Biomechanical Spectrum of Human Sport Performance Printed Edition of the Special Issue Published in Applied Sciences www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci Redha Taiar and Mario Bernardo-Filho Edited by Biomechanical Spectrum of Human Sport Performance Biomechanical Spectrum of Human Sport Performance Special Issue Editors Redha Taiar Mario Bernardo-Filho MDPI • Basel • Beijing • Wuhan • Barcelona • Belgrade • Manchester • Tokyo • Cluj • Tianjin Special Issue Editors Redha Taiar Universit ́ e de Reims Champagne Ardenne France Mario Bernardo-Filho Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Rio de Janeiro State University Brazil Editorial Office MDPI St. Alban-Anlage 66 4052 Basel, Switzerland This is a reprint of articles from the Special Issue published online in the open access journal Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417) (available at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/special issues/Sport Biomechanical Spectrum). For citation purposes, cite each article independently as indicated on the article page online and as indicated below: LastName, A.A.; LastName, B.B.; LastName, C.C. Article Title. Journal Name Year , Article Number , Page Range. ISBN 978-3-03936-396-4 ( H bk) ISBN 978-3-03936-397-1 (PDF) c © 2020 by the authors. Articles in this book are Open Access and distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. The book as a whole is distributed by MDPI under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND. Contents About the Special Issue Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Redha Taiar and Mario Bernardo-Filho Editorial “Biomechanical Spectrum of Human Sport Performance” Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 1898, doi:10.3390/app10051898 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Mark King, Harley Towler, Romanda Dillon and Stuart McErlain-Naylor A Correlational Analysis of Shuttlecock Speed Kinematic Determinants in the Badminton Jump Smash Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 1248, doi:10.3390/app10041248 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Kevin Stein and Katja Mombaur Whole-Body Dynamic Analysis of Challenging Slackline Jumping Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 1094, doi:10.3390/app10031094 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Gra ̇ zyna Olchowik and Agata Czwalik Effects of Soccer Training on Body Balance in Young Female Athletes Assessed Using Computerized Dynamic Posturography Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 1003, doi:10.3390/app10031003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Guilherme de Paula R ́ ubio, Fernanda M ́ arcia Rodrigues Martins Ferreira, Fabr ́ ıcio Henrique de Lisboa Brand ̃ ao, Victor Flausino Machado, Leandro Gonzaga Tonelli, Jordana Sim ̃ oes Ribeiro Martins, Renan Fernandes Kozan and Claysson Bruno Santos Vimieiro Evaluation of Commercial Ropes Applied as Artificial Tendons in Robotic Rehabilitation Orthoses Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 920, doi:10.3390/app10030920 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Henrique Silva, Hugo A. Ferreira, Clemente Rocha and Lu ́ ıs Monteiro Rodrigues Texture Analysis is a Useful Tool to Assess the Complexity Profile of Microcirculatory Blood Flow Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 911, doi:10.3390/app10030911 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Kim H ́ ebert-Losier, Ivana Hanzl ́ ıkov ́ a, Chen Zheng, Lee Streeter and Michael Mayo The ‘DEEP’ Landing Error Scoring System Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 892, doi:10.3390/app10030892 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Jadwiga Pietraszewska, Artur Struzik, Anna Burdukiewicz, Aleksandra Stacho ́ n and Bogdan Pietraszewski Relationships between Body Build and Knee Joint Flexor and Extensor Torque of Polish First-Division Soccer Players Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 783, doi:10.3390/app10030783 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Daichi Yamashita, Munenori Murata and Yuki Inaba Effect of Landing Posture on Jump Height Calculated from Flight Time Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 776, doi:10.3390/app10030776 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Ying Gao, Lars A. Kristensen, Thomas S. Grøndberg, Mike Murray, Gisela Sjøgaard and Karen Søgaard Electromyographic Evaluation of Specific Elastic Band Exercises Targeting Neck and Shoulder Muscle Activation Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 756, doi:10.3390/app10030756 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 v Ekin Basalp, Patrick Bachmann, Nicolas Gerig, Georg Rauter and Peter Wolf Configurable 3D Rowing Model Renders Realistic Forces on a Simulator for Indoor Training Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 734, doi:10.3390/app10030734 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Kennedy Freitas Pereira Alves, Ana Paula de Lima Ferreira, Luana Caroline de Oliveira Parente, Fran ̧ cois Talles