Authors:
Lucio Caprioli
1
;
Francesca Campoli
1
;
Saeid Edriss
1
;
Elvira Padua
2
;
Emilio Panichi
1
;
Cristian Romagnoli
2
;
Giuseppe Annino
3
and
Vincenzo Bonaiuto
1
Affiliations:
1
Sports Engineering Lab., Dept. Industrial Eng. Univ. Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
;
2
Dept. of Human Science & Prom. of Quality of Life, San Raffaele Rome Univ., Rome, Italy
;
3
Dept. of Medicine Systems, Univ. Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
Keyword(s):
Video Analysis, Tennis, Reaction Time, Visual Anticipation, ATP Tennis Tournament.
Abstract:
2D Video analysis is often used in tennis to analyze the players' technique or issues related to game tactics. This paper applies video analysis to assess the reaction time in tennis matches. Fifteen subjects were examined (26.20 ± 4.75 years old, weight 79.13 ± 5.67 kg, height 184.40 ± 5.30 cm, BMI 23.26 ± 1.19), all with an ATP ranking between the #130 position and the #1066 position updated on the day of the sampling. The average RT was 0.248 ± 0.07 s. The longer reaction times were recorded at the first stroke after the serve, while the shorter were in defensive situations when the opponent was attacking or playing a volley, and the examined player often anticipate by starting the mouvement even before the opponent's stroke. The reaction times of high-level tennis players were found to be very short, often less than 120ms in defensive actions. These results prompt us to consider the importance of kinetic perceptual skills such as reaction speed and anticipation in tennis training.