• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.139-148
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study was to comparatively analyze the kinematic variables between the squash backhand and racquetball backhand strokes through three-dimensional cinematography. Three expert racquetball players and three expert squash players were involved in the data gathering process. The horizontal, vertical and lateral displacement of racket and trunk segment, intersegmental angular velocity of the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints, and the linear velocity of the racket were descriptively analyzed, and the followings were concluded. The racket of the squash backhand stroke showed an 'U' shaped movement where the racket moved rapidly downward and moved forward to make an impact and followed through to a front-top finish, while the racket of racquetball backhand stroke showed an 'O' shaped movement where the racket showed circular movement through the rear and bottom positions for the impact, and showed rotation through the lower-front and upper front to a upper-rear-ward finish during the follow-through. The peak velocity of racket was found before the impact point in the squash backhand stroke and at the impact point in the racquetball backhand stroke. For the final conclusion, for the squash backhand stoke, instructors might be better to make the racket move downward to make highest velocity before the impact and finished short follow-through, while for the racquetball backhand stroke, to make the racket move forward to make highest velocity at the impact and finished rather long follow-through.