Medeiros Rodrigues, Thais Vitorino Marques, Gabriel Barreto Antonino, Luiz Carlos de Melo, D ́ ebora Wanderley Villela, Marcelo Renato Guerino, Wagner Souza Leite, Shirley Lima Campos, Larissa Coutinho de Lucena, Redha Taiar and Maria das Gra ̧ cas Rodrigues de Ara ́ ujo Immediate Effect of Whole-Body Vibration on Skin Temperature and Lower-Limb Blood Flow in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Pilot Study Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 690, doi:10.3390/app10020690 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Kellen T. Krajewski, Carla McCabe, Aaron M. Sinnott, Gavin L. Moir, Hugh S. Lamont, Susan Brown and Chris Connaboy Inter-Segmental Coordination during a Unilateral 180 ◦ Jump in Elite Rugby Players: Implications for Prospective Identification of Injuries Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 427, doi:10.3390/app10020427 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Bruno Dino Bodini, Giacomo Lucenteforte, Pietro Serafin, Lorenzo Barone, Jacopo A. Vitale, Antonio Serafin, Valerio Sansone and Francesco Negrini Do Grade II Ankle Sprains Have Chronic Effects on the Functional Ability of Ballet Dancers Performing Single-Leg Flat-Foot Stance? An Observational Cross-Sectional Study Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 155, doi:10.3390/app10010155 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Cristiane Ribeiro K ̈ utter, Elo ́ a Moreira-Marconi, Ygor Teixeira-Silva, Marcia Cristina Moura-Fernandes, Alexandre Gon ̧ calves de Meirelles, Mario Jos ́ e dos Santos Pereira, Shyang Chang, Jos ́ e Alexandre Bachur, Laisa Liane Paineiras-Domingos, Redha Taiar, Mario Bernardo-Filho and Dan ́ ubia da Cunha de S ́ a-Caputo Effects of the Whole-Body Vibration and Auriculotherapy on the Functionality of Knee Osteoarthritis Individuals Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 5194, doi:10.3390/app9235194 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Claudia Figueiredo Azeredo, Patr ́ ıcia de Castro de Paiva, Leandro Azeredo, Aline Reis da Silva, Arlete Francisca-Santos, Laisa Liane Paineiras-Domingos, Adriana L ́ ırio Pereira da Silva, Camila Leite Bernardes-Oliveira, Juliana Pessanha-Freitas, M ́ arcia Cristina Moura-Fernandes, Rubens Guimar ̃ aes Mendon ̧ ca, Jos ́ e Alexandre Bachur, Ygor Teixeira-Silva, Elo ́ a Moreira-Marconi, Eliane de Oliveira Guedes-Aguiar, Bruno Bessa Monteiro de Oliveira, M ́ ario Fritsch Neves, Luiz Felipe Ferreira-Souza, Vinicius Layter Xavier, Daniel Lago Borges, Ana Cristina Lacerda, Vanessa Amaral Mendon ̧ ca, Anelise Sonza, Redha Taiar, Alessandro Sartorio, Mario Bernardo-Filho and Dan ́ ubia da Cunha de S ́ a-Caputo Effects of Whole-Body Vibration Exercises on Parameters Related to the Sleep Quality in Metabolic Syndrome Individuals: A Clinical Trial Study Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 5183, doi:10.3390/app9235183 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 vi Cintia Renata de Sousa-Gon ̧ calves, Laisa Liane Paineiras-Domingos, Ygor Teixeira-Silva, Thais Amadeu, Adriana L ́ ırio Pereira da Silva, Arlete Francisca-Santos, Luiz Felipe Ferreira de Souza, Mario Jos ́ e dos Santos Pereira, Maria Eduarda Souza Melo-Oliveira, Alexandre Gon ̧ calves de Meirelles, Gl ́ oria Maria Guimar ̃ aes-Louren ̧ co, Aline Reis-Silva, Elo ́ a Moreira-Marconi, Marcia Cristina Moura-Fernandes, Vinicius Layter Xavier, Alessandra da Rocha Pinheiro Mulder, Ana Cristina Rodrigues Lacerda, Vanessa Amaral Mendon ̧ ca, Jos ́ e Alexandre Bachur, Redha Taiar, Alessandro Sartorio, Dan ́ ubia da Cunha de S ́ a-Caputo and Mario Bernardo-Filho Evaluation of Whole-Body Vibration Exercise on Neuromuscular Activation Through Electromyographic Pattern of Vastus Lateralis Muscle and on Range of Motion of Knees in Metabolic Syndrome: A Quasi-Randomized Cross-Over Controlled Trial Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 4997, doi:10.3390/app9234997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Francisco J. Dominguez-Mu ̃ noz, Miguel A. Hern ́ andez-Mocholi, Luis J. Manso, Daniel Collado-Mateo, Santos Villafaina, Jose C. Adsuar and Narcis Gusi Test-Retest Reliability of Kinematic Parameters of Timed Up and Go in People with Type 2 Diabetes Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 4709, doi:10.3390/app9214709 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Martina Caramenti, Claudio L. Lafortuna, Elena Mugellini, Omar Abou Khaled, Jean-Pierre Bresciani and Amandine Dubois No Evidence That Frontal Optical Flow Affects Perceived Locomotor Speed and Locomotor Biomechanics When Running on a Treadmill Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 4589, doi:10.3390/app9214589 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Chenhao Yang, Songlin Xiao, Yang Yang, Xini Zhang, Junqing Wang and Weijie Fu Patellofemoral Joint Loads during Running Immediately Changed by Shoes with Different Minimalist Indices: A Cross-sectional Study Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 4176, doi:10.3390/app9194176 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Christoph