Smit, M.S. (Michel) (2019) The development of a physical-technical tennis-specific field test (PTTF-test) for the monitoring of tennis performance. thesis, Sport Sciences.
Full text available on request.Abstract
Standardized test protocols are a valuable tool to monitor physical performance in tennis. This monitoring of physical performance in tennis-specific settings is indispensable. This study developed the new physical-technical tennis-specific field test (PTTF-test) for the monitoring of tennis performance. Discriminant validity, construct validity and feasibility of the PTTF-test were handled. 20 male tennis athletes and 17 female tennis athletes, born between 2000 and 2006, were included in this study and were separately analysed. All athletes were classified in age groups (U14, U16 and U19) for analysis. A subgroup of participants, born between 2003 and 2006, was also classified into performance levels as either elite (♂n=5, ♀n=7)or sub-elite (♂n=10, ♀n=6) by their year-of-birth based tennis ranking (cut-off rank 3). The PTTF-test comprises participants hitting strokes towards targets in an on-court intermittent and physical incremental protocol towards exhaustion. A subgroup of the participants (♂n=18, ♀n=12) performed the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1(Yo-yo test) for PTTF-test construct validation. PTTF-test outcome variables were mean heart rate increase (HRgem.incr.lvl-1), mean velocity decrease (Vel.decr.lvl-1), mean accuracy decrease (Acc.decr.lvl-1), mean VA-index decrease (VA.decr.lvl-1) and mean percentage errors decrease (PE.decr.lvl-1) per intensity level, step-out level (PTTF,level) and maximum heart rate in the test (HRmax,test). Statistical analysis was performed by a Multivariate analysis of variance for discriminant validation of the outcome variables for performance level. Pearson correlations and a paired t-test were used for construct validation of HRmax,test and PTTF,level by the Yo-yo test. The study revealed that male elite athletes outscored their sub-elite counterparts on PTTF,level (p<.01) and PE.decr.lvl-1 (p<.05) and female elite athletes outscored their counterparts on Acc.decr.lvl-1 (p<.05) and VA.decr.lvl-1 (p<.05), indicating these as valid measures for the determination of physical performance. The analysis revealed a strong relationship between HRmax,test and HRmax,yoyo for males (r=0.897, p<.001) and females (r=0.807, p<0.01). However a paired t-test revealed absolute differences between them for both males (p<.01) and females (p<.05), indicating that the physical outcome variables of the PTTF-test protocol relate to a different, but more tennis-specific physical endurance. This study have judged the execution of the PTTF-test protocol as feasible after implementation of costs recommendations. Concluding the present study proved that PTTF,level and PE.decr.lvl-1 are valid measures for the discrimination of tennis-specific physical performance for male athletes, whereas Acc.decr.lvl-1and VA.decr.lvl-1 are valid discriminators of tennis-specific physical performance for female athletes. The PTTF-test is found valuable for talent selection purposes in youth athletes.
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Huijgen, dr. B.C.H. and Hoekstra, A. |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 24 May 2022 09:50 |
| Last Modified: | 24 May 2022 09:50 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3429 |
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