Relationships among balance, visual search, and lacrosse-shot accuracy

The purpose of this study was to examine variables that may contribute to shot accuracy in women's college lacrosse. A convenience sample of 15 healthy women's National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III College lacrosse players aged 18-23 (mean+/-SD, 20.27+/-1.67) participated in the study. Four experimental variables were examined: balance, visual search, hand grip strength, and shoulder joint position sense. Balance was measured by the Biodex Stability System (BSS), and visual search was measured by the Trail-Making Test Part A (TMTA) and Trail-Making Test Part B (TMTB). Hand-grip strength was measured by a standard hand dynamometer, and shoulder joint position sense was measured using a modified inclinometer. All measures were taken in an indoor setting. These experimental variables were then compared with lacrosse-shot error that was measured indoors using a high-speed video camera recorder and a specialized L-shaped apparatus. A Stalker radar gun measured lacrosse-shot velocity. The mean lacrosse-shot error was 15.17 cm with a mean lacrosse-shot velocity of 17.14 m.s (38.35 mph). Lower scores on the BSS level 8 eyes open (BSS L8 E/O) test and TMTB were positively related to less lacrosse-shot error (r=0.760, p=0.011) and (r=0.519, p=0.048), respectively. Relations were not significant between lacrosse-shot error and grip strength (r=0.191, p = 0.496), lacrosse-shot error and BSS level 8 eyes closed (BSS L8 E/C) (r=0.501, p=0.102), lacrosse-shot error and BSS level 4 eyes open (BSS L4 E/O) (r=0.313, p=0.378), lacrosse-shot error and BSS level 4 eyes closed (BSS L4 E/C) (r=-0.029, p=0.936) lacrosse-shot error and shoulder joint position sense (r=-0.509, p=0.055) and between lacrosse-shot error and TMTA (r=0.375, p=0.168). The results reveal that greater levels of shot accuracy may be related to greater levels of visual search and balance ability in women college lacrosse athletes.