The Relationship Between Biomotoric Properties and Hewitt Test Performance in 13-15 Years Old Tennis Players

Abstract

Tennis is a sports branch with a lot of coordinated properties. The physical, physiological and motoric properties of the athlete are at optimum level, which influences the stroke performance positively. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between biomotoric properties and Hewitt test performance in 13-15 years old tennis players. 10 healthy female tennis players (age: 14.00±1.05 years, height: 158.60±3.69 cm, weight: 53.57±5.22 kg, experience: 3.40±1.58 years) who played in Pamukkale University tennis club participated in this study voluntarily. In anthropometric measurements height, body weight, leg lengths and dominant hand were recorded. Left and right hand grip, countermovement and squat jumps test, flexibility, standing long jump, static and dynamic balance, star test, Wall Catch coordination test and Hewitt performance test were applied to the tennis players. In the statistical analysis of the data, descriptive analyzes of all test performance characteristics of the tennis players were calculated as mean and standard deviation. The relationships between biomotoric properties and Hewitt test performance were evaluated using Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis. The statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Statistically significant correlation was found between Hewitt test (groundstroke performance) and Wall Catch coordination test (r= 0.865; p<0.01). There was no significant correlation between Hewitt test and leg lengths, dominant hand, left-right foot dynamic balance, standing long jump, flexibility, jump performance, left and right hand grip and star tests (p>0.05). As a result, the use of tests with similar movements special to tennis in evaluating the athlete's performance can accurately reflect the athlete's test values.