IMPACTS OF PLYOMETRICS EXERCISES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF KNEE FLEXION AND EXTENSION STRENGTH IN TENNIS PLAYERS
Burçin ÖLÇÜCÜ1, Güven ERDİL2, A. Yavuz KARAHAN3, Abdullah CENİKLİ1, Mustafa ALTINKÖK4
1Gaziosmanpaşa Üniversitesi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Yüksek Okulu, Tokat
2Marmara Üniversitesi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Yüksek Okulu, A. Hisarı, Beykoz, İstanbul
3Karaman Devlet Hastanesi Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Bölümü, Karaman
4Çekmeköy Vatan İlköğretim Okulu, Taşdelen, Çekmeköy, İstanbul
Keywords: Tennis, plyometrics training, knee flexion and extension, isokinetic measurement
Abstract
Impacts of plyometrics training on the development of knee flexion and extension strength in tennis players were investigated in this study. A total of 40 male tennis players aged between 20-25 years volunteered to participate in the study. Participants were balanced according to their ages and were randomly separated into two groups. While members of the experimental group added a plyometrics training program of two sets per day three times a week to their standard tennis training process, the control group continued with only the standard tennis drills for the eight-week period. Measurements of the dependent variables were made at the start of the study, and at the end of 4th and 8th weeks. A mixed between- and within-subjects ANOVA was used to evaluate the effects of dependent variables on the training program. Significant changes (p<0.05) for the mean peak torque scores were observed for flexion and extension of the right leg at the angular speeds of 60 and 120°/s, in favor of the experimental group. It is concluded that adding plyometrics exercises to standard tennis training session has positive impact on knee strength.
