Relationship between V-cut Agility Performance and Sprint, Vertical Jump and Change of Direction in Preadolescent Male Basketball Players

Authors : Kamil Uzgur, Veli Volkan Gürses, Okan Kamiş, Ömer Özer

Pages : 400-411

Doi:10.53025/sportive.1707679

View : 56 | Download : 51

Publication Date : 2025-09-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Basketball is a dynamic sport that involves frequent directional changes, high-intensity sprints, and vertical actions such as jumping and rebounding. Agility is a fundamental component of basketball performance, especially during preadolescence, a period marked by rapid neuromuscular and morphological development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between V-cut agility performance and three key physical abilities: linear sprint speed, vertical jump, and change of direction (COD) in young male basketball players. Forty-one young male basketball players (age: 11.02 ± 0.79 years, height: 152.72 ± 7.40 cm, weight: 42.61 ± 7.38 kg, training experience: 2.3 ± 0.4 years) from regional basketball academies participated in this cross-sectional study. All participants were actively involved in basketball training programs at least three times per week for the last year. Before data collection, players completed a 10-minute standardized warm-up, consisting of easy jogging, dynamic stretching, and movements. Each participant completed the V-cut agility test, a 25-meter sprint, a countermovement jump (CMJ), and a Hexagon COD. All tests were conducted indoors, on a hardwood basketball court, over two non-consecutive days to minimize fatigue-related effects and ensure consistent environmental conditions. Pearson correlation and regression analyses were used to investigate the relationships between variables. Correlation coefficient values were evaluated as 0.00-0.25 very weak, 0.26–0.49 weak, 0.50–0.69 moderate, 0.70–0.89 high, 0.90-1.00 very high correlation. A simple linear regression test was conducted to evaluate whether V-cut performance could predict Sprint, Jump, and Change of Direction (COD). The regression coefficient (β), coefficient of determination (R²), and p-values were reported for each model. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. A high positive correlation was found between V-cut and 25-m sprint performance (r=0.795, R²=0.633, F (1,39)=67.42, p<0.0001). A negative, moderate relationship was found between V-cut time and vertical jump (r=-0.505, R²=0.255, F(1,39)=13.38, p=0.0008). A negative, weak relationship was found between V-cut time and COD (r=-0.357, R²=0.128, F(1,39)=5.729, p=0.0216). Regression analysis indicated that it explained 63.3% of the variance in sprint performance, suggesting that agility, as measured by V-cut, is a strong predictor of sprinting ability in basketball players. Although the strength of association was found to be lower than for sprint performance, V-cut time still accounted for 25.5% of the variance in vertical jump results. Furthermore, better V-cut performance was moderately associated with improved COD performance, with V-cut explaining 12.8% of the variance. In conclusion, using basketball-specific agility assessments like the V-cut test may provide more meaningful insights into player performance. Therefore, coaches should consider the use of the V-cut test not only as an assessment tool but also as a guide for training prescription.
Keywords : basketbol, çeviklik, performans

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