Training with a Pneumatic Assist Suit to Generate Lower-Body Twisting during the Forehand Swing in Table Tennis

Movement form is important in sports. However, self-learning of the form has a possibility that people will acquire a form which puts a burden on one part of the body or a form which cannot exert sufficient power. Although there is also a way to have an instructor, people do not always receive the instruction of the form. Therefore, it is useful for sports training to develop a device which allows participants to acquire a form suited for each sport. Existing research about support in sports with a racket does not pay much attention to the lower body. In this research, we developed an assist suit that assists the lower body in executing a forehand swing in table tennis with lower-body twisting. Using this suit for beginners of table tennis, we conducted experiments under four conditions:(1) "No wear (before)", (2) "Without assist", (3) "With assist", and (4) "No wear (after)". As a result of Tukey analysis within each participant, the range of movement of the lower body is statistically increased by the assist suit and there are individual differences in whether to acquire a swing with twisting the lower body.