Katy Williams1, Clair Hebron2. 1. Department of Sports Development and Recreation, Sports Training Village, University of Bath, Claverton Down Road, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7AY, England, UK. Electronic address: K.Williams@bath.ac.uk. 2. School of Health Sciences, Aldro Building, University of Brighton, 49 Darley Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 7UR, England, UK. Electronic address: C.L.Hebron@brighton.ac.uk.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of serving on shoulder rotational range of motion (ROM) in tennis players by comparing to groundstrokes. DESIGN: Same-subject, randomised, crossover study. SETTING: Indoor hard courts. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen male and 12 female professional and university level tennis players. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Passive glenohumeral internal and external rotation ROM measurements, using a digital inclinometer, were undertaken at baseline and immediately following serving and groundstroke tasks on both dominant and non-dominant shoulders. Total rotation was calculated as the sum of internal and external rotation. RESULTS: On the dominant and non-dominant shoulders there was no significant interaction effect between the factors of tennis task (serving and groundstrokes) and time (pre and post) (p = <0.05). Indicating that change in rotational ROM was not specific to tennis task. On the dominant shoulder there was a significant main effect of time (p = 0.007), with internal, external and total rotational ROM decreasing irrespective of tennis task. CONCLUSION: Both tennis tasks resulted in immediate significant reductions in shoulder rotational ROM on the dominant shoulder but not the non-dominant shoulder of professional and university tennis players. There was no significant difference between serving and groundstroke tasks.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of serving on shoulder rotational range of motion (ROM) in tennis players by comparing to groundstrokes. DESIGN: Same-subject, randomised, crossover study. SETTING: Indoor hard courts. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen male and 12 female professional and university level tennis players. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Passive glenohumeral internal and external rotation ROM measurements, using a digital inclinometer, were undertaken at baseline and immediately following serving and groundstroke tasks on both dominant and non-dominant shoulders. Total rotation was calculated as the sum of internal and external rotation. RESULTS: On the dominant and non-dominant shoulders there was no significant interaction effect between the factors of tennis task (serving and groundstrokes) and time (pre and post) (p = <0.05). Indicating that change in rotational ROM was not specific to tennis task. On the dominant shoulder there was a significant main effect of time (p = 0.007), with internal, external and total rotational ROM decreasing irrespective of tennis task. CONCLUSION: Both tennis tasks resulted in immediate significant reductions in shoulder rotational ROM on the dominant shoulder but not the non-dominant shoulder of professional and university tennis players. There was no significant difference between serving and groundstroke tasks.