Effect of movement speed abilities on playing efficiency of elite table tennis players

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Dr.Hab., Professor G.V. Barchukova1
PhD, Associate Professor A.N. Mizin2
1Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism (SCOLIPE), Moscow
2Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University) Moscow

Objective of the study was to determine the influence of movement speed abilities on playing efficiency of elite table tennis players.
Methods and structure of the study. The table tennis players’ movement speed abilities were rated by the widely accepted test method - "Moving within the 4-meter zone". The test consists in performing 10 fast moves between 2 tables positioned at the 4-meter distance from one another while touching the edges of the tables with the dominant hand. The experiment involved 8 elite male athletes (MS and CMS) aged 18-20 years. The testees made two attempts; the average result was considered.
Study results and conclusions. The rank correlation analysis enabled to reveal a high level of correlation between the table tennis players’ movement speed abilities in the test "Moving within the 4-meter zone" and their current rating (r=-0.781 at p≤0.5). This confirms the coaches' opinion that movements play an important role in the table tennis technique and tactics.
The study proved the importance of movements in the game technique of elite table tennis players and revealed the influence of movement speed abilities on the efficiency of players’ actions in game situations.

Keywords: highly skilled table tennis players, moves in table tennis, speed abilities versus game performance.

References

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  2. Barchukova G.V. Effektivnye peredvizheniya, kak odin iz vazhnykh faktorov pobedy v nastolnom tennise [Effective movement as one of key success factors in table tennis]. Sportivnye igry v fizicheskom vospitanii, rekreatsii i sporte [Team sports in physical education, recreation and sports]. Proc. II International scientific and practical correspondence conference. Smolensk, 2003. State Committee of the Russian Federation for Physical Culture and Sports. SSIPC. Smolensk, 2003. pp. 16-23
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