Relations Between Motor Abilities and Technical and Tactical Characteristics of Table Tennis Players

This study was conducted with aim to determine the relations between motor skills and technical and tactical characteristics of table tennis players. The study was conducted on a sample of 48 of the best seniors with aged 18-36 years old (a representative sample) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For this purpose was applied the system of (12) variables to estimate the basic motor skills, and (8) variables for evaluation of technical and tactical characteristics of table tennis players. In order to determine the relations between the basic motor skills and technical and tactical characteristics of table tennis players, the method applied was the method of canonical correlation analysis. Establishing the link between these two areas resulted in the separation of one canonical factor which was statistically significant. The most significant information for extracted canonical component gives the coefficients of the structure and the cross-structure. The coefficients of the structure represent the correlations of the original variables with canonical component derived from a set of variables to which this variable originally belongs, while coefficients of cross- structure provide correlations of adequate source variables with canonical component that was created in other set of variables. Onto the isolated canonical function the most significant influence have the variables of hand tapping, throwing a medicine 1kg ball by forehand, boom in gray, long jump from the place, while also slightly smaller significance show other variables, but from the same subspaces of basic motor abilities. Based on the coefficients of the structure can be summarized that all the technical and tactical characteristics highly correlate with the factor isolated from this area which is logical, because all manifest variables represent one area (technical skills / playing skill). The variables that are related to the attack phase (initiative in points) and elements of game movement (the safety and effectiveness of the attack over the table, safety and efficacy of the first entrance, efficiency of game movement) are significantly associated with canonical factor isolated in the area of motor abilities. These variables describe technical structures in which “imposes” and maintains the initiative in the point, and are the most aggressive attack techniques, and generally seek the largest motor engagement. No surprises then that exactly these variables of technical and tactical structures are significantly associated with the factor isolated in the area of motor abilities are the most important.