Report

Practice improves court mobility and self-efficacy in tennis-specific wheelchair propulsion.

Tennis-specific mobility drills improve confidence and chair propulsion skill with likely crossover into tennis match play competence and ability.

Lead academic:
Paul Sindall, John Lenton, Barry Mason,
Additional academics:
K Tolfrey, R Cooper, K Martin Ginis, V.L Tolfrey
Funder:
International Tennis Federation

Introduction:

Wheelchair court sports (i.e., tennis, basketball, rugby), involve high speeds, with tennis involving intermittent activity and a requirement for timely reactions to ball and opponent displacement. These characteristics represent a unique physiological and skill challenge, emphasizing the need for specific testing for sports chair users.

Following two 60-min practice sessions, improvements in SE of chair use and problem-solving have been noted. However, less is known about short-term interventions designed to improve sports propulsion, where the physical environment is more complex and challenging.

Study aim: To determine possible differences in court movement, physiological cost and SE in match play following practice and racket holding.

Methods:

Following physiological profiling involving graded and peak exercise testing, 16 able-bodied (AB) participants performed bouts of WT match play interspersed with practice involving wheelchair mobility drills completed with (R) or without (NR) a tennis racket.

A data logger recorded distance and speed. Self-efficacy was reported.

Main findings:

  • Greater overall and forwards distances, and higher peak and average speeds were achieved in WT match play, post-practice.
  • During practice, lower distances and speeds were achieved with R, with a lower physiological cost than NR.
  • Power losses, and therefore lower peak velocities can be attributed to R activity.
  • Racket-strategy had no effect on match play court movement, physiological cost, or SE.
  • Practice increases court movement and SE with no associated increases in physiological cost. Changes represent enhanced court mobility.
  • Only a short bout of practice (~24 min) is required to increase court movement activity during WT match play.

Reference:

Sindall P, Lenton JP, Mason BS, Tolfrey K, Cooper RA, Martin Ginis KA, Goosey-Tolfrey VL. Practice improves court mobility and self-efficacy in tennis-specific wheelchair propulsion. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2021 May;16(4):398-406. DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2020.1761892. Epub 2020 May 15. PMID: 32412809.

 

Image credit: © Paralympics GB