Sch ̈ arer, Luca von Siebenthal, Ishbel Lomax, Micah Gross, Wolfgang Taube and Klaus H ̈ ubner Simple Assessment of Height and Length of Flight in Complex Gymnastic Skills: Validity and Reliability of a Two-Dimensional Video Analysis Method Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 3975, doi:10.3390/app9193975 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Xini Zhang, Zhen Luo, Xi Wang, Yang Yang, Jiaxin Niu and Weijie Fu Shoe Cushioning Effects on Foot Loading and Comfort Perception during Typical Basketball Maneuvers Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 3893, doi:10.3390/app9183893 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 Borja Sa ̃ nudo, Juan S ́ anchez-Hern ́ andez, Mario Bernardo-Filho, Ellie Abdi, Redha Taiar and Javier N ́ u ̃ nez Integrative Neuromuscular Training in Young Athletes, Injury Prevention, and Performance Optimization: A Systematic Review Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 3839, doi:10.3390/app9183839 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 Karla de Jesus, Luis Mour ̃ ao, H ́ elio Roesler, Nuno Viriato, Kelly de Jesus, M ́ ario Vaz, Ricardo Fernandes and Jo ̃ ao Paulo Vilas-Boas 3D Device for Forces in Swimming Starts and Turns Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 3559, doi:10.3390/app9173559 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 vii Daniel Collado-Mateo, Francisco Javier Dominguez-Mu ̃ noz, Zelinda Charrua, Jos ́ e Carmelo Adsuar, Nuno Batalha, Eugenio Merellano-Navarro and Armando Manuel Raimundo Isokinetic Strength in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: A Reliability Study Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 3542, doi:10.3390/app9173542 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 Abdel-Rahman Akl, Ibrahim Hassan, Amr Hassan and Phillip Bishop Relationship between Kinematic Variables of Jump Throwing and Ball Velocity in Elite Handball Players Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 3423, doi:10.3390/app9163423 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323 Peimin Yu, Liangliang Xiang, Minjun Liang, Qichang Mei, Julien S. Baker and Yaodong Gu Morphology-Related Foot Function Analysis: Implications for Jumping and Running Reprinted from: Appl. Sci. 2019 , 9 , 3236, doi:10.3390/app9163236 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 viii About the Special Issue Editors Redha Taiar , Ph.D. Biomechanics, is currently a Professor at the University of Reims Champaign, France. His research focuses on industry engineering for medicine and high-level sport. He is an engineer for different industries like Arena for high-level sport and Sidas, Medicapteur, for medical development. For industry workers, his last work was for the Notrax Society on the conception and validation of anti-fatigue mats. On the topic of sport, his last works focus on the development of swimsuits for triathlon and swimming in the Brazil Olympic Games (2016) and the suit fabrics for skiing in the Olympic Games at Sotchi in 2014. He is a specialist on the biomechanics of health disease and rehabilitation. The resume of his research can be found at www.redha-taiar.com; Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0227-3884; Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=15823162100; PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=taiar+R. Mario Bernardo-Filho is a Professor at the Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil. He is a physiotherapist, and his research involves integrative and complementary medicine (auriculotherapy and acupuncture) and mechanical vibrations generated in an oscillating/vibratory platform that produces whole-body vibration exercises (WBVE) when a subject is in contact with the platform. Studies to evaluate the consequences of WBVE and extracts of medicinal plants in rats are ongoing. Investigations about the effects of WBVE in individuals with different diseases (metabolic syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthrosis, and osteoporosis) and healthy people are also ongoing. He is a supervisor of various professionals who are preparing their Master of Sciences or Ph.D. thesis. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the Rio de Janeiro State University. He was the Head of the First International Congress on Mechanical Vibration and Integrative and Complementary Practices, Cabo Frio, Brazil (2016). In this meeting, the World Association of Vibration experts (WAVex) was created, and 2018 marked the First Congress of the WAVex in Groningen, The Netherlands. He has more than 130 publications indexed in PubMed (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=bernardo-filho). ix applied sciences Editorial Editorial “Biomechanical Spectrum of Human Sport Performance” Redha Taiar 1, * and Mario Bernardo-Filho 2 1 Department of Physical Education and Sports (EPS), GRESPI, Universit é de Reims, 51100 Reims, France 2 Laborat ó rio de Vibraç õ es Mec â nicas e Pr á ticas Integrativas, Departamento de Biof í