Comparison of support leg kinetics between side-step and cross-step cutting techniques

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Science
• Kinetics and Kinematics

Background:

• Cutting techniques are crucial in sports for changing direction.
• Understanding the biomechanical differences between side-step (SS) and cross-step (CS) techniques is important for performance optimization.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the joint moments and power differences during these specific cutting maneuvers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the support leg joint moments and moment power between SS and CS cutting techniques.
• To quantify the biomechanical demands of each cutting technique at a 90-degree angle.
• To determine the effects of SS and CS techniques on the change in direction and velocity of the center of mass.

Main Methods:

• Collected ground reaction forces (1,000Hz) and 3D kinematics (250Hz) from 20 male college athletes.
• Analyzed normalized peak knee extension moments and work done by knee extensors and ankle plantarflexors.
• Measured direction change angle and decrease in horizontal velocity of the center of mass for both SS and CS techniques.

Main Results:

• Normalized peak knee extension moment was significantly larger in SS (0.40 ± 0.10) compared to CS (0.26 ± 0.08).
• Knee extensors and ankle plantarflexors performed significantly more normalized negative work during SS cutting.
• SS technique resulted in a larger direction change angle (40.5 ± 8.7°) and a greater decrease in center of mass velocity (-0.63 ± 0.23 m/s) than CS (33.0 ± 6.8°, -0.31 ± 0.23 m/s).

Conclusions:

• The side-step technique is more effective for maximizing direction change but leads to a greater reduction in forward velocity.
• The cross-step technique is more advantageous for minimizing the loss of horizontal velocity during cutting maneuvers.
• Athletes can select cutting techniques based on the specific demands of the sport, balancing agility with speed maintenance.