Effects of Rotational Vestibulosomatic Exercises on Kicking Accuracy in Adolescent Taekwondo Athletes

Background and Study Aim. Kicking accuracy is a critical determinant of competitive performance in taekwondo. However, identifying the effective training approaches to improve this skill in adolescent athletes remains a relevant challenge. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a specialized vestibulosomatic exercise program on kicking accuracy in 15–16-year-old taekwondo athletes. Material and methods. A seven-month pedagogical experiment involved 36 taekwondo athletes aged 15–16 years, who were divided into a control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG). Both groups followed identical training schedules (12 sessions per week). The CG continued traditional training, whereas the EG integrated a specialized vestibulosomatic exercise program aimed at improving balance stability and kicking accuracy. Kicking accuracy was assessed under stationary conditions and after 15 body rotations. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and effect size estimation using Hedges’ g with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were applied. Results. The EG demonstrated significantly greater improvements in kicking accuracy compared to the CG. Under stationary conditions, right-leg accuracy increased from 4.3 ± 0.60 to 5.6 ± 0.77 attempts in the EG (30.23%, P < 0.001; g = 1.24, 95% CI 0.47–2.00), whereas the CG showed a smaller improvement from 4.5 ± 0.53 to 5.1 ± 0.59 attempts (13.33%, P < 0.05; g = 0.70, 95% CI 0.06–1.34). Similar differences were observed for the left leg, where the EG improved by 28.57% (g = 1.21), while the CG showed only minor, non-significant changes. After rotational tasks, improvements in the EG remained substantial, with large effect sizes (g ≈ 1.22–1.54), whereas the CG demonstrated only moderate effects (g ≈ 0.66–0.94). Additionally, the experimental training reduced inter-limb asymmetry in kicking accuracy. Conclusions. The integration of vestibulosomatic exercises significantly improves kicking accuracy and balance stability in adolescent taekwondo athletes. The findings support the effectiveness of vestibular-based training as a scientifically grounded approach for optimizing technical performance in taekwondo.

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