Theory and Practice of Physical Culture № 12 2016

PhD L.V. Voytus¹
Dr.Hab., Professor S.S. Dobrovol'skiy¹
Associate Professor, PhD O.V. Yurechko^1
1Blagoveshchensk State Pedagogical University, Blagoveshchensk
²Far Eastern Academy of Physical Culture, Khabarovsk

Keywords: table tennis, female students, high-intensity training technology, athletic training.

Background. Problems of the existing academic physical education system improvement are still critical for the system on the whole and for the women’s physical education groups in particular. The valid academic physical education curricula are considered not efficient enough, and it urges the sector specialists look for new forms and methods of the academic physical education and sport process design customized for the needs of the young people in different sport disciplines and develop new efficient methods to meet these needs (V.K. Bal’sevich, L.I. Lubysheva, 1995, et al.). Inclusion of different sports and physical exercises customized for the female students’ individualities and interests is believed to be an efficient approach in this context, with table tennis being considered among the promising sports for such application. It is recognized as accessible, simple and at the same time exciting game that has lately evolved in the country from the favourite pastime to a popular sport discipline that requires variable techniques, tactics, game plans, combinations and highly developed versatile motor skills from the players. It should be noted, however, that the efforts to train highly-skilled players’ at universities are limited to a degree since the persistent training process to excel the student’s mastery is often limited by the students’ engagement in the regular academic educational process; in addition, the training process intensity growth and technical skills quality improvement is limited by the lack of the relevant methodologies to model the competitive activity and help master and excel motor skills in the situations when the students often have no time for efficient training in view of the practical constraints of the table tennis sport and the primary training process.

Objective of the study was to improve the training process efficiency in application to female table tennis playing university students based on high-intensity athletic training technologies.

Methods and structure of the study. Subject to the study was the physical performance rates of the female university students engaged in table tennis and body conditioning practices in the context of their motivations for the sport, with a comparative analysis of the physical performance rates of the higher-skilled (Class I) versus the lower-skilled (Class II-III) tennis players. The study was focused on the specific aspects of their motor skills, speed-strength qualities and special endurance rates, the obtained data being processed using statistical tools for analysis. It was assumed that differences in the mean physical performance rates between the skill groups of the same age category may help profile certain developmental levels of the special physical qualities that need to be improved in a phased manner to attain the individual best competitive results. The study data analysis showed the lower-skilled athletes lagging far behind the higher-skilled ones as follows: in the speed-strength endurance rates by 6.4-18.1% (р <0.05); in the speed-strength rates by 4.5-17.3% (р<0.05); in the response rates to light and moving object by 14.3-18.2% (p<0.01); and in the movement/ motor memory adjustment rates by 12.2-31.6%. These deficiencies may be among the key reasons for the poor competitive accomplishments of the mass-class athletes. It should be noted, however, that the lower-skilled female players were found not much different from the higher-skilled ones in overall endurance, flexibility and dexterity rates.

Success in the modern table tennis game is known to be determined by the athlete’s ability to demonstrate active, attacking and universal game style; show stable high success rates in a variety of specific tactical situations; vary the intensities and focuses of the technical and tactical actions; create and attain advantages when serving; and counterattack when receiving the opponents’ serve (G.V. Barchukova, 1995). Based on the above considerations, O.V. Matytsyn (2002) offered the following special model characteristics of competitive process: performance; performance success; general efficiency; performance efficiency; receiving win percentage; successful performance in extreme situations; repeated result trend; and successful performance variation; and we applied these characteristics under the study.

Study results and discussion. The study has demonstrated that the lower-skilled athletes were second in every competitive performance rate to the higher-skilled ones, with the most pronounced differences found between integrated efficiency, technique stability and successful performance rates. Performance rates of the higher-skilled athletes were used as model special performance rates to guide the lower-skilled athletes in their sport excellence training process. Practical application of these model rates ensures the female athlete’s performance being objectively rated and timely adjusted in the process. The prior study data (on primary physical fitness, personal qualities development, competitive success and competitive stability rates of the lower-skilled athletes) were subject to a neuron networks based mathematical analysis (A.N. Gorban, D.A. Rossiyev, 1996). Following the neuron network being simplified, we identified the most critical performance rates to be improved to step up the competitive success rates of the female athletes. The study found the players’ physical performance rates varying in their importance at different training process stages. At the primary tennis skills mastering stage, for instance, it is the technique execution stability, dexterity and coordination skills development rates that are the most important; whilst at the sport excellence stage, the highest priority should be given to the speed-strength qualities, game performance success and overall activity rates.

