Biomechanical support provides objective, event specific information concerning the mechanical demands in both training and competition. The primary remit of the service is to objectively inform the overall coaching process.
Biomechanical support aims to:
- Enhance, inform and optimise training interventions.
- Answer ‘specific’ coach generated questions that increase the probability of ‘effective training’ and ‘enhanced performance’.
- ‘Proactively’ support coach-athlete partnerships by developing strong and effective working relationships.
- Deliver targeted biomechanical support centred on the Critical Biomechanical Determinants of Performance (CDP’s).
Examples of Biomechanical Support:
Screening: Required in order to help understand individual movement signatures and suggest ‘where’ and ‘how’ the athlete is able to make effective and logical performance progression. This may involve a symmetry assessment of running gait or maximal velocity testing as examples.
Training specific support: A crucial component to any biomechanical support is to ensure that ‘technical’ training interventions are as effective as possible. Typical support could be utilisation of laser based or video based technologies for monitoring speed development or changes in step characteristics.
Competition specific support: Aims to enhance the ‘feedback’ process to coach-athlete partnerships, either pre-competition, during or post event. Typical support may range from providing race breakdowns with length and frequency distributions, to hurdle touchdown and flight times, to release velocities for throwing events, or full 18-point centre of mass digitisations for horizontal and vertical jumps.
Coach Education and Support: To provide two-way learning opportunities for relevant event specific biomechanical information to be discussed with consideration for the coaching implications that the data may offer.