Shoulder-elbow coordination in the transverse plane during badminton forehand drive depending on training status...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Science
• Motor Control

Background:

• The badminton forehand drive requires complex coordination between shoulder and elbow joints.
• Understanding how training influences this coordination is crucial for performance enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the differences in shoulder and elbow transverse plane coordination during the badminton forehand drive between trained and untrained individuals.
• To identify distinct coordination strategies employed by different skill levels.

Main Methods:

• Utilized motion capture to record upper limb kinematics in 15 trained and 15 untrained participants.
• Applied vector coding and coupling angle mapping to analyze shoulder and elbow joint coordination.
• Computed range of motion and employed principal component analysis for phase count differentiation.

Main Results:

• Trained participants demonstrated greater upper limb range of motion and a distinct coordination sequence, transitioning from Anti-Phase to In-Phase near impact, with shoulder internal rotation dominance.
• Untrained participants showed a different inter-joint sequencing pattern, often starting In-Phase and ending Anti-Phase.
• Phase count analysis and principal component analysis clearly differentiated the groups based on coordination patterns.

Conclusions:

• Shoulder and elbow coordination in the transverse plane during the badminton forehand drive is significantly influenced by training status.
• Trained players adopt a proximal-dominant strategy, separating and synchronizing joint movements for efficient kinetic transfer and racket acceleration.
• Findings provide a biomechanical basis for coaching interventions aimed at developing optimal shoulder-led coordination.