More detailed data

Of course, these conclusions remain individual and personal, and it would be very difficult to apply them to general advice for all tennis players. ʺEvery player is unique: they have their own characteristics and physical qualities, their own technique, their own strengths and weaknesses. It’s impossible to draw conclusions that are valid for all players, but we can nevertheless form a general outline to prevent unsuitable movementsʺ, Cédric Schwartz explains.

In this particular case, the analyses showed that the player in question tilted his pelvis (anteversion) more than other players. ʺWhile this problem can clearly be seen in a 2D video, the 3D images made it possible to quantify it. And it was possible to see it regardless of the player’s position in relation to the cameras, since the markers provided us with the information. This wouldn’t have been the case with a simple video. That’s the advantage of a 3D analysis. We saw that this pelvic tilt could be influenced by a deficit in leg drive combined with incomplete leg extension amplitudes. Thanks to an isokinetic analysis, among other things, we also observed that this wasn’t due to muscular weakness (hamstrings) but rather tension here”, François Tubez explains.

It is necessary to observe the whole chain to understand why these movements and faults cause pain. And to be able to provide advice on how to deal with the problem to prevent it from happening again. This analysis therefore led to recommendations for various specific exercises, such as abdominal core strengthening exercises. ʺThe results of the analysis were sent to the trainer who was then able to adapt the training sessions according to our observations. And during the following test, we observed an improvement in the movementʺ, he is glad to say.

Changing isn’t easy…

When learning a sport, and specific movements, we may tend to adopt bad habits which, nevertheless, enhance performance. ʺWhile it’s impossible to say what you should and shouldn’t do for each sport, we can see, as an athlete evolves in their particular sport, movements or positions that we know are harmful for their body. There are recurring injuries in every sport and it’s often possible to address them by making adaptations. The problem is that if the player considers that they should continue to play this way to remain at the top of their game, there’s a good chance that they won’t be receptive to our advice…ʺ. For instance, when amateurs see a player of the calibre of Rafael Nadal playing, and see him passing his arm over his head after a forehand, they may be tempted to imitate him. And yet, this movement isn’t necessarily adapted to their build, their morphology or their level of fitness. But because they’re convinced of the effectiveness of this champion’s movement, they won’t be motivated to stop doing it. ʺWith players who run a risk with some of their movements, we can offer a biomechanical analysis to observe the consequences of such a movement. But there’s no certainty that a correction will have a positive result in terms of prevention. Not to mention the opinion of the trainers who can’t always change the habits of their champion, especially if they’re playing in a tournament. Unfortunately, the international ranking system forces them to play a lot, which doesn’t leave much time to adapt to new habitsʺ, Cedric Schwartz continues.

Prevention in young players

Can we therefore use the analyses relating to injured athletes, and the conclusions drawn from these cases, to teach these youngsters more beneficial habits? Clearly, we can’t rule this out: ʺThis year, we observed children aged 8 to 11 who are members of the AFT, with the idea of specifically analysing their movements and raising awareness among their trainers about the need to maybe make changes on a biomechanical level. Because although they’re already part of the elite, they’re still young and still learning. Perhaps the bad habits haven’t already established themselves and their motor pattern is more ‘malleable’. We put them through a series of tests to study them individually and to compare, with a control group, the leg drive, the pelvic movement, the impact of the ball, etc.: the goal was also to observe the sequence of action of the movements of all parts of the body when serving. And to draw conclusions and send them to their trainer, who would then be able to give them precise and individualised exercises”, François Tubez concludes.

Finally, what is true for tennis can also be true for other sports. Through the training given to trainers by ADEPS, for instance. This organisation has indeed reviewed the training given to its managers, who now look at aspects linked to biomechanics, to provide them with the main principles and protocols to detect at-risk behaviours. This professionalisation, which exists in the majority of countries, but especially in the largest clubs, will certainly benefit the performance of our high level sportsmen and sportswomen.