Enhancing Badminton Playing Skills Using Agility Training and Reaction-Time Training

Abstract

Badminton playing skills require the integration of agility, coordination, perceptual-cognitive processing, and precise motor control to execute effective movement and stroke performance. This study investigated the comparative effectiveness of agility training and reaction-time training in enhancing the badminton playing skills of Grade 10 students in a public secondary school. Employing a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with two non-equivalent groups, 87 participants completed an eight-week intervention. The agility group performed structured drills (ladder footwork, T-drill, and shadow footwork), while the reaction-time group performed reaction activities (Random Shuttle Drop, Fast-Flick Reaction Drill, and Hand Clap Reaction Game). Performance was assessed using the Lockhart and McPherson Badminton Skill Test and a standardized rubric evaluating footwork and court movement, stroke accuracy, and control. Descriptive results indicated that both groups improved from *Fair* in the pretest to *Very Good *in the posttest. Paired-sample *t*-tests confirmed significant within-group improvements across all skill components. A repeated-measures multivariate analysis confirmed a significant overall within-group improvement for each program. MANCOVA revealed that the agility training group achieved significantly higher posttest scores across all performance components, indicating higher overall effectiveness. Grounded in Dynamic Systems Theory and Information Processing Theory, the findings highlight the roles of movement adaptability and perceptual-cognitive processing in the acquisition of badminton skills. The study provides empirical evidence that agility-focused training yields stronger technical performance outcomes than reaction-time training in school-based badminton programs. These results support the integration of agility-centered modules and combined skill-training approaches within Physical Education curricula and offer a basis for developing scalable, evidence-based badminton instruction in Philippine secondary schools.