PURPOSE Para ice hockey requires rapid cornering and directional changes; however, the influence of athlete–sledge coupling achieved through seating design on turning mechanics remains underexplored. This study examined whether a customized bucket (CB) enhances turning performance compared with a general bucket (GB) in para ice hockey athletes. METHODS Three national-team athletes with heterogeneous impairments (spinal cord injury and unilateral or bilateral lowerlimb amputation) performed three on-ice turning tasks—a 90° turn, a 180° turn, and a Z-turn—at maximal speed while using CB and GB in separate trials. Threedimensional kinematics data were collected using a 16-camera motion capture system (Vicon, Oxford, UK) at 100 Hz. Primary outcome variables included in-trial speed variation (Δv), path length, and trunk range of motion (ROM) in flexion/ extension, abduction/adduction, and axial rotation. RESULTS CB yielded smaller intrial speed variation (Δv) and shorter path lengths than GB across all turning tasks (90°: Δv=1.61±0.91 vs 2.49±0.71 m/s; 180°: 6.37±1.16 vs 6.53±0.51 m/s; Z-turn: 2.86±1.17 vs 3.36±0.76 m/s). Corresponding reductions in path length for CB relative to GB were also observed. Trunk ROM patterns indicated tighter trunk–sledge coupling during 90° and 180° turns and reduced unnecessary axial trunk rotation during the Z-turn when using CB. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that CB reduces speed loss and improves turning efficiency by enhancing trunk–sledge stability, thereby enabling tighter movement trajectories during high-speed cornering and directional changes in para ice hockey.
