Author(s): WU, S., WEI, Y.S., SONG, T.F., LIAO, E.W., SHEU, Y.H., Institution: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY OF SPORT, Country: TAIWAN, Abstract-ID: 451

INTRODUCTION:
Elite table tennis (TT) performance requires a high level of explosive power and stroke speed. This study examined the relationships among explosive power indicators of the TT forehand drive and compared performance characteristics between players of different competitive levels using precision measurement technology.
METHODS:
Seven male national-level and five male regional-level TT players participated. All players completed two forehand drive protocols using an intelligent TT racket (Sheu & Wu, 2021): (1) 27 cross-court forehand strokes from a fixed position and (2) 27 cross-court forehand strokes with two-point lateral movement. Ball speed was obtained from high-speed camera recordings. Group differences in explosive power indicators were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test, while relationships among indicators were examined using Pearson’s product–moment correlation coefficients. Performance stability was assessed through trend analysis by averaging every five consecutive strokes.
RESULTS:
National-level players demonstrated significantly greater forehand drive explosive power performance than regional-level players. Significant correlations were observed among key explosive power indicators—swing efficiency, swing speed, and ball speed—across all participants, with consistent interrelationships also evident within each competitive group. Trend analysis revealed that national-level players exhibited greater performance stability across repeated strokes, whereas regional-level players showed increased variability, particularly during lateral movement conditions.
CONCLUSION:
Swing efficiency, swing speed, and ball speed function as integrative and interrelated indicators of TT forehand drive performance when assessed using intelligent racket technology. Higher-level players maintained more stable performance patterns and indicator relationships across different hitting conditions, while lower-level players exhibited reduced consistency under increased movement demands. These findings support the use of a multidimensional, technology-based approach for evaluating TT forehand drive performance. Future research should include larger samples, additional competitive levels, and female players.