A biomechanical study of drag flick and hit in Indian field hockey: Implications on lumbar spine and hip injury

Aim & background: The penalty corner in field hockey has become an important avenue for scoring goals, with the drag flick and hit being the two commonly employed shot techniques. Previous research in field hockey highlights the greater joint reaction forces and distinct kinematics as potential risk factors for lower back and hip injuries among drag flickers compared to hitters. While most of this research has been on Australian players, a detailed kinematic and kinetic analysis comparing drag flick and hit among Indian field hockey players remains limited. We aimed to compare the lumbar spine and lead hip kinematics and kinetics between drag flick and hit among Indian hockey players. Methods: Fifty state-level Indian players (25 drag flickers and 25 hitters) underwent technique analysis at a motion analysis laboratory. Results: Drag flickers had significantly greater peak lumbar flexion (29.2° vs 10°, pFDR = 0.002), axial rotation (left: 6.4° vs 4.3°, pFDR = 0.01; right: 7.6° vs 6.3°, pFDR = 0.03), and interlumbar rotation (7.0° vs 5.1°, pFDR = 0.04) than the hitters, contributing to significantly greater peak medial (13.3 vs 6.8 N/kg), lateral (9.8 vs 6.5 N/kg), posterior shear forces (10.3 vs 1.3 N/kg) and tensile forces (5.0 vs 1.9 N/kg) (all pFDR = 0.002) at the lumbar spine. Their characteristic lunge, involving significantly greater peak hip flexion (114.8° vs 75.7°, pFDR = 0.002), resulted in greater peak anterior shear force (3.5 vs 1.4 N/kg, pFDR = 0.002) at the hip. Conclusion: These biomechanical distinctions highlight the increased loading demands of the drag flick among Indian players, which could potentially predispose them to a greater risk of lumbar spine and hip injuries.