But how do biomechanical factors influence the development of technologies used by players and coaches?
Dr Stuart McErlain-Naylor hosts this week’s episode of the Experts in Sports podcast with guests Dr Jonathan Shepherd (Head of Performance Research at PING) and Dr Aimee Mears to discuss the latest developments in golf equipment and sports-related technology.
This includes how manufacturers and researchers can work together to benefit players and the transfer of performance decisions and research findings from recreational to elite players.
Dr Jonathan Shepherd is Head of Performance Research at Ping Golf, achieving a PhD in Sports Engineering at Griffith University in Australia and subsequently researching in various universities across the world. He is now based at Loughborough University at the PING Performance Research Centre researching human equipment interaction in golf.
Dr Aimee Mears is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Technology at Loughborough University, having studied Sports and Exercise Science at the University of Bath and pursuing a career in biomechanics. She studied a PhD at the Sports Technology Institute at Loughborough University.
Conversations include biomechanics in golf informing decisions around coaching, golf fittings using launch monitor technology and adaptations to players’ clubs. Guest discuss the various technologies used to measure and regulate many aspects of golf, including preventing the club head from rotating, keeping centre on the right plane and ensuring energy from the golf ball is transferred in the right direction.
Gender differences are also discussed in conjunction with the variability of human performance between shots and the reliability of golf club testing, along with metric-driven technology and how long-term adaptations to players’ clubs may change their technique.
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The Experts in Sport podcast is a regular series that brings together experts from across Loughborough University with external thought leaders to discuss the latest research and hot topics in sport and academia with new episodes launched regularly.