Distinction

For the distinction, I am going to analyse how the skill components of a netball shot. Already having a basis from the notational analysis, this will then allow me to work out the areas for improvements and strengths of the specific athlete. From there, I can identify the positives and negatives from the performance. The first component I looked at was passing. As netball is a sport where only pivoting is the main form of movement when playing, passing is vital as this is how the ball travels down the court. By having the ability to pass the ball down the court through a range of passes, this can create shooting opportunities for the shooters. Throughout of the 2 games played. The average successful passing completion for game 1 was 77% and game 2 was 95%. This came out to an overall of 86% of successful passes through out of the 2 games. This showed that this was a strength as the athletes score of successful passes was very high and that they maintained this throughout the games. BBC sport (2015) has also stated that “successful passing in game allows a team to gain an advantage and enables easier play”. This shows how much successful passes have an effect upon a game. The higher the success rate, the longer and more efficiently a team will be able to retain possession of the ball and create opportunities to attack. The higher the possession, the higher the success rate of shots will be over the oppositions.

Unsuccessful passes can lead to possession of the opposition which then can lead them to gain an advantage. If the athlete is able to retain the possession of the ball through passes, this can increase their overall rate of getting the ball to the shooting third and shooting more points. Understanding the biomechanical concepts of a skill is essential to improving the overall performance of that specific skill, this is done through modelling, stimulation and measurement (Topend Sports Network, 2013). Threadgold (2015) also states that “By understanding the concepts of the biomechanics movements, it can aid the process of the main passes used in netball which improve results in a gaming situation”. From these quotes, it states that you fully understand the principles of passing and by making successful passes this can lead to a higher success percentage rate of shots and influences how successful an athlete can be. Due to the fact that this athlete was able to produce a number of successful passes, this provided an advantage for the athlete and team as the balls were able to go in the direction to the attacking circle which would increase the number of times shots would be put up. An example of this, this year Loughborough Lightning have become top of their league and this is due to the fact that their passes have become a lot smoother and more consistent between athletes. From last year finishing in the league 3rd to coming out 1st with an overall 7/7 wins. The coach Kate Atkinson has tracked the number of passes from last year to this year and has been an improvement of 23% of successful passes making their success rate to 93%. This lead them to gain an advantage over opponents.

Next, I looked at the rebounds. Both of the defensive and offensive rebounds allow the team to gain extra possession before the opposing team gets a chance to score. In this, we mainly looked at the offensive rebounds from their own shots. By reaching in for the rebound it allows the player to obtain the possession of the ball to then shoot again or position themselves better. It also enables the team to still have the ball in play on their side which reduces the chance of the opposing team to go for the steal. Rebounds happen when there has been an unsuccessful shot that has been put up. As the player I looked at was a goal attacker, it is important for them to get offensive rebounds as then it will stop the defenders from gaining possession but also if they miss the shot then they can go for the rebound and take another try. This enables them to increase the shots put up and shot success rate. Stats Insights (2014) state that “rebounds create possessions, and more possessions mean more points”. This links to the importance of rebounds in a game. Sport plan has also suggested that rebounding is an important element in netball as it can have an overall impact on performance “how they react to a rebounded shot might mean the difference between scoring or conceding a goal" - SportPlan (2016). Overall over the 2 games, the average success percentage was 34%. From this score, this athlete has an area for improvement in order to improve their performance and increase their rebound rate. However, if this rebound rate stays under 50% then this has an impact upon the team and can affect others performances. Within this performance, there is an impact upon the athlete as well as the team as if the success percentage rate stays low at 34% throughout of games then this can lead to an impact in the future games to come. It can result the team to move lower down into the league table due to the loss of possession with rebounds. In this case the oppositions were able to gain possession of the way which then gave them an advantage to get the ball down the court. An example of this is Celtic dragons this year in the 2017 league. They are currently towards the bottom of the table compared to last year coming quite far up. This was due to the amount of rebounds that were lost.

Lastly, the component I looked at was shooting. This is a fundamental part in netball as a successful shot determines winning or losing a game. The player I analysed is a goal attacker and their duty is to cover the centre third as well as their attacking third. As they are one of two who are allowed in the scoring D, it is very important that they have they correct positioning and spacing in order to put up a successful shot. This player had an average of 75% shooting success rate. This is quite high and overall had a high successful percentage rate for both games. If it were to drop any lower, this could lead to the athlete’s performance dropping significantly and would give the oppositions an advantage for a turnover. From this, there wouldn’t be any shots put up. A quote from Netball Fun 2016 stated that “shooting is arguably the most important aspect of the game. Without it, all netball games would end as 0-0 ties, so let’s agree that it is, to some degree, essential to the functioning of the sport". This indicates that a player needs to have a high success of shooting in a game in order to have one over their opponent. This allows them to gain an advantage in competition and increase the overall chance of winning. By having a high success rate in shooting, this has enabled the team to gain an advantage over their opponents as with the high success rate of passes into the attacking circle has let the player to be positioned well in order to shoot. If this is repeated within the next games then the team will benefit from moving up the league tables even further.

