The impact of the racket on mobility performance in wheelchair tennis

Abstract

This study aimed to assess how the act of holding a tennis racket affected the manual propulsion of the wheelchair. The hypothesis was that the presence of the racket during acceleration and the change of direction of wheelchair players negatively affected the execution of shots. The research sample consisted of ten wheelchair tennis players. They completed four tests, which evaluated sprinting and manoeuvrability abilities in wheelchair tennis. The results of the paired sample t-test analysis showed the existence of a statistically significant difference in the tests performed with and without the use of the racket in wheelchair tennis players. All tests showed high ICCs (0.95–0.99) for the inter-trial reliability times. Higher level players, who should have a better and more efficient movement technique, due to their fitness and the way they use strength, are still able to overcome these difficulties more than lower-level players. The study also proposes a methodological approach to ensure that players with less experience could compete while guaranteeing sports inclusion.