Kinematic Analysis of Volleyball Spike Jump

The purpose of this study was to determine the infl uence of upper and lower extremity move- ments on the volleyball spike jump (SJ) and how this movement may diff er from the standing vertical jumps due to its asymmetry. The 3-D kinematics of body segments were measured in 16 experienced volleyball players with a VICON motion capture system. The jump heights (JH) of counter-movement (CM) and SJ were deter- mined utilizing a force platform. A signifi cant correlation was found between the JH during the SPJ and the maximal horizontal velocity of the center of mass (CoM) (r = 0.71, p = 0.002), the minimum height of the CoM (r = − 0.68, p = 0.004), the JH during CMJ (r = 0.66, p = 0.006) and SJ (r = 0.74, p = 0.001), the range of movement of right knee fl exion-extension (r = 0.76, p = 0.001) and the angular velocity of left shoulder hyper- extension (r = 0.72, p = 0.002). The asymmetry of the SJ revealed diff erences in angles, angular velocities of the right and left legs and arms, and a signifi cant diff erence (p = 0.001) between the distances of the left and right foot center to the CoM. Results of our study suggest the impor- tance of optimal approach technique to reach a maximal JH in the volleyball SJ. The SJ movement is infl uenced by general jumping ability.