Methodology and Deterministic modelling

For the methodology, I have chosen to carry it out on the numerical analysis. When setting up the Go Pro, it was placed upon a tripod for support and stability which enabled the camera to remain stable mid shot. The camera lens was in parallel to the front of the tripod leg. This was because when analysed the angle of shots, there was something to determine the prime angle of the camera which had the whole action in shot. In order to get an accurate reading, we set up the camera in a sports hall against a plain background. This was due to the fact that the athlete would have markers on their joints so the background wouldn’t interfere with the action. Also it would be more of an accurate representation as the heights and angles can be analysed clearly compared to a still background rather than moving or busy backgrounds. 

In order to assess if the athlete was in the shot, we had to use scalers which would work out specific distances. This was done by placing a meter stick in the field of interest which then the measurements from that can be taken and placed in the kinoeva software to workout angles and distances. Once the scalers were in place, we had to place anatomical markers on the joints that were in use. In this case, joint markers were places on the toe, ankle, knee, hip, wrist, elbow and shoulder. This was done so that the specific joints used in the process were visible when analysing in kinoeva the angle of elbows/release and heights of release. If there were no markers to mark the joints, this would be more difficult to analyse as you wouldn’t know where to measure it from. To enable that the readings were correct, we recorded the same skill 3 times. This gave us an idea on which video is the clearest and most accurate to use.

In order to analyse the videos taken, we then imported them into kinovea to analyse the height of release, angle of release and angle of elbow. In order to analyse videos, I had to go through a number of steps which would prevent particular errors and improve the reliability and accuracy of the data imported. I imported my chosen video out of the 3 and also the scaling video. This was done so then we could work out the scaling factor of 0.5m. From this, we were able to create the angles and distances to a correct measurement. Once that scale was set, we removed it as this could have due to perspective error. By getting the correct scaling factor of 0.5m rather than measuring it from the video itself, it made our measurements more accurate.

Whilst in the process of videoing and analysing these videos we had to take into account parallax and perspective error. Parallax Error can be described as when a direction or the position of the same object differentiates when looking in different distances and positions, which would lead to getting a different reading of angles. In order to reduce this error, the athlete should be positioned well in shot and in the middle plane of view which then can minimise the results being incorrect. Also, another method to reduce this error can be to repeat the same skill more than once so then the internal validity of the results can increase to be more accurate. Error was also reduced by placing markers on the athlete so the movements were clear against the plain background. This was so that all the attention was focussed on the movements produced. Perspective error is known as when the correct height, width, depth and position is right when it comes to looking at three-dimensional objects and/or a two-dimensional surface. In order to reduce error for this we had to make sure the person didn’t move out of shot otherwise the focus of the lens would be shifted. We also needed to make sure that we maximise camera-subject distance whilst maximising the size of subject within field of view. This can be done by placing the camera at a perpendicular angle facing the athlete but with a distance away suitable. By reducing perspective error, we are keeping the results accurate; if the athlete moved closer or further away when completing the action, the measurements would change. This why we would place is far away and zoom in.

What is deterministic modelling?

It is a combination of all the biomechanical factors that determine an action or a movement. It starts off with primary levels and then broken down further into secondary, tertiary, quaternary and quinary. To start off with, you would look at the primary aspects like time, it would then be broken down to something like average speed or time taken, tertiary level would include stride lengths and stride frequency, and finally the quaternary factors can be take-off, and flight and landing distance as well as stride time. Finally, quinary factors include air resistance, angle/height of take-off and speed of take-off.

Why and how would this model be used?

It is used so then the breakdown of factors can be easier for the athlete and coach to plan a skill in finer details but also know what to work on and what strengths and weaknesses the athlete displays.It could include looking at the qualitative analysis, analysing the rhythm and posture of the motion, or by quantitatively looking into the sprint, watching the speed and distance covered. It would be used in training sessions so each component can be looked at and improved if needed. The coach would then analyse the relationship of skill performed to the motion produced.

