Lateral Differences in Cutting Abilities in Team Handball Athletes

Change of direction movements are highly relevant for performance in team sports. While bilateral movement patterns appear advantageous, research indicates unilateral dominance in cutting manoeuvres among handball athletes. This means, cutting manoeuvres in the direction of the throwing arm are executed faster than those against the direction of the throwing arm. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether this unilateral dominance stemmed from differences in physical capabilities. We predicted that the specific speed differences in cutting could be explained by lateral power differences. Thirty-two handball athletes completed lateral jump tests and a handball-specific change of direction test. Movement speed during the test was determined via video analysis. Participants showed significantly higher movement speed and significantly higher jump distances in the direction of the throwing arm. However, a significant interaction for both variables indicated that differences in the jump width could not fully explain the differences in movement speed. This likely indicates that the reasons of unilateral differences in cutting manoeuvres are not only based on physical capabilities. Coordinative-technical aspects or psychological variables should be investigated in further research as basis for an evidence-based training concept in educating the bilateral unpredictable abilities in handball players.