Effects of different racket coverings in table tennis forehand drive on selected upper body muscles

R. Mishra; J. Singh; J. Bhosle

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R. Mishra

, J. Singh

, J. Bhosle

Abstract: This study aimed to analyze the upper body muscle activation during table tennis gameplay using two different racket coverings: inverted and short-pimpled. The study included five female university-level table tennis players (aged 19 ± 2, height 161.4 ± 6.7 cm, weight 59.5 ± 5.7 kg), who had sufficient game experience. Participants were physically fit and had participated in an inter-university tournament within the previous week. Electromyographic signals were recorded from six surface upper body muscles: Anterior Deltoid (AD), Biceps Brachii (BB), Flexor Carpi Radialis (FCR), Extensor Carpi Radialis (ECR), Pectoralis Major (PM), and Stomach Oblique (SO). Root Mean Square (RMS) values were analyzed across all muscles to determine maximum muscle involvement. Mean and standard deviation values were used for descriptive statistics. The t-test method was used to compare the myoelectrical difference between muscle activation during playing with both racket coverings. Results showed that five out of six muscles did not show a significant difference in muscle activation level while playing with both racket coverings. However, the PM muscle showed significantly higher muscle activation while playing with an inverted racket covering than playing with a pimpled one. This could be due to the inverted rubber's ability to produce a greater amount of spin to the ball.

Series on Biomechanics, Vol.37, No.3 (2023), 57-67

Keywords: electromyography; forehand drive; muscle activation; Racket covering

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DOI: 10.7546/SB.08.03.2023

Date published: 2023-08-02

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