Comparison of Post-Landing Stability During Basketball Jump Shots Under Real and Virtual Defensive Pressure

The basketball jump shot is a fundamental skill in competitive play, and defensive pressure has been shown to influence movement execution and post-landing control. This study investigated post-landing stability during basketball jump shots performed under virtual reality (VR) defense, real defense, and no-defense conditions. Nineteen basketball club members performed jump-shot landings while ground reaction forces were recorded using a force plate. Time to stabilization (TTS), center of pressure (COP) path length, and jump height were analyzed. The presence of defensive cues was associated with shorter TTS than in the no-defense condition (p < .05), whereas no significant difference was observed between the VR and real defense conditions. COP path length did not differ significantly across conditions. However, jump height was significantly lower in the VR defense condition than in both the real defense and no-defense conditions (p < .05). These findings suggest that VR-based defensive stimuli can alter movement execution and landing responses but do not fully replicate the biomechanical demands of real defensive interactions. Rather, VR represents a distinct sensorimotor context that shapes motor performance. Although VR provides a structured and sport-relevant environment for assessing landing stability, findings obtained in virtual settings should not be interpreted as direct equivalents of real-world performance. Further research incorporating broader biomechanical and perceptual measures is needed to clarify the relationship between VR-based assessments and real-world basketball performance.