INTRODUCTION

The term agility has been applied to describe any quick and effective combination of braking, changing direction, and accelerating again while maintaining motor control in either a vertical or horizontal direction in response to a stimulus.¹

Agility tests are performed for every other sport where the test is designed in such a way that it mimics the movement pattern that is observed in that particular sport. E.g. Researchers used Illinois and t-test for soccer players². (Goral K. 2016)

The scores of Agility test results can reflect the level of expertise of a player by comparing the score with other athletes or with the normative data of a given population. Loureiro and Paulo (2015) reported better performance of expert players than non experts while performing Badcamp agility test on badminton players^3.

Not only testing but agility training has become an integral part of an athlete’s schedule. Training protocols are designed specific to the requirement of the sport. Mario Jovanovic⁴ and Santosh Toppo⁵ in their respective studies showed the effect of training soccer players according to SAQ [speed, agility and quickness] protocol.

Agility is also often used as a marker for the prognosis following an injury. Wong D. et.al (2011), performed t-test for agility 4 and 6 months following ACL reconstruction to identify the quantum of improvement⁶ and thereby the athlete’s return to sport. Clanton et.al (2012) stated that the time taken to perform the t-test for agility must be between 8.9 seconds to 13.5seconds for athletes following an ankle injury if return to sport is desired.⁷

Badminton is a racquet sport with open and very fast actions. One of the players aim during the game is to put the shuttlecock out of reach of the opponent at the different points of the court by using, for example, high-speed strikes. Thus, to be competitive in badminton, players should be able to move quickly toward a proper position that allows them to intercept and, simultaneously, to attack the shuttlecock.³

Currently there is no standard test for assessing agility in badminton players. There is great variability in the tests employed for agility testing in badminton players. To cite some of the landmark researches in the domain of Agility in Badminton players we have, Dinc and Ergin (2019), who studied the Effect of 8-Week Core Training on Agility, wherein they assessed Agility through Illinois agility test⁸. Irawan (2017) examined a Six Weeks Progressive Plyometrics Training effect on Badminton Player’s Agility through Illinois test⁹. Pawiter Singh (2018) used SEMO agility test in badminton players¹⁰. Loureiro and Freitas (2015) used 5M shuttle run test to validate a newly developed agility test (BADCAMP) for badminton players³.  In 2014 Hanchana et.al developed a test, BAT [Badminton Agility Test] which is quite movement specific towards badminton.¹¹ 

One of the key things to remember is the size of a badminton court. It has a smaller area compared to Tennis, football, rugby, hockey and netball. This smaller area means that players do not have a chance to build up their maximum speed. Because of this, explosive movements such as jumping, turning, speed off the mark, lateral movements and agility, are extremely important. Footwork is the foundation to be able to produce quality stroke in badminton, which, if it is done in a good position. To be able to hit with a good position, an athlete must have a movement speed. Footwork speed cannot be achieved if the footwork is irregular. The focus of good footwork is reaching the shuttle as quickly as possible with as little effort as possible. Good-footwork gets player into the best position to execute shots while maintaining good balance and body control.¹¹

Among the pre-existing tests some tests fails to show above mentioned movement specificity towards the Badminton sport. For e.g. Illinois and SEMO agility test doesn’t mimic the footwork of a badminton play completely. BADCAMP test is quite movement specific but stills lack the component of jumping. BAT includes jumping and all other components but is still difficult to use because of its availability and its cost.

The table below compares the features of some commonly used Agility Tests in badminton highlighting some known lacuna of these tests:

NEED OF STUDY:

After taking the lacunae into consideration from all the above mentioned tests, there emerges a need of developing a new agility test specifically for badminton players which is free and easy to use, with minimal to nil dependence on equipment, easy to administer as well as perform, reproducible, comprehensive and thus it can be efficiently performed either on-field or in a clinical setup.

AIM:

To develop a novel agility test for badminton players and assess its validity and test-retest reliability.

OBJECTIVES:

· To develop a novel agility test for badminton players after due analysis of existing tests, their advantages and lacunae.

· To establish face validity of the test through subjective assessment by experts in the field

· To assess the agility of badminton players through the newly designed test on day 1. (Reading 1)

· To measure the agility of badminton players through the established T test on day 2.

· To measure the agility of badminton players through the new test again on day 3. (Reading 2)

· To assess the criterion validity of the novel test through association between T-test and Novel test

· To assess the test-retest reliabilityof the novel test