A Comparison of the Traditional, Swing, and Chicken Wing Arm Movements on Volleyball Blocking in NCAA Division 1 Female Athletes

Blocking is highly correlated with team success. The identification of specific techniques that produce a more successful block would be helpful knowledge for coaches and players. This study compared the traditional, swing, and chicken wing arm swings in combination with the running step footwork pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Neves, Taubi J.
Format: Others
Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2079
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3078&context=etd
Description
Summary:Blocking is highly correlated with team success. The identification of specific techniques that produce a more successful block would be helpful knowledge for coaches and players. This study compared the traditional, swing, and chicken wing arm swings in combination with the running step footwork pattern in order to determine which arm swing enabled athletes to perform a more effective block. The time it took the athletes to get off the ground and get their hands above (vertically) the net was calculated. The distance the hand reached over the net or hand penetration (displacement between the net and finger in the anterior and vertical planes) was also measured. Lastly, jump height was calculated. High-speed videography was used to capture the blocking movements of thirteen female NCAA Division I athletes. Data were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA test, pairwise comparison, and co-variate analysis. The chicken wing block arm swing was quickest in getting the athlete off the ground and getting their hands above the net. The swing block was greatest for hand penetration and jump height. These results can help coaches and players decide which arm swing will benefit them most as a blocking team and as individual blockers.