A biomechanical investigation of right-forward lunging step among badminton players

This study presents the kinematics and plantar pressure characteristics of eight elite national-level badminton athletes and eight recreational college-level badminton players while performing a right-forward lunge movement in a laboratory-simulated badminton court. The hypothesis was that recreational players would be significantly different from elite players in kinematics and plantar pressure measures. Vicon((R)) motion capture and Novel((R)) insole plantar pressure measurement were simultaneously taken to record the lower extremity kinematics and foot loading during stance. Recreational players showed significantly higher peak pressure in the lateral forefoot (P=0.002) and force time integral in the lateral forefoot (P=0.013) and other toes (P=0.005). Elite athletes showed higher peak pressure in the medial forefoot (P=0.003), hallux (P=0.037) and force time integral in the medial forefoot (P=0.009). The difference in landing techniques for the lunge step between elite athletes and recreational players was observed with peak ankle eversion (-38.2 degrees +/- 2.4 degrees for athletes and -11.1 degrees +/- 3.9 degrees for players, P=0.015); smaller knee range of motion in the coronal and transverse planes, with differences in peak knee adduction (28.9 degrees +/- 6.8 degrees for athletes and 15.7 degrees +/- 6.2 degrees for players, P=0.031); peak knee internal rotation (20.3 degrees +/- 1.3 degrees for athletes and 11.8 degrees +/- 3.2 degrees for players, P=0.029) and peak hip flexion (77.3 degrees +/- 4.1 degrees for athletes and 91.3 degrees +/- 9.3 degrees for players, P=0.037).