The effect of ball compression and scale court sizes on learning tennis skills of beginner adult tennis players

Abstract

Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated the positive impact of scaled equipment on the playing performance of young tennis players. Nonetheless, there is a need for further research to explore the impact of scaled equipment on the skill development of beginner adult tennis players. Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of ball compression and scale court sizes on the learning of tennis skills of beginner adult tennis players. Methods: Twenty-four beginner players (age 20.9 ± 1.2 years) were randomly divided into a regular ball group (RB, n = 12) and a low-compression ball group (LCB, n = 12) on-court training twice per week for six weeks. The RB played with standard yellow tennis balls, while the LCB used low-compression balls (red, orange, and green) during the intervention. Pre and post-tests included the Tennis-Specific Skills Test (TSST) and the International Tennis Number test (ITN). Results: 2 The results demonstrated that the LCB showed higher technical characteristics after training (p.05, ηp =.02) and the TSST scores in terms of forehand, backhand, and rally length (p