sica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes e Policl í nica Am é rico Piquet Carneiro, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20950-003, Brazil; bernardofilhom@gmail.com * Correspondence: redha.taiar@univ-reims.fr Received: 27 February 2020; Accepted: 7 March 2020; Published: 10 March 2020 Abstract: Several parameters can influence our health capital today and can have a negative impact on our performance, whether physiological or mechanical. Indeed, our health and wellbeing are influenced by a range of social, cultural, economic, psychological, and environmental factors across our lives. These change as we progress through the key transition points in life—from infancy and childhood through our teenage years to adulthood, working life, retirement and the end of life. Sport can be a vector that links many of these factors. Whether it is high-performance sport or sedentary practice, sport is very important for the improvement of psychological wellbeing and physical health. Our overarching aim was to increase quality of life. Sedentary practice can increase mobility and reduce the risk of disease, so changing adults’ behavior through sedentary practice could reduce illness and decrease costs to society concerning health problems. Furthermore, a higher frequency of practice can lead to improvements in technique and optimized performance. Our objective is to summarize the latest research in sport science and to quantify the most important parameters influencing human performance related to the health sciences for all age groups, throughout their lives. Keywords: modeling and simulation in sport science; strength and conditioning; mechanical analyses of sports; sport medicine; injury in sport; human behavior; quality of life; applied science in musculoskeletal disorders The organization of a movement is regulated by the nervous system, which is subdivided into a central nervous system (CNS), composed of the brain (brain, cerebellum and brain stem) and the spinal cord, and a peripheral nervous system (PNS), composed of nerves that extend throughout the body. During voluntary movement, the cortical areas interact with the lower areas of the brain and spinal cord through the cortico-spinal motor pathway. The command is, therefore, generated in the CNS and then routed via the SNP to the muscle that generates the movement. The execution of a voluntary movement requires the coordination of several muscle contractions so that the movement performed corresponds to the desired movement and is adapted to the environmental situation in which it is performed. Motor control refers to the processes responsible for the preparation, organization and execution of this movement and refers to the coordinated organization of the individual’s sensory-motor functions analysis. The analysis of movement by scientists back to antiquity (Hippocrates, 460-377; Aristotle, 384-322. . . ) but the three-dimensional analysis of movement only began at the end of the last century with the work of the anatomist Wilhelm Braune and the mathematician Otto Fisher. These first works were devoted to the study of the march of the infantryman then required 8 to 10 hours of measurements and days of manual calculations, for the analysis of a movement. With the considerable developments in electronics and computer science, today’s systems only take a few minutes to obtain the same type of results using biomechanical analysis. Biomechanics is, by definition, the study of the structure Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 1898; doi:10.3390 / app10051898 www.mdpi.com / journal / applsci 1 Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 1898 and functioning of living beings. It is based on the laws of mechanics and on the methods of the mechanic with the aim of knowing and understanding in order to exploit, improve or restore the functional capacities of humans. In fact, the results carried can be modelized with the aim to decrease experimentations and to understand better the complexity of this system. The complexity of the model required aims to replace the complicated visible with the simpler invisible depends on the aims of the analysis but also on the nature of the approach: kinematic or kinetic. Kinematics concerns the analysis of motion, whereas kinetics studies the forces that cause or result from it (for example, the reaction of the ground when walking). Di ff erent models can be considered, ranging from the human body represented by its center of gravity, to a model integrating both motor control and a musculoskeletal model of the human body. All the methods and the latest knowledge’s have the same objective improve the human health, well-being and performance. Health is defined as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ [ 1 ]. This definition links health clearly with wellbeing. Moreover, health is a human right requiring physical and social approaches to be reached and maintained. In addition, wellbeing is highly related to a positive rather than neutral state, leading the health in being