Evaluation of different training methods for the development of

handball throwing velocity.

SKOUFAS DIMITRIOS

Abstract (of Phd)

The increased performance of the throwing velocity consists one of the most
important factors that affects a handball player’s performance outcome. As a
consequence, several methods are suggested for the improvement of this
particular task. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis,
whether training with lighter (than the competition) balls -as compared to that
with loaded upper limbs- was more beneficial to the throwing performance of
amateur handball players. Sixty-five physical education students participated
voluntarily to the study and they were divided in three groups: Group A trained
with a 20% lighter ball (n=22), Group B trained with loaded upper limbs (n=22)
and the Control Group (n=21), which performed training with competition balls
and no loaded upper limbs. All subjects followed the same training 10-week
program, but with differentiated training conditions (light weight balls, loaded
upper limbs and competition balls with unloaded upper limbs). A radar gun was
used for the evaluation of the throwing velocity. The tests were assessed
before, during and after training as well as after 5 and 10 weeks of detraining.
The analysis of the results revealed that Group A and Group B improved their
throwing performance from 18.15±0.33 m/sec to 20.16±0.40 m/sec (p<0.05) and
from 17.83±0.41 m/sec to 20.09±0.40 m/sec (p<0.05), respectively. The players
of the Control Group improved less in their performance in comparison to the
experimental groups from 17.96±0.41 m/sec to 19.08±0.34 m/sec (p>0.05).
During detraining the throwing performance was significantly higher compared
to the performance before the training begun (p<0.05). Five weeks after the end
of training the throwing velocity of Group A, Group B and the Control Group was
20.08±0.48 m/sec, 19.60±0.37 m/sec και 18.30±0.39 m/sec, respectively,
whereas after 10 weeks of detraining the particular values were 19.54±0.41
m/sec, 19.36±0.45 m/sec και 18.38±0.35 m/sec, respectively. As a conclusion
remark, it can be stated that training with light weighted balls or loaded upper
limbs can be more advantageous to the performance of the throwing velocity of
novice handball players, although with the current data it cannot be
distinguished which of the above two methods is more efficient.

Νέες Εγκαταστάσεις Θέρµης, Λεωφόρος Γεωργικής Σχολής, Θέρµη, 57001