Upper- and lower-limb muscular strength as correlates of overhead serve accuracy in male club volleyball players

Abstract

Overhead serving is a decisive skill in modern volleyball. But the physical qualities behind serving accuracy at developmental club level haven't been fully measured. This study looked at how upper-limb (arm) strength, lower-limb (leg) strength, and serving accuracy are related in male club volleyball players. We also estimated how much of the variance in serve accuracy those strength qualities explain. Using a quantitative correlational design, we recruited 15 male athletes from the Surgana Volleyball Club in Padang, Indonesia, out of a population of 18, through purposive sampling. Arm strength was tested with a one-minute push-up test, leg strength with a back-and-leg dynamometer, and serving accuracy via a validated ten-trial overhead-serve target test. Data were checked for normality using the Lilliefors test and analyzed with Pearson product-moment and multiple correlation, with the coefficient of determination expressing explained variance (α =.05). All variables were normally distributed. Arm strength (M = 35.40, SD = 11.13) and leg strength (M = 137.00 kg, SD = 31.31) each had a strong, significant link with serve accuracy (M = 27.33, SD = 4.20): r =.887, p <.001 (r² = 78.7%) and r =.881, p <.001 (r² = 77.6%), respectively. The combined model explained 78.7% of the variance. These findings indicate that whole-body maximal strength is a primary correlate of serving accuracy and support integrated, kinetic-chain-oriented strength programming rather than isolated upper-limb training for developing servers. Coaches should monitor and develop both segments concurrently while cultivating technique and neuromuscular control.