a desired positive aspiration. Health and wellbeing are influenced by a range of social, economic, cultural, psychological and environmental conditions to be considered along of the life. Exercise is a responsible key factor in maintaining the functional autonomy of the body and can contribute to the protection against undesirable situations. There are strong scientific evidences that lifelong exercise is associated with a longer health span, favoring the delay to the onset of several chronic conditions / diseases [ 2 , 3 ]. The relevance of the exercise against age-related risks for commitment of the health and wellbeing that lead to disease and disability is unquestionable [ 4 , 5 ]. Furthermore, sedentarism is associated with an elevated incidence, in various stages of the life, in particular during aging, of chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, cognitive decline, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cancer [ 6 – 14 ]. Regular exercise, additionally, improves health and decreases the incidence of oxidative-stress-related disease [ 6 ]. Sport, as an activity involving exercises, can be a vector that links many of these factors. Whether sport is high-performance sport or sedentary practice, it is very important for the improvement of psychological wellbeing and physical health. Indeed, our overarching aim was to increase quality of life. Sedentary practice can increase mobility and reduce the risk of disease, so changing adults’ behavior through sedentary practice could reduce illness and decrease costs to society concerning health problems. Furthermore, a higher frequency of practice can lead to improvements in technique, and optimized performance. The objective of this Special Issue published by the Applied Sciences Journal is to summarize the most important biomechanical parameters influencing human performance related to the health sciences for all age groups, throughout their lives. The clinical and experimental studies presented here demonstrate the relevance of the exercises considering the Biomechanical Spectrum of Human Sport Performance. In this Special Issue, 26 manuscripts [ 15 – 40 ] were published after the procedure of selection. Interesting manuscripts aimed on the quantification of human performance and his optimization. We will find studies permitting to determine the discriminate parameters of human performance as well as the latest technologies with the objective to analyze and understand the complexity of human mechanics and his performance in the di ff erent daily life tasks. This ranges from the improvement of sports performance to the rehabilitation of patients after injury. Author Contributions: Investigation, R.T.; original draft preparation, R.T. and M.B.-F.; writing R.T. and M.B.-F.; review and editing, R.T. and M.B.-F.; visualization R.T. and M.B.-F.; supervision, R.T. and M.B.-F. 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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http: // creativecommons.org / licenses / by / 4.0 / ). 5 applied sciences Article A Correlational Analysis of Shuttlecock Speed Kinematic Determinants in the Badminton Jump Smash Mark King 1 , Harley Towler 1, *, Romanda Dillon 1 and Stuart McErlain-Naylor 1,2 1 School of Sport, Exercise, and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK; M.A.King@lboro.ac.uk (M.K.); R.Dillon@lboro.ac.uk (R.D.); s.mcerlain-naylor@uos.ac.uk (S.M.-N.) 2 School of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Su ff olk, Ipswich IP3 8AH, UK * Correspondence: H.Towler@lboro.ac.uk; Tel.: + 44-0795-792-7465 Received: 31 December 2019; Accepted: 10 February 2020; Published: 13 February 2020 Featured Application: The findings suggest that players and / or coaches should focus on proximal segment movements: specifically, producing greater pelvis-thorax separation during the retraction phase and greater shoulder internal rotation at shuttle contact to increase shuttlecock speed. Abstract: The forehand jump smash is an essential attacking stroke within a badminton player’s repertoire. A key determinate of the stroke’s e ff ectiveness is post-impact shuttlecock speed, and therefore awareness of critical technique factors that impact upon speed is important to players / coaches. Three-dimensional kinematic data of player, racket and shuttlecock were recorded for 18 experienced players performing maximal e ff ort forehand jump smashes. Joint angles and X-factor (transverse plane pelvis-thorax separation) were calculated at key instants: preparation, end of retraction, racket lowest point, turning point and shuttlecock contact. Peak shoulder, elbow, and wrist joint centre linear velocities, phase durations and jump height were also calculated. Correlational analyses were performed with post-impact shuttlecock speed, revealing significant correlations to peak wrist joint centre linear velocity (r = 0.767), acceleration phase duration (r = − 0.543), shoulder internal / external rotation angle at shuttlecock contact (r = 0.508) and X-factor at the end of retraction (r = − 0.484). