A Simulation of the Effects of Badminton Serve Release Height

In this work, we develop and calibrate a model to represent the trajectory of a badminton shuttlecock and use it to investigate the influence of serve height in view of a new serve rule instated by the Badminton World Federation. The new rule means that all players must launch the shuttlecock below a height of 1.15 m, as opposed to the old rule whereby the required launch height was under the rib cage of the server. The model is based on a forward dynamics model of ballistic trajectory with drag, and it is calibrated with experimental data. The experiments also served to determine the actual influence of the new rule on the shuttlecock launch position. The model is used in a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the statistical influence of the new serve rules on the player’s ability to perform good serves; i.e., serves with little opportunity for the receiver to attack. We conclude that, for the female player in question, serving below a height of 1.15 m makes it marginally more difficult to perform excellent serves. We also conclude that there might be alternative launch positions that would be less likely to produce the best serves but could be exploited as a tactical option

DEVELOPMENT OF A TEST PROTOCOL TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS FOR LOWER LIMB INJURIES IN BALLET DANCERS

The aim of the present study was to develop a test protocol to identify potential risk factors for lower limb injuries during ballet jump landings. Two ballet dancers, a beginner level and an advanced level dancer, participated in the study. The dancers performed multiple Sautés in first position, Grand Jeté, and Grand Pas de Chat jump landings on a plantar pressure mat on top of a force platform. The participants wore ballet slipper thongs, while a three-segment kinematic model of the foot was used to provide a more detailed understanding of foot posture during landings, and to investigate how the dancers adapted to the high foot/ankle loadings. Potential risk factors were identified as high free moment peaks, high impact velocities, and improper technique with missing turnouts during landings. Furthermore, there seems a potential to distinguish between dancers’ ability levels and associated injury risks