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A Simple and Objective Method for Analyzing a Gymnastics Skill
Authors: Serena W.J. Khong, Pui W. Kong
Number of views: 544
The traditional approach to evaluate gymnastics by subjective rating requires an experienced eye, posing challenges to teachers and coaches who may not have the necessarypersonal experience. This study presented a simple and objective method for analyzing a dynamic, asymmetrical and multi-planar gymnastics skill (cartwheel). Two studies were conducted to analyze videos of cartwheel performances by quantifying ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, and torso angles using an open source freeware. Study 1 tested whether the method could differentiate between highly trained gymnasts and novices, and assessed the reliability of the method. Study 2 evaluated whether the method could track the progression of novice learners: Performances of an experimental and a control groups were compared before and after a 20-minute intervention. Results showed excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability (intra-class correlation > 0.90, standard error of measurement < 5°). Highly trained gymnasts displayed better forms than novices at the ankle, knee, shoulder and torso (all p < 0.05).After brief practice, novel learners showed improvements at the knees (p = 0.007) and ankles (group × time p = 0.05) when performing a cartwheel. In conclusion, the proposed video analysis method demonstrated good potential for assessing the cartwheel in a simple and objective way.