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Reliability and Practical Use of a Commercial Device for Measuring Punch and Kick Impact Kinetics
Sports MDPI (2022)
  • Luke Del Vecchio
  • John W Whitting
  • Jennifer Hollier
  • Annabelle Keene
  • Mike Climstein
Abstract
Martial arts, boxing and combat sports such as mixed martial arts participation have gained popularity in recent years internationally. One common aspect to these sports is the training and skill in maximizing strike impact of punches and kicks, referred to as impact kinetics, with commercial devices now available to assess punching and kicking power in athletes training facilities and gyms. We, therefore, assessed the reliability of a commercial device, the PowerKubeTM (Strike Research Ltd., Norwich, England) via the technical error of measurement (TEM) in both linear and non-linear simulated strikes to the center of target, off-center, level and inclined in a laboratory setting. The highest mean impact power resulted from level, center strikes (5782 ± 230 W) followed by level, off-center strikes (4864 ± 119 W, p < 0.05), inclined center strikes (4500 ± 220 W, p < 0.05), and inclined, off-center strikes (3390 ± 151). Peak power reductions ranged from 15.9% (level, off-center) to a maximum of 41.4% (incline, off-center) compared to the level, center strikes. Coaches are advised to take steps such as videoing strikes with high sampling rates to better ensure consistency in impact orientation, being perpendicular and centered on the strike pad, to best capture the peak power of kicks or punches.
Keywords
  • punching,
  • kicking,
  • peak force,
  • combat athlete,
  • impact kinetics
Publication Date
December, 2022
Citation Information
Luke Del Vecchio, John W Whitting, Jennifer Hollier, Annabelle Keene, et al.. "Reliability and Practical Use of a Commercial Device for Measuring Punch and Kick Impact Kinetics" Sports MDPI Vol. 10 Iss. 12 (2022) p. 1 - 13 ISSN: ISSN 2075-4663
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/michael_climstein/184/