Enhancing Agility in Young Tennis Athletes: The Impact of Holistic Forehand Groundstroke Training for Ages 16 to 18

Training models commonly used by athletes can sometimes lead to boredom and a decrease in motivation, which in turn affects their performance. Therefore, it is crucial to implement training variations that not only provide physical benefits but also enhance technical skills. This study aims to explore the impact of forehand training with a holistic approach on improving agility in tennis athletes over a period of six weeks. The research utilized a quasi-experimental design featuring a pre-test and post-test control group model, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the intervention's effectiveness. The sample consisted of 11 tennis athletes in the experimental group and 11 in the control group, selected through purposive sampling based on criteria of age (14-18 years) and technical proficiency. The forehand training program included 10 models with a holistic approach, which were certified as suitable for use in training programs. The tool used to measure agility was the shuttle run test (4 x 10 meters), effective for assessing improvements in motor capacity. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, tests for normality and homogeneity, and the Mann-Whitney test comparing the Post-Test results between the experimental and control groups. The results indicate that the forehand training model with a holistic approach significantly improved agility in tennis athletes aged 14-18 after six weeks of training, with a p-value <0.05. The Mann-Whitney test comparing the Post-Test results between the experimental and control groups yielded U = 20.5 and p-value = 0.009 (p < 0.05). This indicates a significant difference between the Post-Test results of the experimental group, which used the holistic approach, and the control group, which used standard training. The significant difference in Post-Test scores between the two groups suggests that the holistic training approach had a significantly different effect on agility improvement compared to the standard training approach applied in the control group.