Sunday, 16 July 2006 SUB1-5: 10:30 - 10:45 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A SIX-WEEK JUMP SHOT INTERVENTION ON THE KINEMATICS OF NETBALL SHOOTING PERFORMANCE. Melanie E Henderson 1 , Patria A Hume 2 and Elizabeth J Bradshaw 3 1 School of Sport & Exercise, Waikato Institute of Technology, Hamilton, NZ 2 Institute of Sport & Recreation Research New Zealand, AUT University, NZ 3 School of Exercise Science, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne. This study measured the kinematics of netball shooting (standing & jump technique) performance throughout a six-week training intervention. Club-class female goal shooters were allocated into three groups - experimental (stand & jump shot training, n=6), training control (standing shot training, n=6) and pure control (no training, n=6). The experimental and training control players underwent a shooting intervention of three sessions (100 shots) per week for six-weeks. All players were tested using two dimensional motion analysis at the start (0 weeks), during (3 weeks), and end (6 weeks) of the intervention programme. The mixed technique program undertaken by the goal shooters in the experimental group was the most beneficial for enhancing overall shooting performance and, therefore, is the recommended strategy from this study for off-season training. KEY WORDS: netball, shooting, kinematics, training, performance. INTRODUCTION: Performance success in the game of netball can only be achieved by scoring more goals than the opposing team. Traditionally the static shooting technique (standing shot) has been the most reliable shot for the two attacking players that are permitted within the goal circle. The standing shot is executed from a balanced and stable stance with limited variability. Early shooting actions involved both hands and produced a flat, low trajectory shot which allowed the defenders to easily intercept the ball before reaching the goal. To counteract the actions of the defence, the controlled one-handed shot was developed, which enabled the ball to travel with a higher trajectory (Shakespeare, 1997). Netballs’ ancestry began with women’s basketball. More recent heightened competition has unsurprisingly led towards intense speculation on utilising a jump shot technique, modified from the technique employed in basketball. It is proposed that an all-purpose netball jump shot could be taken from the outer parameters of the shooting circle, or at close range when clearance of a defensive arm was necessary. With the widespread introduction of the jump shot, the skill of the netball shot could become a competition of speed and skill between the attacking and defensive players within the circle. This could increase the accuracy demands on the netball shooter when also under intense competition pressure. Therefore a sound technical model for the jump shot is needed to guide the development of this skill for netball. The jump shot requires coordination of all body parts (good timing), delicate kinaesthetic touch (fine movements of arm and hand) and powerful, strong and fast leg movements (e.g. Martin, 1981). Further, to maintain accuracy in netball, the shooter needs a smooth and faultless technique, which has the ability to be reproduced with minimal endpoint variability. The purpose of this study was to provide insight on the correct mechanics for the jump shot in netball, as well as a description of technical changes that can be successfully gained with only six-weeks of specific netball training. An additional focus of this study was whether the jump shot technique could be successfully introduced and trained for the game of netball, without disrupting the performance of the traditional standing shot action. METHOD: Eighteen club netball players (mean age 21.6 ± 4.3 years, height 172 ± 4 cm and mass 71 ± 10 kg) were randomised into three intervention groups of six netball shooters: experimental (EXP -100 shots per training session: 50% jump / 50% standing technique); training control (TC - 100 shots per training session: 100% standing technique); and pure control (PC - No shot training: 0%). The EXP and TC netball shooters underwent a shooting intervention of three sessions per week for six-weeks. Shooting accuracy tests were performed at 0 weeks (pre), 3 weeks (mid), and 6 weeks (post). Two-dimensional video XXIV ISBS Symposium 2006, Salzburg – Austria 1