Technical Model

Technical model

The technical model is in the form of qualitative data which then is able to be analysed which then can be compared to an ideal model. From there, you can produce strengths and areas for improvement for the athlete performing the skill. It can show the differences and similarities on each component of the skill that is produced which will be used as a comparison on the model. This is done so then the athlete is able to have the correct information given to them to achieve the best results. As there are not numerical data, the data given can be classed as subjective due to the fact that most of the literature based reports are opinionated and depends on every athlete. In term of the technical model, it will give an outline for the correct technique like stance and form other than numerical components. I will be talking about the technical components of stance, balance, grip and body positioning

Stance

As a netball player, having a good enough stance is essential for the flow and direction of a shot. It allows a player to hold their ground and gives a foundation of power. Netball tactics (2012) state that a players “feet should be positioned forwards but no spaced too far apart. Also should have an even distribution of weight on both feet and hips should be facing forwards”. By having a stance of feet shoulder width apart, it gives them a balanced foundation to perform the shot. The player needs to be on the balls of their feet so they are in a ready position to go in for a rebound. This enables them to move faster.

In the picture above you can see that they have a perfect stance of standing with their feet shoulder width apart and is an ideal distance away from the post. This enables the player to have a greater amount of stability which then increases the flow and direction of the shot. As the player is in their starting position ready to go for the execution phase, we can see their heels are slightly raised off the floor and weight bearing in her toes. However her bent knees and elbows balance out the weight still providing a stable stance for the shot. She is maintaining a strong and tall structure, with a solid stance. This is a strength as this is exactly what she needs to do to be a successful netball player, without giving the opposition possession of the ball.

Balance

Balance is an important part within netball. It enables a player to have an even distribution of weight which keeps them upright and steady. Also it is a common occurrence that many players become unbalanced which results to them to perform footwork and lose possession of the ball. As this player is a goal attacker, they are required to transfer an even distribution of weight from their feet to their fingers when performing a netball shot. If this is done successfully then it can make the outcome of the skill be very effective. Therefore, the shot to ensure that the ball follows its intended path into the net. Whilst in a defensive position, they are required to mark their opponent so by maintaining a good balance for this then it enables being called up less time for obstruction. Also, with being a goal attacker, their main aim is dodge in the shooting third meaning they will need to have a high level of agility. Balance helps aid agility as they will need to be ready at all times to move and change direction. It is also an aid for aiming the shot into the net. Many players step forwards, backwards or to the side to take a shot if not placed in the correct position at the time. This means that they will be placed on one foot and have a lower centre of gravity so can become off balance.

In the frame above it shows the player in the execution phase of the netball shot. Their body is positioned upright with their weight distributed out through their body. By being balanced, it increases your centre of gravity creating an equilibrium. By returning from the preparation state she is able to keep her body contracted and keeping her spine in a position that is perpendicular to the ground which maintains balance more. As I analysed a shooter, she maintained the shot success and this was due to having maintained an upright position and balanced limbs working together which increased her aim of shots.

The image above shows a netballer for England, goal attacker Kadeen Corbin. She shows to have similar aspects of body positioning with the raised heels and arms at a similar degree of angle above the head. She is able to maintain her body shape whilst in the process of taking a shot. This means that they have similar spine placement, balance and a high centre of gravity which assists the success of a netball shot.

Grip

Grip is essential in order to perform a successful shot. The athlete must be able to be have a firm strong hand around the ball while positioned above the head ready for the release. By having a firm hand on the ball this allows you to control the direction of the ball. The recommended way to hold a netball ready for a netball shot is by placing the dominant hand under the ball and using the other hand for a support. Netball for Fun (2015) states that “Ball held by dominant hand and high above the head. Fingers point back and are slightly open, ball sits in your hand” and that “second hand is placed at the side of the ball to steady its position”. By using this model, I will be able to recommend pointers for my athlete technique in order to improve her shots.

In the frame above, you can see that the athlete produces a similar technique when holding the ball over her head. She holds the ball in her dominant hand with her fingertips under of the ball. The ball was cushioned correctly making no room for it to become off balanced in her hand. From this, she was able to perform a numerous amount of successful shots and this was due to having complete grip upon the ball when in the preparation and execution phase.

Body Position

Having the correct body position I netball is vital for receiving and releasing passes. It determines when the ball is placed and also the direction of it. If a player were to stand side on the net and perform a shot, it is very unlikely that the shot will go 100% in as the force from the body movements will end up going in the direction of where the body is positioned. This can reduce the overall performance of an athlete and leads to unsuccessful shots. In order for a successful shot, the body must be aligned and somewhat parallel to the target with their hips, feet and shoulders facing forwards. BBC Sport (2010) recommends that you should “Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and keep your body straight.” If there is any significant movement in the hips then this would hinder performance and the shot executed not get to the target intended. 

