The Effects of Acute Stroboscopic Training on Tennis Serve Return Accuracy

Abstract

The effects of a single stroboscopic training session on anticipating tennis serve direction were explored. Intermediate tennis players in both the stroboscopic training (n = 16) and control (n = 16) conditions completed 40 pretest and 40 post-test service video clips, prompting them to indicate the serve trajectory direction. Identical on-court training was provided for both conditions after the pretest, in which each participant was asked to return 40 tennis serve shots. In the experimental condition, participants performed the task wearing stroboscopic glasses, whereas those in the control condition performed the task naturally, without any glasses. Response accuracy and reaction time (RT) were measured. Results revealed that stroboscopic training significantly improved response accuracy. However, there were no significant differences in RT between conditions. The present study indicates that a single training session can improve the anticipation of serve trajectory detection in tennis. Further research must examine the transfer to the natural environment and investigate anticipation in other types of tasks, such as during play in tennis and in other sports.