Differences in trunk and upper extremity kinematics and segmental velocities during the offside forehand polo swing between male and female athletes.

The research investigates how the body movements and speed differ between male and female professional polo players while performing a specific swing move. It shows that men and women exhibit important kinetic differences in their upper body and trunk when performing the offside forehand swing in polo.

Study Design and Participants

• The study involved 27 professional polo players out of which 10 were females and 17 males.
• The athletes were asked to perform three offside forehand polo swings from a stationary wooden horse.
• Each player’s movements were tracked using an electromagnetic tracking system at a frequency of 100 Hz.

Data Analysis

• The researchers used one-way ANOVA tests to identify significant differences in the players’ body movements (kinematics) and the speed of the body segments (segmental velocities).
• Specific points in the swing, such as the take away (TA), the top of backswing (TOB), and the ball contact (BC), were emphasized in the analysis.

Findings

• Men exhibited greater mean differences in several aspects including trunk flexion at TA and TOB, trunk lateral flexion at BC, trunk rotation at TA and TOB, shoulder abduction at TOB, and shoulder elevation at TOB and BC.
• Women on the other hand displayed greater trunk rotation at BC, shoulder elevation at TA, and elbow flexion at TA.
• Moreover, the pace of the swing also varied between males and females. Women tended to generate greater segmental velocities early in the swing, while men generated more velocity later in the swing.

Implications

• The observed movement patterns suggest that energy is transferred more efficiently along the kinetic chain among male players, resulting in more efficient swing mechanics.
• However, the authors advocate for more research into the role of the trunk and lumbopelvic-hip complex in relation to the polo swing.