Relationship between General Jump Types and Spike Jump Performance in Elite Female and Male Volleyball Players

Featured Application This investigation attempts to ascertain the value of testing general jump types for the assessment of specific jump performance and provides improved models including the most frequently used jump types with additional variables to more precisely predict sport-specific jump performance. In performance testing, it is well-established that general jump types like squat and countermovement jumps have great reliability, but the relationship with volleyball spike jumps is unclear. The objectives of this study were to analyze the relationship between general and spike jumps and to provide improved models for predicting spike jump height by general jump performance. Thirty female and male elite volleyball players performed general and spike jumps in a randomized order. Two AMTI force plates (2000 Hz) and 13 Vicon MX cameras (250 Hz) captured kinematic and kinetic data. Correlation and stepwise-forward regression analyses were conducted at p < 0.05. Simple regression models with general jump height as the only predictor for spike jumps revealed 0.52 <= R-2 <= 0.76 for all general jumps in both sexes (p < 0.05). Alternative models including rate of force development and impulse improved predictions during squat jumps from R-2 = 0.76 to R-2 = 0.92 (p < 0.05) in females and from R-2 = 0.61 to R-2 = 0.71 (p < 0.05) in males, and during countermovement jumps with arm swing from R-2 = 0.52 to R-2 = 0.78 (p < 0.01) in males. The findings include improved prediction models for spike jump height based on general jump performance. The derived formulas can be applied in general jump testing to improve the assessment of sport-specific spike jump performance.