Trunk Kinematics during Cutting Maneuver

Cutting performance proficiency has been suggested as a highly critical athletic skill among athletes who participate in field and court sports which require frequent change of direction maneuvers. Obtaining cutting performance proficiency is a key to be successful when it comes to participation in sports requiring frequent direction changes. It has been proposed that athletes who participate in those types of sports tend to be more proficient in their dominant side cutting performance compared to their non-dominant side cutting performance. It has also been suggested that athletes who participate in field and court sports should be proficient in dominant and non-dominant side cutting performance to be successful in their sports. It has been indicated that individuals tend to achieve faster cutting time during dominant side cutting performance compared to non-dominant side cutting performance. Also, it has been suggested that individuals obtain smaller lateral movement during their dominant side cutting performance compared to their non-dominant side cutting performance. Trunk kinematics (i.e. trunk angles and displacement) have been suggested to be correlated to cutting performance proficiency and key factors to achieve cutting performance proficiency. Therefore, it was hypothesized that subjects would exhibit smaller trunk angles and displacement during their dominant side cutting performance compared to their non- dominant side cutting performance. Trunk kinematic variables such as forward and lateral trunk angles and displacements were obtained and compared between dominant and non- dominant sides cutting performance among subjects. The results in the current study indicate that the subjects obtained less cutting time during dominant side cutting performance compared to non-dominant side cutting performance, and therefore the subjects are more proficient in dominant side cutting performance than non-dominant side cutting performance. The results also indicate that the subjects exhibited smaller lateral trunk angle and displacement during their dominant cutting performance compared to their non-dominant cutting performance. It can be concluded that lateral trunk kinematics are related to cutting performance proficiency, and therefore lateral trunk movement could be the key factor of cutting performance proficiency. Athletes should minimize lateral trunk angle and displacement to enhance their relatively less proficient non-dominant cutting performance to further enhance their cutting and overall sports performance.