A Study of Center of Gravity in Different Phases of Selected Soccer Kicks

Abstract

The center of gravity (CG) of the human body is a hypothetical point around which the force of gravity appears to act. CG need not lie within the physical bounds of an object. Human beings do not remain fixed in the anatomical position and the precise location of the CG changes constantly with every new position of the body and limbs. CG plays an important role in maintaining balance, equilibrium, and breaking inertia during the performance of a sports technique. Purpose of this study is to discover the pattern and make the comparison of CG height and CG velocity changes in the execution of frequently used soccer kicks within and between the kicks by the male players. Five male players played for the Bangladesh National Football teams were selected as subject and their age was between 16-19 years. A Cannon EOS7D with the capacity of 55 f/sec camera placed on sagittal plane at the backside of the kick 5.00 meters away and at 1.13 meter of height to capture kicking actions of the players on Coronal/Frontal plane. The best frame was selected out of 3 trials. 2D motion Analysis Software Kinovea 0.8.25 was employed for the quantitative analysis of the video clips. Changing of the CG height position in percentage was studied in three different phases i.e. Ground contact, Ball contact, and Follow-through in reference to erect standing CG height of the players. In addition, CG velocity changes were also studied in ball contact and follow-through phases. This study demonstrates that the male soccer players demonstrate inconsistency in CG height reduction in performing all three phases (Ground Contact, Ball Contact, & Follow-through) in all selected five kicks (Push Pass, Instep Kick, Lofted Kick, Chip Shot, and In-swerve Kick), but highest reductions have been located in the ball contact phase of all the kicks. Players change CG height in the same manner among the five selected kicks in each of the phases distinctly. Players experience CG height drop in Instep Kick differently between ball contact and ground contact phases. Players display higher mean CG velocity in ball contact phase than follow-through phase in Push Pass but remaining other kicks exhibit opposite actions. Players display CG velocity in all selected soccer kicks in the same manner at ball contact and follow-through phases. Players change CG velocity differently between Push Pass and Instep Kick, In-swerve Kick, Lofted Kick at follow-through phase.