Fitness Testing
Fitness Testing > Tests > Flexibility > Trunk Rotation
Trunk Rotation Test
The purpose of this flexibility test is to measure trunk and shoulder flexibility, which is important for injury prevention and in particular is important in swimming, racquet sports and throwing sports.
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equipment required: wall, a piece of chalk or pencil, ruler or tape measure.
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description / procedure: Mark a vertical line on the wall. Stand with your back to the wall directly in front of the line, with your feet shoulder width apart. You should be about arms length away from the wall, though you may need to adjust the distance from the wall once you start the test. Extend your arms out directly in front of you so they are parallel to the floor. Twist your trunk to your right and the touch the wall behind you with your fingertips, keeping your arms extended and parallel to the floor. You are allowed to turn your shoulders, hips and knees as long as your feet don't move. Mark the position where your fingertips touched the wall, and measure the distance from the line. A point before the line is a negative score and a point after the line is a positive score. Repeat for the left side with your feet in the same position.
- scoring: Take the average of the 2 scores (left and right sides). Use the table below to convert the score measurement to a rating.
Ratings |
Score |
Excellent |
20 cm |
Good |
15 cm |
Very Good |
10 cm |
Fair |
5 cm |
Poor |
0 cm |
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advantages: simple and quick test to perform. Athletes can perform the test themselves.
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disadvantages: Variations in arm length between individuals may make comparisons more difficult
Related Pages
- other flexibility tests
