Effect of footwork exercises on agility and balance among badminton players of Vadodara

Abstract

Background: Footwork is one of the core skills in badminton which plays a primary role in maintaining balance. Therefore, involvement of footwork drills can help reduce the risk of injuries and enhance the performance level of the player in terms of their agility as well. Aim and Objectives: The aim was to investigate the effect of footwork exercise on balance and agility among badminton players of Vadodara. To determine the effect of footwork exercise on balance and agility among badminton players using the Y Balance test and Illinois agility test respectively.Methods: 10 badminton players were divided into the experimental Group A (N=5) and the control Group B (N=5). These badminton players were assessed at the baseline and at 4 weeks after the intervention for agility and balance where the experimental group underwent footwork exercises for 4 weeks three times a week, while the control group carried on with their routine training. Results: Within-group analysis in Experimental Group A with paired t-test showed a significant difference in p-value (0.1223) between the pre and post-scores in the Illinois agility test as compared to the control group. However, where the Experimental group A showed a significant effect p-value (Right 0.0016), (Left 0.0394) on paired t-test on Y Balance test, the control group showed no significant difference on pre and post-scores. While between-group analysis on the unpaired t-test in Experimental Group A showed a statistically significant improvement p-value (0.0301) in Illinois agility test scores as compared to the control group but showed no significant difference on the Y Balance test between the experimental group A and control group B. Conclusion: Footwork exercises show significant effects on agility and balance among badminton players of Vadodara.