Chronic effect of core stabilization training field hockey drag-flick and shooting performance

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of core stabilization training on drag-flick and shot performance in young hockey players. For this purpose, 20 super league level hockey players participated in the study as subjects. The subjects were divided into two equal groups as experimental and control. While core training and hockey training were applied together for 8 weeks to the experimental group; the control group only continued their routine hockey training. Shot and drag flick tests were applied to the groups one day before and one day after the 8-week period. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS 22.0 program. After testing for normality and homogeneity, independent sapmles t-test was performed for between groups, and paired samples t-test was performed for pre-post-tests of each group. When the results were examined, there were significant changes in the smash and drag flick parameters in favor of the posttests between the pre-posttests in the experimental group in which core training was applied (p<0.05), while the significant changes in the control group were not evaluated because they were in favor of the pretest. Despite these results, there was no significant difference in the measured features between the groups (p>0.05) As a result, it can be said that core training has positive effects on drag flick and shot performance in hockey players.