Influence of video instruction on soccer kick velocity in young players

Abstract

Soccer is a sport that necessitates proficiency in motor control and cognitive abilities, with kicking serving as a fundamental action. Improving kicking performance is vital for player advancement, leading to the inquiry: “How can video instruction promptly optimize kicking technique in young players?”. This research aimed to investigate the immediate effects of an instructional video on the kinematic variables of kicking to induce an acute alteration in the movement pattern. A cohort of 26 male youths, aged between 10 and 15 years, partook in the study and were segregated into an instruction group (IG) and a control group (CG). The IG received exposure to a video containing specific kicking instructions, while the CG viewed a video lacking such guidance. Both groups were recorded performing penalty kicks before and after viewing the video. Kinematic analysis was carried out utilizing the OpenPose artificial intelligence neural network for pose detection and subsequent 3D reconstruction. The primary discovery was that the length of the last stride (LS) notably increased in the IG following the instructional video. This outcome indicates that video instructions hold promise in promptly enhancing particular aspects of kicking technique in young soccer players.