The Effect of a Balance and Proprioception Training Program on Amateur Basketball Players' Passing Skills

Abstract

Introduction.Balance is considered to be one of the most important coordination skills in sport and even more so in basketball. Studies first observed the importance of good balance skills in minimizing the risk of injury (Mc Leod et al 2009) usually sustained on the limbs (Stergioulas et al 2007), and reported the benefits of proprioception routines in preventing and healing athletes' injuries (Hubscher et al 2010). In basketball, abrupt and intense change of direction, frequent commencement and stopping, and contact among players largely depend on dynamic balance. It is obvious that basketball playing ability is probably related to balance maintenance while moving, passing, shooting, dribbling etc.Moreover, in basketball, good balance enables players to control their bodies, to minimize errors, to protect themselves against falling when they change direction and to move fast within the pitch in order to implement technical skills effectively (Mahmoud 2011).Static and dynamic balance play a pivotal role in achieving high performance in basketball. That is why they constitute an integral part of strength and fitness routines in general (Santana et al 2002, Williardson et al 2007).According to Karlsson et al (1994), the ability to maintain balance depends on proprioception. Therefore, proprioception development is probably decisive in basketball skills such as passing, where there is usually a lack of static and dynamic balance, given the unforeseeable and different circumstances of each game.Some researches studied basketball players' balance levels, while others compared basketball players with other athletes.Hahn et al (1999) realized the positive correlation of balancing on one foot to the years that an athlete has been playing basketball, and these results were not related to gender or age.In an attempt to estimate basketball players' dynamic balance levels in relation to athletes from other sports, Bressel et al (2007) discovered that female basketball players' dynamic balance scores were lower than footballers' and similar to gymnasts'.A recent study investigated the relationship between balancing ability and performance during the game. It concluded that static and dynamic balance tests could not determine Basketball Playing Ability (BPA) among college basketball players.Passing is one of the most important technical skills in basketball. Nevertheless, there have not been any studies investigating the improvement in passing through a balance and proprioception routine.The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a 12-week balance and proprioception routine on amateur basketball players' passing skills.Materials and methods.Subjects.The study was carried out on 26 amateur basketball players. The experimental group consisted of 13 players aged 22.69±0.70 years old, while the control group was made up of 13 players aged 21.61±0.71 years old (Table 1). Both groups included players of all positions, Guard (G), Forward (F), Center (C).Devices used: Balance disc, Bosu (Both Sides Up balance trainer), Togu (Dynair Senso Ball Cushion), Trampoline.Passing assessment test.All subjects (basketball players) underwent the A.A.H.P.E. R.D. (1984) passing assessment test of the American Institution for Health, Physical Education, Psychology and Dance before and after the training intervention program.Test Description.Purpose: Measurement of the subject's ability to pass and receive the ball while moving.Materials: a normal basketball ball, a stopwatch, a smooth wall and adhesive tape to set the targets and the distances between them.Dimensions - Distances: the targets were squares with sides of 61 cm. They were drawn at different altitudes from the ground. More specifically, the bases of the first (A), third (C) and fifth (E) squares were 162cm above the ground, while those of the second (B), fourth (D) and sixth (F) were 91 cm above the ground. All squares were 61 cm apart. …