Correlation
Between Hand Eye Coordination, Agility and Upper Limb Explosive Power in Recreational
Badminton Players: A Pilot Study
Abhilash PV1, Vinay Vasu Bangera2, Anagha k3*
1 Associate Professor, Department of
Physiotherapy, Laxmi Memorial College of Physiotherapy, Mangaluru, Karnataka,
India
2 Associate Professor, Department of
Orthopaedics, A.J.Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre,
Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
3 Post Graduate Student, Laxmi Memorial
College of Physiotherapy, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
anaghapramod09@gmail.com
Abstract: Badminton is a dynamic racket sport that demands high
levels of hand–eye coordination, agility, and upper limb explosive power for
effective performance. These components are essential for rapid shuttle
tracking, multidirectional movement, stroke execution, and efficient court
coverage. The study's objective was to ascertain the relationship between
recreational badminton players' hand-eye coordination, agility, and upper limb
explosive power. A pilot survey of recreational badminton players was carried
out in Southern Karnataka. Recreational badminton players Convenience sampling was used
to recruit people between the ages of 18 and 35. Hand–eye coordination,
agility, and upper limb explosive power were assessed using the Alternate Hand
Wall Toss Test, Agility T-Test, and Seated Medicine Ball Throw Test,
respectively. Correlation was performed using Karl-Pearson’s correlation
method. Statistical significance was set at P <0.05. Correlation
analysis revealed a significant moderate negative correlation between hand–eye
coordination and agility (r = −0.591, p = 0.043). Hand–eye
coordination also demonstrated a moderate positive correlation with upper limb
explosive power (r = 0.545), although the association was not statistically
significant (p = 0.067).
Keywords: Alternate Hand Wall Toss Test, Agility, Hand–Eye Coordination
INTRODUCTION
One of the world's quickest racquet
sports is badminton, requiring rapid decision-making,
high levels of neuromuscular coordination, and precise execution of complex
motor skills. The sport is characterized by intermittent high-intensity
rallies, quick directional changes, and explosive movements, placing significant
demands on both aerobic and anaerobic systems1. Recreational badminton players
constitute a substantial proportion of the badminton-playing population and
participate primarily for health, fitness, and leisure rather than competitive
excellence. Unlike elite athletes, they generally lack structured coaching,
systematic conditioning, and sport-specific training, which may influence the
development of essential performance components such as coordination, agility,
and muscular power. Consequently, recreational players may exhibit variations
in neuromuscular performance compared with professionally trained athletes²˒³.
The capacity to receive visual information and transfer it
into exact motor actions is known as hand-eye coordination. This talent is
especially important in sports like badminton, where accurate stroke execution
and fast reflexes are crucial4. Hand-eye
coordination is very important, namely when we see the ball soar, the hands
start to square off hitting the shuttlecock quickly and sharply toward the
target on the field and this is also the need for a reaction from each player5.
In badminton, players are required to react instantly to unpredictable shuttlecock trajectories while maintaining balance and postural control. Effective footwork, quick directional changes, and movement efficiency enable players to cover the court efficiently and respond successfully to offensive and defensive situations. However, recreational badminton players often emphasize technical play rather than structured physical conditioning, which may limit the development of agility and other fundamental physical capacities6,7,8.
Upper limb explosive power is
defined as the muscles capacity to provide maximum force in the shortest amount
of time and is a critical component of racket sport performance. In badminton,
explosive upper limb power directly influences the execution of high-speed
strokes such as smashes, clears, and drives. The production of these powerful
movements depends on rapid neuromuscular activation and efficient force
transfer through the lower limbs' kinetic chain,
trunk, and upper extremities. Greater upper limb explosive power has been
associated with higher shuttlecock velocity, improved stroke effectiveness, and
enhanced overall playing performance 9,10.
Although badminton performance
has been extensively investigated, the association among hand–eye coordination,
agility, and upper limb explosive power in recreational players remains
insufficiently explored. Existing research has predominantly focused on elite
athletes, while recreational players, who may have limited access to systematic
training, have received less attention. Hence, this study aimed to examine the
relationship between hand–eye coordination, agility, and upper limb explosive
power in recreational badminton players. The findings may provide useful
insights for coaches and physiotherapists in designing appropriate training and
rehabilitation strategies to enhance performance and minimize injury risk.
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
A pilot correlational study was
undertaken to evaluate the interrelationship among hand eye coordination,
agility and upper limb explosive power in recreational badminton players.
Participants
Recreational badminton players between the ages of
18 and 35 participated in this cross-sectional pilot study. Convenience
sampling was used to select participants based on predetermined inclusion and
exclusion criteria. The study comprised recreational badminton players who
fulfilled the qualifying requirements, played the game for at least three hours
a week, and provided written, informed permission.
