The evaluation of foot pressure and postural structure of national golfers.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to perform the static and dynamic biomechanical assessment of postural structure and analyze variations of foot pressure in elite golfers. METHODS: A total of 8 golfers (3 female, mean age 15.33 ± 0.57 years; mean height 167 ± 3.61 cm and mean weight 59.3 ± 11.71 kg; 5 male, mean age 17 ± 0.83 years; mean height 177.2 ± 8.61 cm; mean weight 72.8 ± 15.61 kg) from Turkish National Team were participated to this study. Digital Biometry Images Scanning (DBIS) system was used for BioPostural analyses. All participants were applied Modular Electronic Baropodometric test for foot pressure evaluation and Stabilometry for body balance evaluation. Results were analyzed by SPSS 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) program, using Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: In static evaluation, there were significant differences in forefoot and rearfoot surface (cm2) (p < 0.05); forefoot and rearfoot load (%) (p < 0.05); forefoot and rearfoot weight ratio (%) (p < 0.05) and foot angle (p < 0.05). In dynamic evaluation, there were significant differences in right and left foot surface and load values (p < 0.05). The golfers dominant foot values were higher than non-dominant foot and also the balance parameters were found to be high (p < 0.05). The BPI Static mean value of the golfers were 7 points. The BPI Dynamic mean value of the golfers were 29 points. Also the golfers' Stabilometric (Balance) Evaluation results were 20 points, whereas the norm values ranged from 0 to 10. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that static and dynamic postural structure parameters are very important for performances and injuries of the golfers. It is believed that these differences were due to the weight transfer applied especially in the swing motion at the moment of impact. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Diagnostic Study.

Acute effects of static stretching, dynamic exercises, and high volume upper extremity plyometric activity on tennis serve performance.

The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of static stretching; dynamic exercises and high volume upper extremity plyometric activity on tennis serve performance. Twenty-six elite young tennis players (15.1 ± 4.2 years, 167.9 ± 5.8 cm and 61.6 ± 8.1 kg) performed 4 different warm-up (WU) routines in a random order on non-consecutive days. The WU methods consisted of traditional WU (jogging, rally and serve practice) (TRAD); traditional WU and static stretching (TRSS); traditional WU and dynamic exercise (TRDE); and traditional WU and high volume upper extremity plyometric activity (TRPLYP). Following each WU session, subjects were tested on a tennis serve ball speed test. TRAD, TRSS, TRDE and TRPLYO were compared by repeated measurement analyses of variance and post-hoc comparisons. In this study a 1 to 3 percent increase in tennis serve ball speed was recorded in TRDE and TRPLYO when compared to TRAD (p< 0.05). However, no significant change in ball speed performance between TRSS and TRAD. (p> 0.05). ICCs for ball speed showed strong reliability (0.82 to 0.93) for the ball speed measurements.The results of this study indicate that dynamic and high volume upper extremity plyometric WU activities are likely beneficial to serve speed of elite junior tennis players.