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed 43.7% of the variance in shuttlecock speed could be explained by acceleration phase duration and X-factor at the end of retraction, where shorter acceleration phase durations and more negative X-factor at end of retraction caused greater shuttlecock speeds. These results suggest that motions of the proximal segments (shoulder and pelvis–thorax separation) are critical to developing greater distal linear velocities, which subsequently lead to greater post-impact shuttlecock speed. Keywords: velocity; technique; overhead; racket; swing; stroke 1. Introduction The forehand smash is an e ff ective attacking shot in badminton, accounting for 54% of “unconditional winner” and “forced failure” shots in international matches [ 1 ]. Success of the stroke is dependent upon two components: speed and direction, where speeds as high as 89.3 ± 7.2 m · s − 1 have been reported in the literature for elite Malaysian players [ 2 ], whereas the competition world record is 118 m · s − 1 [ 3 ]. A shuttlecock with a greater post-impact speed will give an opponent less reaction time, while directing the shuttlecock away from the opponent requires them to make fast reactive movements in order to return the shuttlecock. Several studies have determined that both linear and angular velocities of distal segments (hand and racket) are strong positive correlates with shuttlecock speed [ 2 , 4 ], which is unsurprising due Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 1248; doi:10.3390 / app10041248 www.mdpi.com / journal / applsci 7 Appl. Sci. 2020 , 10 , 1248 to higher velocities causing greater transfer of linear momentum to the shuttlecock. Explaining what kinematic parameters determine this greater distal velocities may be more useful for players, coaches and practitioners, as the greater joint powers associated with distal segments are not fully generated by the muscles associated with these segments, but transferred between segments through reaction forces of a proximal-to-distal nature, e.g., shoulder–elbow–wrist [ 5 ]. Varied experimental set-ups and methodologies of quantifying joint contributions have generated conflicting results, where Rambely et al. [ 4 ] suggested that a distal-to-proximal order of wrist, followed by the elbow and shoulder are the major contributors to racket head speed (26.5%, 9.4% and 7.4%, respectively). In contrast, Liu et al. [ 6 ] reported that a proximal-to-distal order of shoulder internal rotation, forearm pronation and wrist palmar flexion contribute 66%, 17% and 11%, respectively, towards racket head speed. Rambely et al. [ 5 ] captured video data at 50 Hz and calculated the resultant linear velocities of the shoulder, elbow and wrist joint centres at impact, and expressed the segment contributions as these velocities represented as percentages of the racket head centre resultant velocity at impact. Conversely, Liu et al. [ 6 ] used a three-dimensional kinematic method developed by Sprigings et al. [ 7 ] and calculated the relative angular velocities of distal segments by removing contributions from the adjacent proximal segment. Data were captured using high-speed video (200 Hz) and processed using direct linear transformation [ 8 ]. Teu et al. [ 9 ] found no specific proximity order using a dual Euler angles method with high-speed video (200 Hz), and reported torso rotation, shoulder internal rotation, forearm pronation and wrist abduction contributed 57%, 3%, 27% and 10% to resultant racket head velocity, respectively. In summary, previous research has reported that linear velocities of the distal segments best explain variation in shuttlecock speed / racket head speed, however it is unclear how the distal segment velocities and subsequent racket head and shuttlecock speeds are generated. Additionally, use of low frame rates and unclear methodology for defining both shuttlecock speed and racket head speed mean that it is di ffi cult to compare results. The present study therefore aims to identify full-body kinematic parameters that best explain the generation of post-impact shuttlecock velocities in the badminton jump smash, such that coaches / practitioners can advise players how best to increase smash speeds through technique and / or strength training. It is hypothesised that positions (joint angles) of proximal segments and linear velocities of more distal segments will best explain variation in post-impact shuttlecock speed. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Participants Eighteen male badminton players (mean ± SD: age 24.3 ± 7.1 years, height 1.84 ± 0.08 m, mass 79.6 ± 8.8 kg) of regional (n = 9), national (n = 4) and international (n = 5) standards participated in this study, each performing a series of twelve forehand jump smashes from a racket-fed lift via an international coach / player, representative of match conditions. A range of abilities were used to provide a variety of maximal smash speeds, facilitating an investigation into causal factors associated with this variation. Testing