol.3, 12-15

AEROBIC CAPACITY- TREADMILLObjectives- To assess the aerobic capacity Equipment- Metabolic cart, Treadmill, Head set with mouth pieceTest description- The test began with a warm-up on the treadmill. The treadmill will then begin moving at an easy, comfortable pace and will increase in speed every two minutes, up to a point that is slightly faster than your race pace speed. At this point, the incline will then be increased by 2.5 every 3 minutes and speed by 1.0 until the athlete feels unable to continue with the protocol. During this test, the exercise physiologist will be monitoring the rate at which athletes body consumes oxygen, as well as heart rate and rate of perceived exertion (RPE). The level of oxygen consumed will increase as the exercise intensity increases. After athlete reaches the peak level of oxygen consumption, a two minute cool-down period will begin to assess how quickly your cardiovascular system recovers. Reliability and validity- r = .90 to .97 (Montgomery,Reid &Koziris, 1992).Alternative test- Multistage fitness test, Bruce protocolResultsVO2max- 49.0 ml/kg/minWarm up: Speed-3.5 with no inclineIncrements in speed and incline alternativelyIncline by 2.5Speed by 1.0METS- 14.0Average value >41 ml/kg/min - superior

NORMATIVE DATA-VO2 MAX

STRENGTH TESTSTestWeightRepetitionBack squat10010Hips Back/Tight core705Thighs parallel805Pogo to box jumps4x45Single-Arm Power cable row-12Continuous KB swing w lateral step-10Board-push up to walk out-10MB Rotational lunge w toss-7Chin up-8Single-Leg Hip bridge-10Elevated shoulders-8

GRIP STRENGTH

Objective: To assess strength of the hand grip Equipment: - Hand Grip DynamometerTest Description: - Device is held at waist level with a 90 bend at the elbow when utilized - Device should be utilized at maximum level and held for 2-3 seconds while maintaining a stationary bodyScoring Procedure: - Better measurement of both hands are selected for total score Reliability and Validity- 0.84-0.90 (Hamilton, McDonald &Chenier, 1992)Alternative tests- Isometric testing or use different dynamometerSideScore (in kg)Dominant35.6Non-Dominant31.5

ResearchScoreShuichi, Naoya, Hideaki, Fuminori, Shohei, & Hajime (1995) 31.2+ 4.1

Hugo, Maryela, Menacho,Hisayoshi & Rosa (2010)35.0

Fernandez, Ulbricht, Ferrauti (2016)35.7+5.0

MUSCULOSKELETAL ASSESSMENT- FLEXIBILITY- SIT & REACH TESTObjective- To measure flexibility of Hamstrings and Back musclesEquipment- Sit and reach boxTest description- The soles of the feet are placed flat against the box. Both knees should be locked and pressed flat to the floor - the tester may assist by holding them down. With the palms facing downwards, and the hands on top of each other or side by side, the subject reaches forward along the measuring line as far as possible. Scoring- The score is recorded to the nearest centimeter or half inch as the distance reached by the handReliability and validity- The reliability of this test will depend on the amount of warm-up that is allowed, and whether the same procedures are followed each time the test is conducted. Most sit and reach testing norms are based on no previous warm-up, though the best results will be achieved after a warm up or if the test is proceeded by a test such as the endurance test which can act as a warm up. If a warm up is used, it is important to have a standardized warm up and test order and repeat the same conditions for each time the test is conducted. This test only measures the flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings, and is a valid measure of this.Score- 23.03 / 58.5cmAlternative test- 90-90 hamstring stretch, Straight Leg raise

(NSCAs Essentials of personal training.p.260)

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VISION- DYNAVISON

Objective- To assess the mean reaction time of an athlete.Equipment- Dynavision D2 boardTest description- the participant places his hand on illuminated buttons.Reliability and validity- Mode A-0.75, Mode B- 0.73, reaction time- 0.68 (Wells et al., 2014)ResultTotal number of hits- 35 hitsMean reaction time: 0.83 seconds

Discussion: No dynavision results in literature on elite tennis players.Significant improvement in the precision services of the tennis players after eight weeks of vision training. The basic visual skills such as accommodation, reaction time, movement time, depth perception, and eye movements are enhanced as a result of vision training which lead to the improvement in the motor skills.

