Development of new 9-ball test protocols for assessing expertise in cue sports

BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation

John Komar¹  Jing Wen Pan¹  Pui Wah Kong² 

[1] Physical Education and Sports Science Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, 637616, Singapore, Singapore;Physical Education and Sports Science Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, 637616, Singapore, Singapore;Office of Graduate Studies and Professional Learning, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, 637616, Singapore, Singapore;

关键词: Error;    Variability;    Kinovea;    Playing level;    Pool;    Billiards;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13102-021-00237-9

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThis study aimed to develop new test protocols for evaluating 9-ball expertise levels in cue sports players.MethodsThirty-one male 9-ball players at different playing levels were recruited (recreational group, n = 8; university team, n = 15; national team, n = 8). A 15-ball test was administered to indicate overall performance by counting the number of balls potted. Five skill tests (power control, cue alignment, angle, back spin, and top spin) were conducted to evaluate specific techniques by calculating error distances from pre-set targets using 2D video analysis.ResultsIntra-class correlation analyses revealed excellent intra-rater and inter-rater reliability in four out of five skill tests (ICC > 0.95). Significant between-group differences were found in 15-ball test performance (p <  0.001) and absolute error distances in the angle (p <  0.001), back spin (p = 0.006), and top spin tests (p = 0.045), with the recreational group performing worst while the national team performing best. Greater inter-trial variability was observed in recreational players than the more skilled players (p <  0.005).ConclusionsIn conclusion, the 9-ball test protocols were reliable and could successfully discriminate between different playing levels. Coaches and researchers may employ these protocols to identify errors, monitor training, and rank players.

【 授权许可】

CC BY