Author(s): CHENG, S.C., HUANG, T., CHANG, H., Institution: NATIONAL TAIWAN SPORT UNIVERSITY, Country: TAIWAN, Abstract-ID: 948

INTRODUCTION:
Past studies have confirmed the correlation between grip strength and the stability, accuracy, and control ability of shooters. The flexor carpi radialis plays an important role in many sports that require grasping equipment and wrist stability and strength. This study aimed to further understand the impact of the flexor carpi radialis on the performance of shooters by analyzing the data of the maximum voluntary isometric contraction strength and the SCATT shooting system, confirming the correlation between flexor carpi radialis strength and shooting accuracy.
METHODS:
Eleven shooters of 10m air pistol event in open category were recruited, including 7 male and 4 female. Electromyography signals were collected by Delsys Trigno Avanti Digital system (Delsys Incorporated, USA) with sensors. Participants were instructed to perform manual muscle testing of the flexor carpi radialis, and the test was repeated three times with a one-minute interval between each. Data were then processed, including filtering and amplitude analyses. Subsequently, the shooting simulator (SCATT Shooting system, SCATT Electronics, Russia) was used for 60 shots within 75 minutes (simulating competition conditions), and data such as aiming time, accuracy, and electromyography intensity were extracted for analyses using one-way ANOVA. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0 (SPSS statistic, IBM Inc., USA).
RESULTS:
From the one-way ANOVA test, it could be seen that the strength of the flexor carpi radialis has a significant effect on all dependent variables, including aiming time (p = .000), the percentage of time when the aim point stayed in the ring of 10 within the last second before the shot (p = .001), shooting score (p = .024), and the percentage of time when the aim point stayed within the “absolute” ring of 10 (p = .000).
CONCLUSION:
Results showed that the strength of the flexor carpi radialis of shooters has a significant impact on various performance indicators of the shooting simulator. However, most domestic shooters focus on the shoulder and back muscles training, with less emphasis on the strength and endurance training of the flexor carpi radialis. This study suggests that stability and accuracy breakthroughs could be improved through further assessment and training of the radial flexor wrist muscle strength.