Based on the above, a high-skilled female tennis players’ long-term training system is to be designed with a top priority being given to the roles and contributions of the factors of the highest importance for the model characteristics being attained, with these roles and contributions being variable with time depending, among other things, on the players’ success in the table tennis game. To analyse the players’ physical performance, an emphasis should be made on the reasonable use of qualitative performance rating data under the model factors of the highest effect on the competitive process and the competitive success albeit the least sensitive to the individual playing styles of the athletes.

We have developed a computerized training-and-performance-control system (CTPCS) that gives the means to model and rate tennis table player’s performance in a variety of virtual standard/ competitive conditions. The system includes a sensory racket; interface to computer to profile the racket movements; application computer software; and a monitor. The system enables an athlete to play with a virtual opponent having different tactical and technical skill levels and obtain the objective performance rating data for the offensive and defensive actions. Furthermore, we have developed a two-stage special training technology for female tennis players with preset objectives, missions and priorities of the applied training methods and tools. The training hours and days at every process stage were equal for the Study and Reference Groups. The group training systems were different only in the percentage shares of the body conditioning (BC) and special physical training (SPT) loads and the competitive game practices at every training stage. The Reference Group training process was designed to include 90% of BC versus 60% in the Study Group; the SPT practices amounted to 30% and 40% in the RG and RG, respectively; and the competitive game practices made up 36% and 50%, respectively. By the end of the experiment, the BC in the RG versus the SG amounted to 70% and  30%, respectively; the SPT practices totalled 30% and 40% in the RG and RG, respectively; the SPT practices reached 40% and 50% in the RG and RG, respectively; and the competitive game practices made up 44% and 62%, respectively. The Study Group training process was designed to excel the motor skills on the computer simulator training system under different model conditions, with the action repeating rates being 8-10 times higher in the SG versus RG, followed by the skill imitation and perfection with mirrors and on the “spin wheel” and “fishing-rod” simulators. In addition, multi-ball practice (MBP) was used to help master and excel the serving techniques. In the RG, the traditional training system was applied.

Having analyzed the intergroup differences after the experiment, we found the following performance rates in the Study Group versus the Reference Group: ball rebound distance grew up by 13.0% (р <0.01); response-to-light rate grew up by 12.5% (р <0.01); response-to-moving-object rate grew up by 14.3% (р <0.01); integrated win (IW) rate increased by 13.6% (р<0.01); receiving win percentage (RWP) grew up by 5.3% (р <0.05); serving win percentage (SWP) increased by 5.2% (р <0.05); and the technique execution stability (TES) rate grew up by 27.4% (р <0.01). This was the reason for the Study Group athletes demonstrating the higher competitive success rates (see Table 1 hereunder) and this may be interpreted as indicative of our training system applying the modern methods and tools to increase intensity of the table tennis training process being efficient.

Table 1. Variations of the Reference Group versus Study Group physical performance and psychomotor functionality rates as a result of the educational experiment

Conclusion. The female players’ sport training process was designed to secure good conditions to facilitate their multisided progress and thereby step up their self-fulfilment and self-assertion opportunities within the vocational sport. The female tennis players of the two skill groups were found different in the speed, dexterity, speed-strength, motor memory rates, shot execution techniques and competitive success rates. The analyzed differences in their physical performance rates gave the means to identify model performance rates for female players of different skill levels attainable in relatively short terms via the controlled education/ training environment with the relevant objective progress rating and computer simulator system being applied in the process. The computerized training-and-performance-control system (CTPCS) made it possible to obtain objective performance efficiency rating data; model table tennis players’ competitive performance; notably expand the range of the techniques they mastered; and step up the intensity levels of the training process. The intensified training technology in application to the female table tennis players with the relevant tools and methods being applied to significantly intensify the educational process and excel motor skills was found beneficial in helping them master and excel for a relatively short time good motor skills and improve the special physical performance rates and the competitive success rates.

References

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Corresponding author: olga19674@yandex.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to improve the training process efficiency in application to female table tennis playing university students based on high-intensity athletic training technologies. Subject to the study were the physical performance rates of the female table tennis players and body conditioning practices in the context of the students’ motivations for sports, with a comparative analysis of the physical performance rates of the higher-skilled (Class I) versus the lower-skilled (Class II-III) tennis players. The study was focused on the specific aspects of their motor skills, speed-strength qualities and special endurance rates, the obtained data being processed using statistical tools for analysis. The motor skills profiling data generated by the study and the analysis gave the means to design model characteristics for the female table tennis players of different skill levels, with the skills being formed for relatively short terms in a controlled training environment with the relevant objective performance control/ rating tools and computerized training system being applied. The computerized training/ performance control system made it possible to objectively rate the motor skill performance efficiency and model competitive performance in table tennis thereby notably increasing the technical performance rates and the overall intensity of the training sessions.