Background and Study Aim. The acquisition, stabilization, and refinement of swimming-specific motor skills represent a core component of higher education programs in physical education, particularly in the education of future physical education teachers. Swimming instruction traditionally relies on live demonstration, while technological advancements and the increased use of multimedia tools have introduced video-based instruction as an alternative teaching method. Although both instructional approaches are used in practice, their relative effectiveness in teaching swimming-specific motor skills remains of practical interest. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of two instructional methods, live demonstration and video-based instruction, in learning swimming-specific motor skills in male physical education students. Materials and Methods. The study included 98 second-year male physical education students enrolled in the Sports Swimming course. They were randomly assigned to either the Demo group (N = 43; age 20.3 ± 1.2 years) or the Video group (N = 55; age 20.1 ± 0.9 years). Swimming performance was evaluated using newly constructed and precisely defined assessment scales developed for this study. Three elements of swimming performance, Start, Technique, and Turn, were assessed for both breaststroke and butterfly techniques. Each performance was evaluated by five expert judges. The reliability of the applied scales was confirmed through high inter-item correlation (0.60–0.80), Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (0.87–0.95), and intraclass correlation coefficients (0.67–0.82). A two-way 2 × 3 factorial analysis of variance (Group × Element) was conducted separately for each swimming technique. Results. For breaststroke, no significant main effect of Group was observed (F₁,₉₆ = 3.346; p = 0.07; ηp² = 0.034), while a significant main effect of Element was identified (F₂,₁₉₂ = 3.861; p = 0.023; ηp² = 0.039). Post hoc analyses revealed differences between Technique and Turn (p < 0.01). Similarly, for butterfly swimming, no significant main effect of Group was found (F₁,₉₆ = 0.845; p = 0.36; ηp² = 0.009), whereas a significant main effect of Element was present (F₂,₁₉₂ = 29.41; p < 0.001; ηp² = 0.235). Differences were identified between the Start element and both Technique and Turn (p < 0.001). Conclusions. The results indicate that video-based instruction is as effective as live demonstration in teaching swimming-specific motor skills among physical education students. These findings support the integration of modern multimedia tools into higher education swimming curricula. Video instruction represents a viable, effective, and resource-efficient teaching method without compromising learning outcomes.

Motor precision is a highly innate trait, while ambidexterity in high-precision tasks remains rare and biologically regulated. Few sports necessitate bilateral precision; however, the indigenous sport of picigin uniquely requires symmetrical palm-striking proficiency. This study investigated bilateral precision and ball velocity in 22 experienced male players, divided into competitive (n = 11) and recreational (n = 11) groups. A specialized bilateral palm-precision test was developed to measure performance across both dominant and non-dominant hands. Key metrics included the asymmetry index for speed and accuracy and the speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT). Results indicate that competitors significantly outperform recreational players in both precision and velocity. Notably, the SAT analysis suggests that the dominant hand of recreational players performs at a level comparable to the non-dominant hand of competitors. While recreational players exhibited slightly lower asymmetry indices, the inter-manual asymmetry index remained stable across groups (ranging from 22.6% to 27.2%) despite years of experience. Findings suggest that bilateral training induces linear improvements on both sides, maintaining a constant asymmetry ratio rather than diminishing it through long-term practice.

Background: The integration of technology into physical education has introduced new methods for teaching motor skills, including swimming techniques. Understanding the effectiveness of multimedia content compared to traditional instruction methods is essential for improving pedagogical practices in higher education. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two instructional approaches – practical demonstration and video presentation—in the acquisition of swimming motor skills. Methods: A total of 98 students were randomly assigned to either a demonstration group (N=43) or a video group (N=55). Using a newly developed evaluation scale, participants were assessed on three components of swimming technique: start, technique execution, and turn. A two-way 2×3 factorial ANOVA was conducted to examine the effects of instructional method (between- subject factor: Group) and technical component (within-subject factor: Element) for both crawl and backstroke. Results: For both swimming styles, the main effect of instructional group was not statistically significant (crawl: F=0.596, p=0.442, η=0.006; backstroke: F=0.002, p=0.962, η=0.000), indicating no difference between demonstration and video instruction. However, the effect of technical component was significant for both crawl (F=16.121, p<0.001, η=0.144) and backstroke (F=26.364, p<0.001, η=0.215). Post hoc analysis revealed significant differences between elements within each swimming style (p<0.01). Conclusions: The findings suggest that both instructional approaches are equally effective in teaching swimming techniques, supporting the inclusion of multimedia tools in physical education. These results support the development of modern, technologysupported teaching strategies for motor skill acquisition.

Background: The jump shot is a critical technical element in modern handball, requiring the complex integration of speed, power, and precision. As the game evolves toward higher intensities, traditional coaching models require validation against objective biomechanical data. This study aimed to investigate the kinematic characteristics of the jump shot in elite players and establish a methodological framework for transitioning raw kinematic parameters into expert-based performance models. Methods: Kinematic analysis was conducted on five elite male handball players (n = 5, 15 total trials), focusing on the approach, flight, and release phases. Additionally, ten highly qualified handball experts (N = 10) independently established a theoretical performance model. To enable direct comparison between objective measurements and expert assessments, kinematic frequencies were linearly normalized onto a five-point ordinal continuum. The relationship between the kinematic model and the hypothetical expert model was determined using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. “Kinematic analysis was conducted on elite handball players, focusing on the approach, flight, and release phases. Results: Elite players predominantly utilize a two-step approach, with the first step slightly longer than the second to optimize the kinematic chain. Kinematic data and expert evaluations showed high congruency regarding body posture, highlighting the necessity of diagonally aligned shoulders and a forward-leaning trunk during the flight phase. A statistically significant correlation was observed between objective kinematic parameters and expert ratings, confirming the model’s validity. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a novel approach for evaluating technical performance by bridging the gap between biomechanical data and expert intuition. These findings provide a valuable exploratory foundation for automated technical evaluation systems and offer practical insights into contemporary technical trends for elite-level coaching in the rapid tempo of modern handball.

Background: Motor precision is a highly innate trait, while ambidexterity in high-precision tasks remains rare and biologically regulated. Few sports necessitate bilateral precision; however, the indigenous sport of picigin uniquely requires symmetrical palm-striking proficiency. Methods: This study investigated bilateral precision and ball velocity in 22 experienced players, divided into competitive (n=11) and recreational (n=11) groups. A specialized bilateral palm-precision test was developed to measure performance across both dominant and non-dominant hands. Key metrics included the asymmetry index for speed and accuracy, and the speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT). Results: Results indicate that competitors significantly outperform recreational players in both precision and velocity. Notably, the SAT analysis suggests that the dominant hand of recreational players performs at a level comparable to the non-dominant hand of competitors. While recreational players exhibited slightly lower asymmetry indices, the inter-manual gap remained stable despite years of experience. Conclusions: Findings suggest that bilateral training induces linear improvements on both sides, maintaining a constant asymmetry ratio rather than diminishing it through long-term practice.