Cutting-edge sensation: ankle proprioception during lateral cutting correlates with balance and power in adolescent table tennis players

Background Rapid lateral cutting is fundamental to table tennis performance but places high demand on ankle stability and sensorimotor control. Traditional proprioception tests often lack sport-specificity, potentially overlooking the nuanced sensory demands of cutting maneuvers. This study introduces the Ankle Inversion Discrimination Apparatus-Cutting (AIDAC), a novel task-specific tool designed to assess proprioception under movement-specific cutting conditions. Objectives To evaluate the reliability and correlation with performance of the AIDAC and to investigate whether ankle proprioception during cutting is linked to key performance indicators, dynamic balance, explosive power, and ankle flexibility, in adolescent table tennis athletes. Methods Thirty-two adolescent table tennis players completed the AIDAC, Y-Balance Test (YBT), Weight-Bearing Lunge Test (WBLT), and Single Hop for Distance (SHD). Twenty participants returned for retest. Test–retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC). Construct validity was examined via correlation analyses between AIDAC scores and performance measures. Results The AIDAC demonstrated excellent reliability (ICC = 0.93; CV = 1.91%; SEM = 0.02). Ankle proprioception during cutting was significantly correlated with dynamic balance (YBT: r = 0.52, p = 0.002) and explosive hop distance (SHD: r = 0.47, p = 0.004), but not with static ankle dorsiflexion (WBLT: r = 0.28, p = 0.12). Conclusion The AIDAC is a highly reliable tool for assessing sport-specific ankle proprioception. Its strong associations with balance and power highlight the role of cutting-phase sensation in athletic performance and neuromuscular control. This tool offers coaches and clinicians a practical means to screen for proprioceptive acuity.