The effect of tennis match play on joint range of motion in junior players

Abstract

and strength is thought to be crucial in protecting the shoulder complex during intensive overhead motions. Lack of flexibility in athletes has been linked to a decrease in performance and increase in muscular injuries (Shellock & Prentice, 1985). During a tennis match, players usually perform a large number of multidirectional and cutting movements along with asymmetric rotational motions resulting from the execution of a serve or groundstroke (Roetert, Kovacs, Knudson, & Groppel, 2009). Tennis match load is expressed as the number of shots a player makes and the distance covered while performing movement patterns that include fast starts, directional changes, stops, and jumps. Weber (2001) reported that in an average rally, professional players hit three shots and cover 3 m for each contact with the ball, which amounts to approximately 1,000 executed shots and 3 km of distance covered during a best of three sets match. Kovacs (2006) found that all movements