The influence of strength and balance of supporting leg during maximal instep kick on kicking performance

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between supporting leg strength and supporting leg balance; and their correlation with kicking performance. Thirty four recreational male futsal players with a mean age 23.2±1.5 years old voluntarily participated in this study. Physical characteristics of participants (age, weight, height and body mass index) were recorded prior to test. Force platform was used to record kinetics variables during Maximal Instep Kick Test (with and without target) and during the Balance Stork Test. Ball flight after impact with the kicking foot was recorded using high speed video camera set at hundred and twenty frame per second, with five hundred hertz shuttle speed. Ball velocity was then calculated using motion analysis software. Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between variables. Results indicated no significant correlation between maximal vertical force (max-vGRF) with the ball velocity for both condition of kicks; between strength (max-vGRF) and balance (at 95% ellipse area) of supporting leg; between supporting leg balance and ball velocity; between supporting leg balance and ball accuracy. However, negative significant correlations exist between max-vGRF and ball accuracy. Max-vGRF and ball velocity for both kicking without target and kicking with target was found highly correlated. As a conclusion, kicking performance was not primarily influenced by either the supporting leg strength (max-vGRF) or supporting leg balance (95% ellipse area).