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Musculoskeletal capacity and serve mechanics in professional women’s tennis players

Muskuloskeletale Kapazität und Aufschlagmechanik bei professionellen Tennisspielerinnen

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Abstract

It has been theorized that incorporating strength, speed, and flexibility training regimes may improve the quality of the tennis serve. Efficient stroke quality during the serve improves velocity and diminishes injury risk in tennis players. However, no study in tennis has identified whether adequate musculoskeletal capacity is a factor that helps drive optimal serve mechanics. The aim of this study was to determine whether musculoskeletal capacity could predict efficient serve mechanics. A total of 46 professional women’s tennis players (age: 26 ± 3 years, body mass: 65 ± 5 kg, height: 1.74 ± 0.06 m) were studied. Musculoskeletal capacity parameters were evaluated by the tennis specific screen (TSS) with strength and flexibility measures. Serve mechanics were evaluated using the observational tennis serve analysis (OTSA) tool. The OTSA is scored using a 0–9 system. Multiple regression analysis revealed scapular dyskinesis on the non-dominant side during flexion to be predictive of OTSA score (r2 = 0.14, p-value = 0.008). However, the correlation is weak (r = 0.38), rendering a non-clinically significant relationship between scapular dyskinesis and serve mechanics. None of the other musculoskeletal parameters generated significant relationships to serve mechanics. This study demonstrated that in professional women’s tennis players there is no meaningful relationship between the TSS measurements and OTSA scores. In conclusion, musculoskeletal capacity and serve mechanics are independent of each another, and should be addressed separately.

Zusammenfassung

Es gibt die Theorie, dass die Einbeziehung von Kraft‑, Geschwindigkeits- und Flexibilitätstrainingsregimen die Qualität des Aufschlags beim Tennis verbessern kann. Eine effiziente Schlagqualität während des Aufschlags verbessert die Geschwindigkeit und verringert das Verletzungsrisiko bei Tennisspielern. Bislang hat jedoch noch keine Tennisstudie untersucht, ob eine ausreichende muskuloskeletale Kapazität ein Faktor ist, der zur optimalen Aufschlagmechanik beiträgt. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war es herauszufinden, ob sich mit der muskuloskeletalen Kapazität der optimale Bewegungsablauf beim Aufschlag vorhersagen lässt. Untersucht wurden 46 professionelle Tennisspielerinnen (Alter: 26 ± 3 Jahre, Körpermasse: 65 ± 5 kg, Körpergröße: 1,74 ± 0,06 m). Die muskuloskeletalen Kapazitätsparameter wurden anhand des Tennis Specific Screen (TSS) mit Kraft- und Flexibilitätsmaßen bewertet. Die Aufschlagmechanik wurde mithilfe des Observational-Tennis-Serve-Analysis(OTSA)-Instruments bewertet, das einen Wertebereich von 0 bis 9 hat. Multiple Regressionsanalysen ergaben, dass die Skapuladyskinesie an der nichtdominanten Schulter während der Flexion prädiktiv für den OTSA-Score ist (r2 = 0,14, p-Wert = 0,008). Die Korrelation ist jedoch schwach (r = 0,38), daher besteht eine nicht klinisch signifikante Beziehung zwischen der Skapuladyskinesie und der Aufschlagmechanik. Keiner der anderen Parameter des Bewegungsapparats zeigte eine signifikante Beziehung zur Aufschlagmechanik. Wie die Studie gezeigt hat, gibt es bei professionellen Tennisspielerinnen keinen bedeutsamen Zusammenhang zwischen den TSS-Maßen und den OTSA-Werten. Zusammenfassend sind die muskuloskeletale Kapazität und die Aufschlagmechanik voneinander unabhängig und sollten gesondert angegangen werden.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Kathleen Stroia MS, ATC, PT and the WTA Sport Sciences & Medicine Staff for their contributions and support throughout this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health & Human Performance, Texas State University, 601 University Dr, 78666, San Marcos, TX, USA

    Natalie L. Myers PhD, ATC, PES

  2. Lexington Clinic Orthopedics, Sports Medicine Center, Shoulder Center of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

    W. Ben Kibler MD, FACSM

  3. Human Health Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

    Alexis H. Axtell

  4. Sport Sciences & Medicine, Women’s Tennis Association, St. Petersburg, FL, USA

    Belinda J. Herde

  5. Department of Biostatistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

    Philip M. Westgate PhD

  6. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

    Tim L. Uhl PhD, ATC, PT, FNATA

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  1. Natalie L. Myers PhD, ATC, PES
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  6. Tim L. Uhl PhD, ATC, PT, FNATA
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Correspondence to Natalie L. Myers PhD, ATC, PES.

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Conflict of interest

N.L. Myers, A.H. Axtell, P.M. Westgate and T.L. Uhl declare that they have no competing interests. W.B. Kibler and B.J. Herde have received honoraria from the Women’s Tennis Association; however, these honoraria are independent of this research.

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1975 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The University of Kentucky’s Institutional Review Board approved the study.

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Myers, N.L., Kibler, W.B., Axtell, A.H. et al. Musculoskeletal capacity and serve mechanics in professional women’s tennis players. Ger J Exerc Sport Res 49, 275–284 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-019-00574-5

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