Impacts of Racket Handle Design on Table Tennis Topspin Forehand Rally Performance Among Beginner Players
Physical inactivity is a major global public health concern, and table tennis offers a low-impact, engaging way to promote physical activity across various age groups. However, many beginners struggle to maintain effective participation due to their lower skill levels. Therefore, the development and...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Sports |
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| author | Ryushi Kumamoto Ping Yeap Loh Yuqi He Enrico Ferlinghetti Matteo Lancini Tadashi Uno |
| author_facet | Ryushi Kumamoto Ping Yeap Loh Yuqi He Enrico Ferlinghetti Matteo Lancini Tadashi Uno |
| author_sort | Ryushi Kumamoto |
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| description | Physical inactivity is a major global public health concern, and table tennis offers a low-impact, engaging way to promote physical activity across various age groups. However, many beginners struggle to maintain effective participation due to their lower skill levels. Therefore, the development and reinforcement of stable grip techniques is crucial because it will help beginners achieve sustainable improvements in performance. This will provide additional opportunities to increase physical activity, and therefore overall health, across all age groups. Thus, in this study, we investigate the effects of a prototype table tennis handle on the racket angle and performance of beginners. The prototype handle features a 20° tilt to assist the player in maintaining a stable topspin forehand grip during play. The participants were randomized into three groups, Groups A, B, and C, which used the prototype handle, standard handle, and practiced with the prototype but performed tests with the standard handle, respectively. The participants executed topspin forehand strokes in approximately 30 min of practice, and data on racket angles, swing mechanics, success rates, and ball landing positions were collected. The results showed that Group A exhibited a larger racket open angle and a smaller racket face Angle than the other groups. However, the groups showed no significant differences in hit positions or overall success rates. Our results suggest that although the prototype handle can influence racket angles and some performance aspects, individual differences and swing mechanics should be considered. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8f6a453031b74fed83fa41b7052d6951 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-4663 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Sports |
| spelling | doaj-art-8f6a453031b74fed83fa41b7052d69512025-01-24T13:49:53ZengMDPI AGSports2075-46632025-01-011312210.3390/sports13010022Impacts of Racket Handle Design on Table Tennis Topspin Forehand Rally Performance Among Beginner PlayersRyushi Kumamoto0Ping Yeap Loh1Yuqi He2Enrico Ferlinghetti3Matteo Lancini4Tadashi Uno5Graduate School of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 815-8540, JapanDepartment of Life Design and Science, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 815-8540, JapanFaculty of Sport Science, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou 362000, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, 25128 Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health (DSMC), University of Brescia, 25128 Brescia, ItalyCenter of Liberal Arts and Science, Sanyo-Onoda City University, Yamaguchi 756-0884, JapanPhysical inactivity is a major global public health concern, and table tennis offers a low-impact, engaging way to promote physical activity across various age groups. However, many beginners struggle to maintain effective participation due to their lower skill levels. Therefore, the development and reinforcement of stable grip techniques is crucial because it will help beginners achieve sustainable improvements in performance. This will provide additional opportunities to increase physical activity, and therefore overall health, across all age groups. Thus, in this study, we investigate the effects of a prototype table tennis handle on the racket angle and performance of beginners. The prototype handle features a 20° tilt to assist the player in maintaining a stable topspin forehand grip during play. The participants were randomized into three groups, Groups A, B, and C, which used the prototype handle, standard handle, and practiced with the prototype but performed tests with the standard handle, respectively. The participants executed topspin forehand strokes in approximately 30 min of practice, and data on racket angles, swing mechanics, success rates, and ball landing positions were collected. The results showed that Group A exhibited a larger racket open angle and a smaller racket face Angle than the other groups. However, the groups showed no significant differences in hit positions or overall success rates. Our results suggest that although the prototype handle can influence racket angles and some performance aspects, individual differences and swing mechanics should be considered.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/13/1/22active lifestylesphysical activity promotionskill acquisitionsport pedagogy |
| spellingShingle | Ryushi Kumamoto Ping Yeap Loh Yuqi He Enrico Ferlinghetti Matteo Lancini Tadashi Uno Impacts of Racket Handle Design on Table Tennis Topspin Forehand Rally Performance Among Beginner Players Sports active lifestyles physical activity promotion skill acquisition sport pedagogy |
| title | Impacts of Racket Handle Design on Table Tennis Topspin Forehand Rally Performance Among Beginner Players |
| title_full | Impacts of Racket Handle Design on Table Tennis Topspin Forehand Rally Performance Among Beginner Players |
| title_fullStr | Impacts of Racket Handle Design on Table Tennis Topspin Forehand Rally Performance Among Beginner Players |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impacts of Racket Handle Design on Table Tennis Topspin Forehand Rally Performance Among Beginner Players |
| title_short | Impacts of Racket Handle Design on Table Tennis Topspin Forehand Rally Performance Among Beginner Players |
| title_sort | impacts of racket handle design on table tennis topspin forehand rally performance among beginner players |
| topic | active lifestyles physical activity promotion skill acquisition sport pedagogy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/13/1/22 |
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