Kinematic Factors and Volleyball Spike Jump Performance of State and National Levels Male Volleyball Players

Abstract

The study purpose was to compare two different functional classes of volleyball players on the selected kinematical variables of spike jump performance. A total of eighteen (8 national and 10 state level) male volleyball players were selected as the subjects for this study. For obtaining 2-D kinematical data each subject was asked to perform volleyball spike jump. There was a setter who set the ball for spiker to spike. Each spiker spike for three times and their spike jump performance was recorded in a high speed Canon Legria HF S10 camcorder. The camcorder was placed on a tripod at the height of 1.5 meters on the sagittal plane; the focus of the camcorder was perpendicular to the side-line at a distance of 13 meters away from the point of jump. The movement of the spiker was recorded until the peak of the spike jump from the onset of the movement. Acquired 2-D data were analyzed with the help of Silicon Coach Pro7 motion analysis software. The jump height (JH), range of motion (RoM), angular velocity (AV), hyperextension joint angle at shoulder joint (HJASJ), and duration of arm swing (DAS) were taken as the kinematic variables for this study. The t test was used to statistically analyze the data. Results of study indicated that there was a significant difference in the variable of JH, RoM and DAS between national and state level male volleyball players, whereas insignificant difference observed in the variable of AV and HJASJ in their volleyball spike jump performance. For optimum spike jump performance the jump height is one of the important factor. Arm swing duration was a prominent factor of spike jump performance as when this increases the jump height is also increases and vice-versa. Maximization of the speed of the arm swing improves spike jump performance. Though increase in shoulder hyperextension joint angle doesn’t have any role in the spike jump performance.