Effects of Strength and Plyometric Training on Selected Skill Performance Variables in Handball Players

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week strength and plyometric trainingprogram on the skill performance of intercollegiate handball players. Fifteen (N=15) male players fromMaruthi College of Physical Education, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, aged between 18 and 23 years,participated in the study. The training was conducted three days per week, with each session lasting onehour. The program included structured upper body strength, plyometric, and full-body exercises.Performance variables such as throwing ability and defensive ability were evaluated using subjectiveratings. Pre- and post-training scores were statistically analyzed using the dependent t-test at a 0.05significance level. The results showed significant improvements in both throwing and defensive abilities,with t-values of 11.648 and 10.247, respectively, surpassing the critical value of 2.14. These findingssuggest that a combined strength and plyometric training regimen effectively enhances skill-specificperformance in handball players.