title: Stability and phase locking in human soccer juggling.
abstract: We explored a variant of juggling in which human adults were asked to rhythmically bounce a soccer ball with their dominant foot while standing on the other foot. Eight subjects performed the task at three prescribed heights and one free height condition. Kinematic analyses of foot movement at ball-foot impact showed that, for the smallest height, foot acceleration was positive or zero at impact, which indicates an active stabilization regime. Increasing juggling height resulted in foot acceleration becoming increasingly negative at impact, which is required for a passive dynamical stability regime. These results show that skilled soccer jugglers exploit the passive stability regime afforded by the task, but that similar stability can be achieved with an active stabilization strategy.
authors.affiliation: Université Marc Bloch, 14 rue Descartes, 67084 Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tlili
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mottet
authors.forename: M-A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dupuy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pavis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*