title: Kicking performance in relation to balance ability over the support leg.
abstract: Balance control is presumed to be a fundamental constraint on the organization of skilled movement. The current experiment explored whether single-leg balance ability predicted kicking performance on the other leg. Thirty-eight participants ranging widely in skill kicked a soccer ball with the right and left legs for maximum accuracy and velocity and performed single-leg balance on a force plate for 30 s with the right and left legs. Significant correlations between single-leg balance and kicking accuracy, but not velocity, were found. Left leg balance was more highly correlated than right leg balance with right (dominant) leg kicking accuracy. However, the same pattern of relations was not seen between single-leg balance and left (non-dominant) leg kicking accuracy. These findings provide preliminary support for the importance of balance ability in kicking performance. The importance of balance in the production of athletic skills is discussed and additional experimental paradigms are suggested that might further our knowledge in this area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132, USA.
authors.forename: Tracey S-Y
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Chew-Bullock
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Kate A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hamel
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gorelick
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sidaway
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004215:Distance Perception; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D009949:Orientation; D004856:Postural Balance; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012916:Soccer / Q000523:psychology*; D016474:Weight-Bearing; D055815:Young Adult