Outcome
Measure
·
Hand eye coordination:
Assessed using Alternate hand wall toss test
·
Agility:
Assessed using Agility T- test
·
Upper limb explosive
power: Assessed using Seated medicine ball throw
test
Statistical
Analysis
SPSS
version 29.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 29.0; IBM Corp., Armonk,
NY) was used for statistical analysis. The mean and standard deviation were
used to summarize continuous variables. Karl-Pearson's correlation method was
used to perform the correlation. Statistical significance was defined as a p
value of less than 0.05.
RESULTS
Table 1: Descriptive Statistics of Age and
Gender of Recreational Badminton Players
|
Frequency |
Percent |
||
|
Age |
20-24
years |
7 |
58.3 |
|
25-29
years |
5 |
41.7 |
|
|
Gender |
Female |
6 |
50.0 |
|
Male |
6 |
50.0 |
|
The
descriptive analysis showed that among the 12 recreational badminton players,
the majority belonged to the 20–24 years’ age group, accounting for 58.3%
(n=7), while 41.7% (n=5) were in the 25–29 years’ age group. The participants
had a mean age of 24.250±2.832 years. With regard to gender, an equal
distribution was observed, with 50.0% (n=6) being female and 50.0% (n=6) being
male.
Table 2: Descriptive Statistics of Hand
Eye Coordination, Agility and Upper Limb Explosive Power among Recreational
Badminton Players
|
Minimum |
Maximum |
Mean |
Std.
Deviation |
|
|
Hand eye
coordination |
21.00 |
35.00 |
28.000 |
4.748 |
|
Agility |
9.70 |
11.50 |
10.483 |
0.586 |
|
Upper limb
explosive power |
3.50 |
5.30 |
4.483 |
0.583 |
The
descriptive analysis revealed that the recreational badminton players had a
mean hand eye coordination score of 28.000±4.748, with scores ranging from
21.00 to 35.00.
The
mean agility score was 10.483±0.586, with a minimum value of 9.70 and a maximum
value of 11.50.
Similarly,
the mean upper limb explosive power was 4.483±0.583, with values ranging from
3.50 to 5.30.
Table 3: Correlation between Hand Eye
Coordination and Agility among Recreational Badminton Players
|
Agility |
||
|
Hand eye
coordination |
r value |
-.591* |
|
p value |
.043 |
|
|
N |
12 |
|
The
correlation analysis revealed that hand eye coordination had a moderate
negative correlation with agility (r = -.591, p = .043) among the recreational
badminton players. Since the p value (.043) was less than 0.05, the association
was statistically significant. This indicated that as the hand eye coordination
score increased, the agility score tended to decrease among the study
participants.
Figure 1: Representing the Correlation
between Hand Eye Coordination and Agility among Recreational Badminton Players
Table 4: Correlation between Hand Eye
Coordination and Upper Limb Explosive Power among Recreational Badminton
Players
|
Upper limb
explosive power |
||
|
Hand eye
coordination |
r value |
.545 |
|
p value |
.067 |
|
|
N |
12 |
|
The
correlation analysis revealed that hand eye coordination had a moderate
positive correlation with upper limb explosive power (r = .545, p = .067) among
the recreational badminton players. However, since the p value (.067) was
greater than 0.05, the association was not statistically significant. This
indicated that although hand eye coordination tended to increase with upper
limb explosive power, there was no statistically significant correlation among
the study participants.
DISCUSSION
The present pilot study investigated
the relationship between hand–eye coordination, agility, and upper limb
explosive power among recreational badminton players. The main discovery was a
moderately negative connection that was statistically significant between
hand–eye coordination and agility (r = −0.591, p = 0.043),
demonstrating that individuals have superior hand–eye coordination completed
the Agility T-test in less time and therefore demonstrated superior agility
performance. In contrast, although hand–eye coordination showed a moderate
positive correlation with upper limb explosive power (r = 0.545), the
association did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.067). These
results imply that visuomotor coordination is more closely associated with
multidirectional movement performance than with upper limb power production in
recreational badminton players.
The observed relationship is
supported by contemporary evidence demonstrating that agility is not solely
dependent on muscular speed but also relies heavily on perceptual–cognitive
abilities and visuomotor integration. Young and Farrow reported that agility
performance is strongly influenced by visual scanning, anticipation, and
decision-making, which all help to rapid movement responses during
sport-specific tasks. Similarly, Nimphius and colleagues emphasized that
efficient change-of-direction performance depends on the interaction between
neuromuscular capacity and perceptual processing rather than physical speed
alone. These findings support the present results, suggesting that enhanced
visual information processing enables badminton players to execute faster and
more coordinated movements during agility tasks. 11,12
The present study demonstrated a
moderate positive correlation between hand–eye coordination and upper limb
explosive power (r = 0.545); Nevertheless, there was no statistically
significant correlation (p = 0.067). Although participants with better
hand–eye coordination tended to exhibit greater upper limb explosive power, the
findings suggest that improvements in visuomotor coordination do not always
result in higher upper limb force production among recreational badminton
players. This observation highlights that these performance components, while
functionally related during badminton play, are influenced by distinct physiological
and neuromuscular mechanisms.