By using the recommended guild lines for body positioning at the net, I can use this to compare against my athlete’s technique. The athlete above is showing a similar technique with their hips, feet and shoulders facing forwards towards the net. Her knees are slightly bent but still are facing in the direction intended. By using a technique like this, it will improve her chances of a successful shot.

Notational Analysis

In this notational analysis, I analysed and conducted a series of observations on the Loughborough college netball team. From analysing a player in a training session style game to an actual game situation, I was able to look at 3 different types of performance criteria. I analysed these 2 games on separate occasions so then any anomalous results can be ruled out and percentage rates of averages can be calculated, making a more accurate analysis. The 3 performance criteria I analysed included; passing over various passes, shooting and the rebounds of a shot. They were graded either successful or unsuccessful. The main aims of this was to observe and collect data with a chance of feedback of strengths and areas for improvements to an athlete. Areas for improvement would then benefit the athlete as it would allow me to explore the faults and increase sporting performance in the future. By assessing game situations in 2 different environments, it was able to give me a better understanding on how the player acts upon importance of the game.

From looking at the data collected, it shows that the athlete’s main strength was passing. Due to the fact that the passing success rate was high, this enabled the flow of the game to run a lot smoother as the balls were getting to where they needed to go majority of the time. In the first game, there was a 77% successful pass rate meaning it was a strength due to the high percentage rate. As this player covers two thirds of a netball court, they have a lot of responsibility to produce successful passes as it is their job to distribute and control the ball movement when in the attacking third.  In game 2 the successful pass rate increased by 18% and had a score of 95%. This is shown to be an overall strength due to the fact that this player has improved the accuracy of their passes. This could have been due to the importance of the game as it was a cup match and game 1 was match play in training. In game 1 the unsuccessful pass rate was 23% compared to game 2 with an unsuccessful pass rate of 5%. The surrounding environment and external factors affected the passing rate of the game. Passing is clearly one of the most important attribute of a netball game in order to maintain play to a high standard. Netball sport plan (2012), suggest that “chest passes are the fastest and most powerful form of a pass to get around the court but also the most accurate in receiving in all thirds of the court”. BBC sport (2015) has also stated that “successful passing in game allows a team to gain an advantage and enables easier play”. This shows how much successful passes have an effect upon a game.

The second performance criteria that I looked at was the rebounds. Both of the defensive and offensive rebounds allow the team to gain extra possession before the opposing team gets a chance to score. In this, we mainly looked at the offensive rebounds from their own shots. By reaching in for the rebound it allows the player to obtain the possession of the ball to then shoot again or position themselves better. It also enables the team to still have the ball in play on their side which reduces the chance of the opposing team to go for the steal. In game 1 there was a successful rebound rate of 100%, compared to game 2 with a successful rebound rate of 36%. The success rate dropped by 64% due to the external influences but also the pressure upon the player to jump in for the rebound from team mates, oppositions and the crowd. This shows that the athlete needs to improve their rebound rate; if it stays low then the team and athlete are disadvantaged in conceding additional points. This shows that rebounds are an area for improvement in order to succeed in the game. 36% successful rebound rate shows this is a weakness compared to an elite athlete of the same age. Brittany Coleman aged 18 plays GA for Loughborough Lightning and England. She undertakes a series of footwork and agility drills in order to have an effective jump and rand to ball placement when it comes to rebounds. Stats Insights (2014) state that “rebounds create possessions, and more possessions mean more points”. This links to the importance of rebounds in a game. Sport plan has also suggested that rebounding is an important element in netball as it can have an overall impact on performance “how they react to a rebounded shot might mean the difference between scoring or conceding a goal" - SportPlan (2016).

The last performance criteria chosen was shooting. This is a fundamental part in netball as a successful shot determines winning or losing a game. The player I analysed is a goal attacker and their duty is to cover the centre third as well as their attacking third. As they are one of two who are allowed in the scoring D, it is very important that they have they correct positioning and spacing in order to put up a successful shot. In game one it showed that the player has a successful shooting rate of 63% compared to game 2 in a real-life game situation of 79%. In game one as it was a game in a training environment the player had a lower rate of shooting from putting up 12 out of 19 shots. In game 2, the player was able to put up 19 out of the 24 shots. This was down to the importance of the game, and the GA was able to position themselves better in game 2 taking more time shooting and having a lower unsuccessful shooting rate of 21% than 37% in game 1. The strength of having a higher successful shooting rate enables them to gain an advantage in game situations as they are able to maintain the success of the criteria. By researching this performance criteria Netball Fun (2016) arguably states that “In Netball, shooting is arguably the most important aspect of the game. Without it, all netball games would end as 0-0 ties, so let’s agree that it is, to some degree, essential to the functioning of the sport”.

