Test-retest reliability of the “table tennis specific battery test” in competitive level young players
The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the Table Tennis Specific Battery Test (TTSBT) in young table tennis players. Sixteen (n=16) boys and fourteen (n=14) girls aged 13.3±0.9yrs performed the battery test twice. The present study, based on the competitive performance level of the players, assessed 4 groups (8 tests) of the TTSBT regarding the playing target skills (Reaction Speed, Displacement Speed, Skill Speed, Ocular-Manual coordination). The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was applied to estimate the coefficients of reliability, while the t-test was used in order to analyze the players’ test-retest performance in the TTSBT. From the results it is shown that the overall reliability of the studied TTSBT was high (a=0.85). However, 3 tests were excluded from the testing battery due to their low reliability. In conclusion, the TTSBT is generally a reliable test battery which focuses on the evaluation of the technical skills and the table tennis performance progress of the young players.