Hand–eye coordination primarily
depends on the efficient integration of visual input, sensorimotor processing,
reaction time, and movement accuracy, whereas upper limb explosive power is
determined predominantly by muscle strength, rate of force development,
neuromuscular activation, and the efficiency of the kinetic chain. Although
both qualities contribute to badminton performance, they may develop
independently in recreational players because of differences in training
exposure and physical conditioning. Recreational players commonly participate
in badminton for leisure and fitness rather than structured performance
enhancement and therefore may not receive sufficient resistance or plyometric
training to develop maximal upper limb power. Consequently, improvements in
coordination may occur through repeated sport participation without
proportional gains in muscular power.
The small sample size could possibly
account for the lack of statistical significance of this pilot study. With only
twelve participants, the study had reduced statistical power to detect moderate
associations. Small samples increase the probability of Type II error, in which
a true relationship may not reach statistical significance despite a meaningful
correlation coefficient. The observed correlation (r = 0.545) suggests a
moderate association that may become statistically significant in studies involving
larger and more heterogeneous samples. Consequently, the current results should
be interpreted cautiously and considered preliminary rather than conclusive.
Previous investigations have
similarly reported that upper limb explosive performance is influenced by
multiple physical attributes beyond visuomotor coordination. Studies evaluating
badminton-specific training have shown that resistance training, plyometric
exercises, shoulder muscle strength, trunk stability, and efficient lower-limb
force transfer contribute substantially to shuttlecock velocity and stroke
effectiveness. In contrast, visuomotor coordination primarily enhances stroke
timing, racquet positioning, and movement precision rather than maximal force
generation. These observations support the present findings by indicating that
although coordination facilitates technical execution, muscular power remains
dependent on specific neuromuscular adaptations achieved through targeted
strength and power training. 3,13,14
The results of this investigation
have important implications for sports physiotherapists, coaches, and
recreational badminton players. The significant association between hand–eye
coordination and agility suggests that visuomotor training should be
incorporated into badminton-specific conditioning programmes to enhance
on-court movement efficiency. Exercises such as reaction-ball drills, alternate
hand wall toss exercises, shuttle-response training, and sport-specific
multidirectional agility drills may improve visual processing, movement
initiation, and change-of-direction ability. Since badminton performance
depends on the rapid integration of perception and movement, training
interventions that simultaneously target perceptual–cognitive skills and
physical performance are likely to produce greater functional improvements than
isolated conditioning programmes. Recent evidence has shown that
perceptual–motor training enhances decision-making speed, reaction time, and
movement efficiency, all of which are essential for successful badminton
performance. 15,16
Although hand–eye coordination
demonstrated a positive relationship with upper limb explosive power, the
absence of statistical significance implies that enhancing visuomotor
coordination might not be enough to enhance muscular power. Development of
upper limb explosive performance requires specific neuromuscular adaptations
achieved through progressive resistance training, plyometric exercises, and
sport-specific power training. Therefore, recreational badminton players should
follow integrated conditioning programmes that combine coordination training
with structured strength and power development to optimise overall performance.17,18
CONCLUSION
This
study demonstrated that hand–eye coordination is significantly associated with
agility in recreational badminton players, reinforcing its importance as a key
determinant of sport-specific performance. While a positive trend was observed
between hand–eye coordination and upper limb explosive power, the relationship
failed to achieve statistical significance. The findings support the
integration of visuomotor coordination training into recreational badminton
conditioning programmes to enhance movement efficiency and on-court
performance. Future research involving larger and more diverse samples is
needed to further elucidate these relationships and strengthen the evidence
base for performance-oriented training strategies.
DECLARATIONS
Study Limitations
the study included a relatively
small sample of recreational badminton players, which may have reduced the
statistical capability to identify important associations, particularly for
upper limb explosive power. Second, participants were recruited using convenience
sampling from a limited geographical region, which may restrict the
generalisability of the findings to other recreational badminton populations.
Third, factors such as playing experience, weekly training volume, technical
proficiency, previous injury history, and physical activity levels were not
controlled and may have influenced the observed relationships.
Acknowledgements
The
authors thank all participants who voluntarily enrolled in this research.
Funding Source
Nil
Competing
Interests
There are no financial or charitable organization to carry out this
research
Ethical Approval
The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee, A. J. Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India. Ethical approval was granted under Reference No. AJEC/REV/207/2025 on 24 June 2025. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Informed Consent
All
subjects give consent prior to the study.
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