TENNIS SPECIFIC- SERVE VELOCITY

Objective- To measure maximum serving velocity and swing velocity.Equipment- ATEC Sports performance Radar gunTest description- The researcher, depending on the radar gun, will stand at the baseline of the court that will be served into (Stalker Sport) or the radar gun will be placed at the net (SpeedChek) to measure the velocity of the serve. The athlete hit a flat serve into the deuce court. The athlete will serve into the service box, which did not hit the net, nor commit a foot-fault, in order for the serve to count. The velocity of the first three good serves that made it into the service box were recorded. The best score of the serves was determined for the data analysis.Reliability and validity- The inter-trial reliability for serve velocity ranges between 32% and 35%(Cronin & Sleivert, 2005).

TENNIS SPECIFIC- SERVE VELOCITYResultsRacket swing speed- 102mph- 164 kmhBall velocity- 84 mph- 135 kmh

Cocking phaseAcceleration phaseFollow up phase

INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATIONSThe athlete has good overall fitness results.Lacks in having relatively high serving velocity.Factors that might come into the play:Inappropriate net heightTest conducted in lab and not the fieldRelatively low hamstring and trunk flexibilityRelatively low core strength and lower limb strengthRECOMMENDATIONSRetest the athlete and develop fitness profile for her.Compare her results with the previous results as well as norms.Assess core strength (plank test and Spaniol rotary test) and core muscle activation.Assess the lower limb muscle strength and activation.Develop a player specific fitness regime, including similar energy demands as tournament.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONPerformance enhancement- Research indicates that players achieve the best results when their training activities replicate the actual demands of the sport (Groppel and Roetert, 1992). Practice sessions should challenge the same energy systems, muscle groups and movement patterns stressed in competitive play.

Injury prevention- Research using elite tennis players has consistently identified musculoskeletal adaptations from repetitive tennis play.

Using standardized tests will minimize variability in results and design specific training programs based on the players fitness testing results.

Practically, the goals are to enhance a players performance, reduce the risk of injury and design an appropriate training program so that the athletes playing career can be as long as possible

Testing the physiological variables of flexibility, strength, power, aerobic endurance and speed and agility will provide a baseline for designing appropriate training programs. Proper flexibility will assist in reaching those wide shots, make quick direction changes and bend for low volleys. Another important aspect of the sport of tennis is the ability to exert muscular force at a high speed. Muscular strength and power allow you to run around the court, as well as to swing your racket forcefully. To be able to last those long matches you want to make sure you have good aerobic endurance. However, throughout a match you will also be asked to sprint around the court in every conceivable direction. Therefore having excellent speed and agility is critical.

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REFERENCES

Khor KS, Cheong MD, & Yousaff MJ (2009). Test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change of the hexagon agility test. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Oct;23(7):2167-71.Lockie R.G., Schultz A.J., Callaghen T.J., Janse De Jonge X.A.K. (2011)Factors that differentiate acceleration ability in field sport athletes.Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research25, 2704-2714.Lowe, NC (2008). The effect of 20 yard dash on the linear acceleration during on court tennis play. JOSPT 9(2):25-29.Montgomery DL1,Reid G,Koziris LP. (1992). Reliability and validity of three fitness tests for adults with mental handicaps. Can J Sport Sci. Dec;17(4):309-15.Norms for fitness and trail.ACSM,Vol.3,12-15NSCAs essentials of personal training, 44-50.Restrom, V., Skoldvang, H., Pederson, B., & Medsen (2012). Reliability and validity of bioelectrical impedance in determining body composition. J. Appl. Physiol. 64(2): 529-534, 1988.Rodriguez, A., Collado, V., Salar, C.(2015). Body composition assessment of paddle and tennis adult male players. Nutr Hosp. 2015;31(3):1294-1301Sattler, T, Sekulic, D, Hadzic, V, Uljevic, O, and Dervisevic, E. (2012). Vertical jumping tests in volleyball: reliability, validity, and playingposition specifics. J Strength Cond Res 26(6): 15321538.Wells, A., Hoffman, J., Beyer, S.K., Jajtner, A., & Stout, R.J. (2014). Reliability of the dynavision D2 for assessing reaction time performance. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 13,145-159.

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