Upper limb movement control strategy of top-tier elite male badminton players when smashing for different distances

Purpose Mastering the skill of smashing in a game can be quite challenging. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to control the distance of the smash. The present study investigated the impact of different smashing distances on muscle activation patterns and kinematics of the upper limbs. Material and methods Ten collegiate athletes from a top-ranked team in Korea participated in the present study with a mean age, weight, and height of 21 ± 1 years, 71.9 ± 9.1 kg, and 1.78 ± 2.24 m, respectively. Three valid data points for each subject at three different distances were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results The results demonstrated that with increasing smashing distance, the internal rotation angle of the elbow and wrist joints decreased, while the angular velocity of flexion and internal rotation of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints increased. Muscle activation increased for all muscles except the biceps brachii (BICLO) with increasing distance. The greatest changes in activation levels were observed in the anterior deltoid (DELTA), extensor carpi radialis (ECR), and flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU). Conclusions During tasks with different smashing distances, muscle activation in the upper limbs (except the biceps) increased with increasing distances. Additionally, the internal rotation angle of the upper limbs decreased with increased distances, while the angular velocity of flexion and internal rotation of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints increased.