Relationships Among Balance, Visual Search, and Lacrosse-Shot Accuracy

Relationships Among Balance, Visual Search, and Lacrosse-Shot Accuracy

Marsh, DW, Richard, LA, Verre, AB, and Myers, J. Relationships among balance, visual search, and lacrosse-shot accuracy. J Strength Cond Res 24(6): 1507-1514, 2010-The purpose of this study was to examine variables that may contribute to shot accuracy in women's college lacrosse. A convenience sample of 15 healthy women's National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III College lacrosse players aged 18-23 (mean +/- SD, 20.27 +/- 1.67) participated in the study. Four experimental variables were examined: balance, visual search, hand grip strength, and shoulder joint position sense. Balance was measured by the Biodex Stability System (BSS), and visual search was measured by the Trail-Making Test Part A (TMTA) and Trail-Making Test Part B (TMTB). Hand-grip strength was measured by a standard hand dynamometer, and shoulder joint position sense was measured using a modified inclinometer. All measures were taken in an indoor setting. These experimental variables were then compared with lacrosse-shot error that was measured indoors using a high-speed video camera recorder and a specialized L-shaped apparatus. A Stalker radar gun measured lacrosse-shot velocity. The mean lacrosse-shot error was 15.17 cm with a mean lacrosse-shot velocity of 17.14 m[middle dot]s-1 (38.35 mph). Lower scores on the BSS level 8 eyes open (BSS L8 E/O) test and TMTB were positively related to less lacrosse-shot error (r = 0.760, p = 0.011) and (r = 0.519, p = 0.048), respectively. Relations were not significant between lacrosse-shot error and grip strength (r = 0.191, p = 0.496), lacrosse-shot error and BSS level 8 eyes closed (BSS L8 E/C) (r = 0.501, p = 0.102), lacrosse-shot error and BSS level 4 eyes open (BSS L4 E/O) (r = 0.313, p = 0.378), lacrosse-shot error and BSS level 4 eyes closed (BSS L4 E/C) (r = -0.029, p = 0.936) lacrosse-shot error and shoulder joint position sense (r = -0.509, p = 0.055) and between lacrosse-shot error and TMTA (r = 0.375, p = 0.168). The results reveal that greater levels of shot accuracy may be related to greater levels of visual search and balance ability in women college lacrosse athletes. (C) 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association