EFFECT OF PLYOMETRIC TRAINING ON EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY AMONG NOVICE BADMINTON PLAYERS
Keywords:
Plyometric, explosive strength, flexibility, badminton.Abstract
This study aimed to assess the effect of plyometric training on explosive strength and flexibility
among novice badminton players. Thirty novice badminton players, aged 9 to 12 years, were
randomly assigned to two groups: a treatment group that participated plyometric training with
regular badminton training, and a control group that engaged in regular badminton training
only. The plyometric training program lasted for eight weeks, with sessions held three times
per week. Pre- and post-test measurements were taken for explosive strength using the standing
broad jump test and flexibility using the sit-and-reach test. The data were collected and
analysed using the paired t-test, and the level of significance was set at 0.05. Results indicated
that after eight weeks of training, the treatment group showed significant improvements in
explosive strength (pre-test: 138.67 ± 12.57, post-test: 146.07 ± 9.79; t = 6.15, p = 0.000) and
flexibility (pre-test: 30.13 ± 4.49, post-test: 33.4 ± 2.92; t = 2.64, p = 0.019). The control group
showed no significant changes in either attribute (explosive strength: t = 1.5, p = 0.156;
flexibility: t = 0.498, p = 0.626). These findings suggest that plyometric training is an effective
method for enhancing key physical attributes, particularly explosive strength and flexibility, in
novice athletes.
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