Evaluation of the Importance of Shoulder Strength, Hand strength and Heart Rate Recovery for Badminton Players

Badminton which is the fastest racquet sport in the world, requires great physical and physiological skills for top performance. This study investigates the importance of shoulder strength, hand grip strength, and heart rate recovery (HRR) of professional and amateur badminton players. This study included 40 university-level participants which are evenly split between professionals and amateurs with their age group of 20-28 years. They were evaluated for body composition, shoulder strength, hand grip strength, and HRR over two days. Shoulder strength was measured with a squat test using increasing weights, grip strength with a Jammer dynamometer, and HRR was continuously monitored with a Polar H10 chest strap during a treadmill test to check both immediate and delayed recovery phases. The study found a significant differences in shoulder and grip strength where professionals have the clear advantages. However, HRR showed only small differences. These findings will help coaches and sports academies to improve player performance and to prepare the amateurs for professional competition.