Science and Racket Sports III introduces the edited papers and keynote addresses presented at the combined Third World Congress of Science and Racket Sports and Eighth International Table Tennis Federation Sports Science Congress, in February 2003. The papers are brought together by world-class experts: Lees is Chair of the World Congress for Sports Science Rackets Division, Kahn is Technical Director of the International Table Tennis federation, and Maynard is Secretary of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Scientists. The papers detail cutting edge research in racket sports science in five key areas: * notational match analysis * sports medicine * biomechanics * sports psychology * sports physiology. This valuable collection embraces a broad spectrum of the issues being examined by contemporary sports scientists, and will be of interest to researchers in sports biomechanics and ergonomics, sports engineering and elite racket sports professionals.

The proceedings of the Second World Congress of Science and Racket Sports and Fifth International Table Tennis Federation Sports Science Congress contain six keynote lectures which provide the latest research on a range of sport science topics as applied to tennis, table tennis, squash and badminton. The book is divided into six parts which deal respectively with Physiology, Nutrition, Preparation for Play, Psychological Aspects, Medical, Biomedical and Technical Aspects, and finally Notational Analysis. Sports scientists, coaches, physiotherapists, physicians and professional from racket sports industries will find that this book gives them access to the latest research from a world-wide group of experts. It will also provide an invaluable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The editors have expertise in racket sports as well as in the various scientific disciplines covered at the Congresses. They have all been active in promoting the links between scientific theory and coaching practice.

Science and Racket Sports III introduces the edited papers and keynote addresses presented at the combined Third World Congress of Science and Racket Sports and Eighth International Table Tennis Federation Sports Science Congress, in February 2003. The papers are brought together by world-class experts: Lees is Chair of the World Congress for Sports Science Rackets Division, Kahn is Technical Director of the International Table Tennis federation, and Maynard is Secretary of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Scientists. The papers detail cutting edge research in racket sports science in five key areas: * notational match analysis * sports medicine * biomechanics * sports psychology * sports physiology. This valuable collection embraces a broad spectrum of the issues being examined by contemporary sports scientists, and will be of interest to researchers in sports biomechanics and ergonomics, sports engineering and elite racket sports professionals.

Contents:
Preface. Introduction. Part One: Physiology of racket sports. Physiological demands and fitness for squash. Maximum oxygen uptake in junior and senior elite squash players. Cardiorespiratory adjustments in middle-level tennis players: are long term cardiovascular adjustments possible? Tennis versus golf: profile of demands and physical performance in senior players. Regional body composition in professional tennis players. Part Two: Nutritional aspects of racket sports. Nutrition for racket sports. Body fluid loss during competitive tennis match-play. Fluid loss during international standard match-play in squash. Metabolic responses and performance in tennis after caffeine ingestion. The effect of carbohydrate ingestion on shot accuracy during a conditioned squash match. Part Three: Preparation for play in racket sports. Conditioning for tennis: preventing injury and enhancing performance strength and conditioning for racket sports. A preliminary investigation into a sports specific fitness test for table tennis players. The efficacy of training routines as a preparation for competitive squash. The travelling racket sports player. Part Four: Psychology of racket sports. From the laboratory to the courts: Understanding training, anticipation and decision making. Visual search strategy in "live" on-court situations in tennis: An exploratory study. Perceptions of the direction of multi-dimensional state anxiety during performance in elite and non-elite male tennis players. The method of research on specific movements and anticpation in sport under simulated conditions in table tennis. Using performance profiles with a regional junior table tennis squad. Analysis of self-regulation techniques in critical situations in table tennis. Technical rehearsal and imagery: a system for enhancing technical skills in table tennis. Type 'A' behaviour in squash. The psychological skills of Britain's top young squash players. Stress and arousal in elite youth badminton players: a reversal theory perspective. Part Five: Medical, biomechanical and technical aspects of racket sports. Is the inhibition of smashing and serving movements due to anatomical variations? The importance of the speed of ball flight for the performance of junior tennis players. Knowledge based system for the simulation of decision making of the serve-return phase in tennis: the LIFT system. A qualitative 3D analysis of the forehand strokes in table tennis. An experimental investigation into the influence of the speed and spin by balls of different diameters and weights. Part Six: Notational analysis of racket sports. The application of notational analysis to racket sports. Analysing championship squash match-play as a dynamical system. Using computerised notational analysis to create a template for elite squash and its subsequent use in designing hand notation systems for player development. A preliminary investigation into the provision of computerised anaysis feedback to elite squash players. A notational analysis of time factors of elite mens' and ladies' singles tennis on clay and grass surfaces. A match analysis of elite tennis strategy for ladies' singles on clay and grass surfaces. Movement analysis of elite level male "serve and volley" tennis players. A comparison of patterns of play between the top under 18 junior tennis players in Britain and those in the rest of the world. Reliability and validity of a computer based notational analysis system for competitive table tennis. Game performance and game understanding in badminton of Finnish primary school children. Notational analysis of rallies in European circuit badminton.