Effects of Quantitative and Qualitative Visual Feedback on Motor Learning in Male Novices During a Badminton Underhand-Clear Striking Task

In the biomechanics of striking tasks, different types of visual feedback for the upper extremities influence motor learning and control in distinct ways. Quantitative feedback (QN), which provides precise numerical data, and qualitative feedback (QL), which offers descriptive or interpretive guidance, may facilitate different aspects of motor skill acquisition. Given that ballistic motor skills, such as the badminton underhand-clear stroke, require not only rapid and coordinated movement execution but also precise control of distal joints for accuracy, the underlying feedback processing mechanisms play a crucial role in optimizing motor control. Therefore, this study aims to determine the most effective type of visual feedback for enhancing motor learning in the badminton underhand-clear stroke by examining its impact on movement efficiency and accuracy. Participants (n = 36, all male; mean age 25.1 ± 1.2 years) were recruited into three groups: QN group, QL group, and the control group. Each participant completed a pretest, post-test, and retention-test of 20 trials each for the badminton underhand-clear stroke, along with three practice sessions consisting of 50 trials each. Performance accuracy and coordination patterns were significantly improved in the QN group compared to the QL and control groups in the retention test [performance accuracy (mean radial error) = QN-control: p < .01, QN-QL: p < .01; coordination pattern (discrete relative phase) = QN-control: p < .001, QN-QL: p < .01]. Additionally, the kinematics of the wrist joint were significantly improved in the QN group compared to the QL and control group in the retention test (maximum extension angle of wrist joint = QN-control: p < .001, QN-QL: p < .01). These findings suggest that quantitative feedback may be more effective than qualitative feedback in facilitating motor learning in a badminton striking task, particularly in terms of long-term retention of movement accuracy and coordination. By analyzing motor coordination patterns, this study provides insight into the role of different types of visual feedback in motor learning and offers practical implications for instructors aiming to optimize skill acquisition in striking tasks.