AUTHOR=Mizuno Kanta , Masaki Hiroaki 

TITLE=Effects of left-hand contraction on tennis serve performance

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1386025

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1386025

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=The tennis serve is commonly executed in high-pressure scenarios, often leading to performance decline known as choking under pressure. One suggested effective method to avert choking involves contracting the left hand. In this study, we examined the effects of left-hand contraction on tennis serve performance using a wearable grasping material (polyurethane foam) to incorporate into sportswear. We assigned 40 right-handed skilled tennis players to either the contraction group (n = 20) or the no-contraction group (n = 20). They were instructed to perform a second-serve task during the pre-test and pressure test. The participants in the contraction group squeezed the grasping material for 20 seconds before executing the task in the pressure test. We measured performance, including total scores, the number of maximum score achievements, landing positions, and kinematic indices (i.e., ball speed, racket speed, and impact height). Although neither group demonstrated deteriorated performance on the pressure test, the contraction group experienced an increased number of maximum score achievements under the pressure situation compared with the pre-test (p =.021). Our results suggest that left-hand contraction may beneficially influence tennis serve performance under conditions of pressure.