Flywheel Eccentric Overload Training Vs. Plyometric Training on Countermovement Jump Parameters, Badminton Specific Agility and Flexibility Among University Badminton Players

Badminton is a high-intensity sport that involves short periods of action with short resting times between each rally. Success in badminton depends on various factors such as technique, tactics, physical performance capacity, psychological skills, and anthropometric characteristics. During the game, badminton players perform numerous movement patterns including specialized footwork, twists, jumps, and swings to strike the shuttlecock and keep the rally going. Badminton players perform various actions from different postural positions, such as jumps, lunges at the net, quick changes of direction, and rapid arm movements. To win a rally or game, players need to repeat various actions in a short time with high speed and intensity, as the speed of the shuttlecock can exceed 400 km/h. To meet the physical demands of a badminton match, players need muscular strength, muscular endurance, speed, power, agility, balance, coordination, and flexibility.

Low Ming Jun, a Bachelor of Science student majoring in Sports and Exercise Science from the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FOAS), has conducted a research project under the supervision and mentorship of Dr Angelina Tan Li San and Dr Ebby Waqqash Bin Mohamad Chan. The project's title is 'Flywheel Eccentric Overload Training Vs. Plyometric Training on Countermovement Jump Parameters, Badminton Specific Agility and Flexibility Among University Badminton Players'. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of flywheel eccentric overload training (overloaded concentric action) and plyometric training on countermovement jump (CMJ) parameters, badminton-specific agility, and hamstring flexibility among university badminton players in four weeks.

After conducting the research, it was found that both the flywheel eccentric overload group and the plyometric training group showed significantly better results than the control group in CMJ height, modified reactive strength index, Badcamp agility test, and sit-and-reach test. These suggested that flywheel eccentric overload training and plyometric training have the same effectiveness in improving CMJ height, modified reactive strength index, badminton-specific agility, and hamstring flexibility among university badminton players in four weeks. However, the effects of both training modalities in improving hamstring flexibility among university badminton players do not seem to be very effective.