The Effects of Scapular Stability Training on Serve Speed and Accuracy in College Tennis Players from the Perspective of the Kinetic Chain

Abstract

Background and Aim: In the tennis serve, the scapula serves as the bony connection between the core, spine, and shoulder. It is the main fulcrum of the body's dynamic chain transmission and plays a very important role in the energy transfer process of the upper limb movement. The objective of this research was to study the effect of scapular stability training in the service kinetic chain on the speed and accuracy of the tennis serve. Materials and Methods: 16 college tennis players from Guangzhou Polytechnic of Sports were randomly selected for this study as a sample group, and divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 8 students for each group (4 males and 4 females). The period of training was 8 weeks. After the tennis training class, only the experimental group will perform scapula stability training twice a week (Monday and Wednesday) for 60 minutes each time. This research used literature methods, expert interviews, experiments, and mathematical statistics to conduct experimental research and theoretical analysis on the effects of scapula stability training on the serving speed and accuracy of college tennis players Results: The results showed that 8 weeks of scapula stability training had a significant effect on improving the stability of athletes' scapula. The scapula stability of the control group (6.81±1.09) and the scapula stability of the experimental group (9.45±1.33). Scapula stability training has a significant effect on the serving accuracy of college tennis players. The serving accuracy of the control group (30.38±5.34) and the serving accuracy of the experimental group (35.50±2.67). Scapula stability training has no significant effect on the serve speed of college tennis players. The serve speed of the control group (136.80±23.89) and the serve speed of the experimental group (122.12±35.71). Conclusion: The results showed that scapular stability and serve accuracy in the experimental group were significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). In terms of serving speed, there was no significant difference between the experimental group and the control group (p>.05). Within the experimental group, there were significant improvements in scapular stability, serve accuracy, and serve speed before and after the experiment (p < 0.05).