title: Relationship between motor variability, accuracy, and ball speed in the tennis serve.
abstract: The main objective of this study was to analyze the motor variability in the performance of the tennis serve and its relationship to performance outcome. Seventeen male tennis players took part in the research, and they performed 20 serves. Linear and non-linear variability during the hand movement was measured by 3D Motion Tracking. Ball speed was recorded with a sports radar gun and the ball bounces were video recorded to calculate accuracy. The results showed a relationship between the amount of variability and its non-linear structure found in performance of movement and the outcome of the serve. The study also found that movement predictability correlates with performance. An increase in the amount of movement variability could affect the tennis serve performance in a negative way by reducing speed and accuracy of the ball.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport. San Antonio Catholic University Campus de Los Jerónimos, Guadalupe, Spain.
authors.forename: Ruperto Menayo
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Antúnez
authors.forename: Francisco Javier Moreno
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Juan Pedro Fuentes
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Raúl Reina
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Vaíllo
authors.forename: Jesús Sebastián Damas
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Arroyo
keywords: performance; tennis serve; variability