title: Support leg action can contribute to maximal instep soccer kick performance: an intervention study.
abstract: This investigation assessed whether a Technique Refinement Intervention designed to produce pronounced vertical hip displacement during the kicking stride could improve maximal instep kick performance. Nine skilled players (age 23.7 ± 3.8 years, height 1.82 ± 0.06 m, body mass 78.5 ± 6.1 kg, experience 14.7 ± 3.8 years; mean ± SD) performed 10 kicking trials prior to (NORM) and following the intervention (INT). Ground reaction force (1000 Hz) and three-dimensional motion analysis (250 Hz) data were used to calculate lower limb kinetic and kinematic variables. Paired t-tests and statistical parametric mapping examined differences between the two kicking techniques across the entire kicking motion. Peak ball velocities (26.3 ± 2.1 m · s-1vs 25.1 ± 1.5 m · s-1) and vertical displacements of the kicking leg hip joint centre (0.041 ± 0.012 m vs 0.028 ± 0.011 m) were significantly larger (P < 0.025) when performed following INT. Further, various significant changes in support and kicking leg dynamics contributed to a significantly faster kicking knee extension angular velocity through ball contact following INT (70-100% of total kicking motion, P < 0.003). Maximal instep kick performance was enhanced following INT, and the mechanisms presented are indicative of greater passive power flow to the kicking limb during the kicking stride.
authors.affiliation: a Chichester Institute of Sport , University of Chichester , Chichester , UK.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Augustus
authors.affiliation: b Department of Applied Sciences and Health , Coventry University , Coventry , UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mundy
authors.affiliation: a Chichester Institute of Sport , University of Chichester , Chichester , UK.
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005528:Foot; D006615:Hip; D006621:Hip Joint; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee; D007719:Knee Joint; D007866:Leg; D009048:Motor Skills; D009068:Movement; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012916:Soccer; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Biomechanics; dynamics; football; power flow; technique intervention