Effect of leg dominance on the center-of-mass kinematics during an inside-of-the-foot kick in amateur soccer players.

Soccer kicking kinematics has received wide interest in literature. However, while the instep‐kick has been\r\nbroadly studied, only few researchers investigated the inside‐of‐the‐foot kick, which is one of the most frequently\r\nperformed techniques during games. In particular, little knowledge is available about differences in kinematics when\r\nkicking with the preferred and non‐preferred leg. A motion analysis system recorded the three‐dimensional coordinates\r\nof reflective markers placed upon the body of nine amateur soccer players (23.0 ± 2.1 years, BMI 22.2 ± 2.6 kg/m2), who\r\nperformed 30 pass‐kicks each, 15 with the preferred and 15 with the non‐preferred leg. We investigated skill kinematics\r\nwhile maintaining a perspective on the complete picture of movement, looking for laterality related differences. The\r\nmain focus was laid on: anatomical angles, contribution of upper limbs in kick biomechanics, kinematics of the body\r\nCenter of Mass (CoM), which describes the whole body movement and is related to balance and stability. When kicking\r\nwith the preferred leg, CoM displacement during the ground‐support phase was 13% higher (p<0.001), normalized\r\nCoM height was 1.3% lower (p<0.001) and CoM velocity 10% higher (p<0.01); foot and shank velocities were about\r\n5% higher (p<0.01); arms were more abducted (p<0.01); shoulders were rotated more towards the target (p<0.01, 6°\r\nmean orientation difference).\r\nWe concluded that differences in motor control between preferred and non‐preferred leg kicks exist,\r\nparticularly in the movement velocity and upper body kinematics. Coaches can use these results to provide effective\r\ninstructions to players in the learning process, moving their focus on kicking speed and upper body behavior.