title: Development, application, and limitation of a stochastic Markov model in explaining championship squash performance.
abstract: This study reports a stochastic (Markov) model for squash which uses empirical data to transit event states on a shot by shot basis. This offers more information than traditional models with regard to how points were won or lost and the potential for predicting future athletic performance from a priori observation. The predictive capacity of the model, however, is presently restricted because the observed behaviors (shots) and associated outcomes (winners, errors and lets) are statistically variant (p < .25). A player does not produce a consistent athletic response to the same preceding condition when competing against different opponents, although it is unclear at present whether this observation is a function of the particular analysis employed. Nevertheless, the modeling of athletic behavior is a way to search for critical data which underpin competitive sport performance.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Kinetics, University of British Columbia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McGarry
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Franks
mesh_terms: D003163:Competitive Behavior; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008390:Markov Chains; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D015865:Racquet Sports / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*