Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2025

Comparison of Kinetic Characteristics of Footwork during Stroke in Table Tennis: Cross-Step and Chasse Step
Published on: June 16, 2021
Influence of expertise level on techniques of applying top and back spins in cue sports
Jing Wen Pan1, John Komar1, Chen Yang2
1Physical Education and Sports Science Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Abstract:
This study compared the kinematics of upper body and cue stick among players of various skill levels when performing back spin and top spin shots. Twenty-eight male cue sports players were assigned to the novice (n = 10), intermediate (n = 9), or skilled groups (n = 9). The back spin and top spin tests were administrated while kinematic data were recorded using a 3D motion capture system. The results revealed greater upper limb joint ranges of motions (all p < 0.05), maximum angular velocities (all p < 0.05), and cue tip speed in the back spin than top spin shots (p < 0.001). None of joint kinematic or shot performance variables investigated was significantly different among the three skill levels (all p > 0.05). For the head movement, the novice group exhibited greater anteroposterior displacement than the skilled group (p = 0.020). In conclusion, except for the head movement, the upper body and cue stick kinematics did not significantly differ among players with varied skill levels. Greater joint ranges of motions and angular velocities were required to generate a faster cue tip speed for the back spin shots when compared with the top spin shots.
Related Concept Videos
Social Facilitation
Conservation of Linear Momentum for a System of Particles
The impulsive force at play during this interaction is of extremely short duration, rendering its impulse negligible. When...
Bias
In statistics, a sampling bias is created when a sample is collected from a population, and some members of the population are not as likely to be chosen as others (remember, each member...
Motion of a Projectile
Horizontal motion, governed by the initial kick, maintains a constant velocity throughout the flight of the soccer ball.
Rotation of Asymmetric Top
The relationship between the angular momentum of any rigid body and its angular velocity, both of which are vectors, involves the moment of inertia. The moment of inertia is a scalar quantity only for spherically symmetric...
Energy Diagrams - II
The point in the energy diagram at which the system’s potential energy is the lowest is known as the local minima. The system tends to stay in this position indefinitely unless acted upon by a net force. The slope of the potential energy diagram at the local minima is zero, indicating that zero net force is acting on the system. The...