Overall, by comparing game 1 and 2 we can see that game 1 had a higher successful rate for all 3 performance criteria scoring a percentage of 80% compared to 70% in game 2. Even though the player’s performance was slightly better in game 1, their ability to keep going and performing well was shown throughout of game 2. This shows that the player has a strength as their performance levels have not declined in games which can show an improvement in performance overtime.

Numerical model

The numerical model conducted consisted of quantitative data that then was able to be analysed in terms of looking at the technique and finding areas which could possibly be improved. It is an effective way to use this type of analysis as we are able to advise the athlete to make changes in the way they perform a technique which will help maximise efficiency and consistency. I used an analytic software called Kinovea which enabled me to record techniques with the use of a scaling factor to gather information to do with angles, heights and distances. For the numerical aspects, I chose to analyse the height of release, angle of release and angle of elbow.

In the photo above it shows the starting position. You can see that the athlete is standing with the typical netball shooting stance. We can see that the player has their body stood upright with a slight bend in the knee, but most importantly the elbows have a slight bend and the ball is placed above the head. Orkneysports (2014), state that the perfect start to a shot starts with the stance. “Elbows and wrists point straight in the direction of the ball, netball held above the head, shooting hand has the ball resting on top of the finger pads, slight tilt in the head back and knees and elbows forwards”. My athlete shows to be (1.62m) and the first angle of the elbow shows to be (92 degrees). A journal to back up the data collected was from Julie.R.Steel (1990) “ The starting elbow angle before the ball was released should be between 90-104 degrees.  The reason for this is to avoid excessive hyperextension in the wrist which will stabilise the ball and make the shot more accurate as well as improving sporting performance.”

The athlete begins to get into the preparation phase with their knees bent to (90 degrees), their elbows close to (84 degrees) more to gain more balance as the knees start to bend further out. This shows that she is able to change her body position in order to prepare properly for the shot and execution phase. A study from steel 1993, suggested that the ball should be placed and released from above the head which then would enable the execution of the shot to be successful. As the elbow angle is 84 degrees, it shows that the ball is situated above the head which enables the athlete to gain power and force when straightening out the body for the execution phase.

In this stage of the shot, as the ball is being released, the angle of release is at 112 degrees. Literature states that “the optimal angle of release should be around 60-90 degrees” Knusdone, D. (2007). This shows that this athlete’s angle of release is slightly over and this could be due to why they perform unsuccessful shots. From this we are able to see where the athlete can improve by decreasing the angle of release in order to increase the shooting ratio. Hay (1993) suggests that “an angle of entry of 90 degrees provides a margin for error of +-10.5 yet when the angle of entry is 32 degrees there is a 0.0 margin for error.”

On this last frame, it shows the athlete in the final stages of releasing the ball. From here I am able to analyse the height of release. The shot shows that it has been released 2m away from the ground. From recent studies, Hay 1993 stated that jump shots can be released from heights as low as 2.5m and set shots even lower. As you can see from the image above, the athlete only shows to have the height of release of 2m which is 0.5m below recommended. Although the athlete has extended their elbows and knees, to a point, they are not fully extended. This could be one of the reasons that the athlete finds to control a shot successfully. Also, the athlete measures up to be 1.62m tall which for a shooter isn’t that tall enough. Research shows that the to improve the height of release the athlete will need to “increase the degree of extension at the knees and elbows of the shooting arm and increasing the height the shooter pushed off the ground at release’. (Elliott & Smith 1983a)”. Another piece of research linked to the height of release and Releasing the ball from a “higher height will shorten the path the ball has to travel and therefore reduce the chance of the ball being intercepted (Blazevich, 2010)”. This means that the taller the shooter is, the more of an advantage they have in terms of not having to put much force behind the ball. Also the taller an athlete is, the distance that the ball has to travel is reduced. On average, a netball shooter ranges from 5 foot 10 inches to 6 foot 2 inches. MY athlete is only around 5 foot 6 inches so this means that the force that she needs to place behind the ball is greater, and the distance that is needed to be travelled is also quite a lot more than the average shooter.