Kinematic analysis of the basketball free throw in preparation phase of elite athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the kinematic parameters of the body for the preparation phase of the free throw to improve the efficiency and sport performances. The study includes a total twenty elite basketball players from the Kosovo Super League teams: K.B. Prishtina, K.B. Kerasani and K.B. Lipljan. Basketball shooting measurements were conducted during the training of the 2018 year. Filming of the basketball shooting techniques is done with three Canon HD cameras, set at 90-degree angles, which can reproduce sixty pictures per second. 12 variables of kinematic parameters of body were selected for analysis. Only one successful shot from each player was taken for analysis. Analysis is done with Kinematic Analysis System (APAS), outputting the required results and values of the kinematic indicators. The data collected were processed by statistical analysis software "IBM SPSS 20", and statistical parameters were determined using the methods: arithmetic mean, standard deviation, minimum score, maximum score, Skewness and Kurtosis. The confirmation of the mutual influence of the variables was done by the Pearson's coefficients correlation method. The findings of this study show that in the preparation phase for a free throw shot in basketball, variables such as knee angle, wrist angle, thigh angle, and elbow angle have shown to be the kinematic parameters that have the greatest impact on finalizing a successful free throw in basketball. The scientific contribution of this research also provides new insights into the optimal model of basketball player performance during free-throw.