TY - JOUR
T1 - Muscle activation during the tennis volley
AU - Chow, John W.
AU - Carlton, Les G.
AU - Lim, Young Tae
AU - Shim, Jae Ho
AU - Chae, Woen Sik
AU - Kuenster, Ann F.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Purpose: To broaden our understanding of muscle function during the tennis volley under different ball placement and speed conditions by examining the activity of selected superficial muscles of the stroking arm and shoulder (flexor carpi radialis, extensor carpi radialis, triceps brachii, deltoids, and pectoralis major) and muscles related to postural support (left and right external oblique, lumbar erector spinae, and gastrocnemius) during the volley. Methods: Seven skilled tennis players were asked to perform volley strokes under 18 experimental conditions, including variations in lateral contact location (forehand and backhand), ball contact height (high, middle, and low), and ball speed (fast, medium, and slow). A ball machine was modified so that the subjects could not predict the ball trajectory before it was released from the machine. Muscle activity was determined using surface electromyographic (EMG) techniques, and the critical instants of a volley were determined using two force platforms and two high- speed (120 Hz) video cameras. Average EMG values for different phases of the volley, defined by the critical instants, were computed. Results and Conclusions: In general, muscle activity increased with increasing ball speed. The extensor carpi radialis was more active than the flexor carpi radialis during both forehand and backhand volleys, suggesting the importance of wrist extension/abduction and grip strength. The increase in EMG levels in the forearm muscles shortly before the ball impact indicated that the subjects did not tighten their grip and wrist until moments before ball impact. Both antero-middle and postero-middle deltoids were active in most stroke phases. However, the roles of the deltoid muscles during a volley cannot be determined without knowing the actions of the other shoulder joint muscles.
AB - Purpose: To broaden our understanding of muscle function during the tennis volley under different ball placement and speed conditions by examining the activity of selected superficial muscles of the stroking arm and shoulder (flexor carpi radialis, extensor carpi radialis, triceps brachii, deltoids, and pectoralis major) and muscles related to postural support (left and right external oblique, lumbar erector spinae, and gastrocnemius) during the volley. Methods: Seven skilled tennis players were asked to perform volley strokes under 18 experimental conditions, including variations in lateral contact location (forehand and backhand), ball contact height (high, middle, and low), and ball speed (fast, medium, and slow). A ball machine was modified so that the subjects could not predict the ball trajectory before it was released from the machine. Muscle activity was determined using surface electromyographic (EMG) techniques, and the critical instants of a volley were determined using two force platforms and two high- speed (120 Hz) video cameras. Average EMG values for different phases of the volley, defined by the critical instants, were computed. Results and Conclusions: In general, muscle activity increased with increasing ball speed. The extensor carpi radialis was more active than the flexor carpi radialis during both forehand and backhand volleys, suggesting the importance of wrist extension/abduction and grip strength. The increase in EMG levels in the forearm muscles shortly before the ball impact indicated that the subjects did not tighten their grip and wrist until moments before ball impact. Both antero-middle and postero-middle deltoids were active in most stroke phases. However, the roles of the deltoid muscles during a volley cannot be determined without knowing the actions of the other shoulder joint muscles.
KW - Deltoids
KW - Electromyography
KW - Erector spinae
KW - Extensor carpi radialis
KW - External oblique
KW - Flexor carpi radialis
KW - Gastrocnemius
KW - Pectoralis major
KW - Triceps brachii
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033047876&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/00005768-199906000-00013
DO - 10.1097/00005768-199906000-00013
M3 - Article
C2 - 10378912
AN - SCOPUS:0033047876
SN - 0195-9131
VL - 31
SP - 846
EP - 854
JO - Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
JF - Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
IS - 6
ER -