Investigation of foot plantar pressure distributions of air pistol shooters with different skill levels during shooting performances

Shooting is a static sport which shooter's body coordination, conditioning and concentration are at the forefront.The athlete needs to perform postural stability adjustments at an optimal level for a good shooting performance. In the present thesis, it was aimed to evaluate the plantar pressure strategies of air pistol shooters at three different skill levels (novice-intermediate-elite) during shooting performance. In line with the aim, a total of 27 (9 elite, 8 intermediate, 10 novice) shooters at three different levels were included in the study, and foot plantar pressure evaluations were determined by the maximal force (N), peak pressure (kPa) and mean pressure (kPa) of the total foot, forefoot, midfoot and heel regions were analyzed. Foot plantar pressure distributions were investigated with the Pedar shoe insoles system (Novel Gmbh, Munich, Germany). It was observed that the mean pressure values of the right midfoot peak pressure of the elite group, the right total foot and heel peak pressure of the intermediate level group, and the mean pressure values of the right total foot, forefoot and midfoot regions of the novice group were significantly higher than these regions of the left foot (p<.05). In all groups, more pressure was exhibited on the regions of the right foot. According to the shooting scores, the differences in foot plantar pressure distribution were found to be the highest in the novice level group and the least in the elite group. It is thought that this situation could be related to years of experience. In other words, while the novice group can not display the same postural control strategy in every shot, it is thought that the elite and intermediate group can display it in a more balanced way. The results of the research reveal that athletes of different levels exhibit different plantar pressure strategies during the shooting. Keywords: Shooting, Air Pistol, Plantar Pressure, Sole Pressure.