 Biomechanics is the science Knowledge of safety principles: Biomechanics

concerned with the analysis of the gives the understanding to analyze different
mechanics of human movement. It safety movements
explains how and why the human
body moves.  Helps in research work: It helps to
impart scientific teaching and learning
 It is the study of the function and processes.
motion of the mechanical aspects of
biological systems.  Creates confidence in players: Players
come to know the correct techniques
 Biomechanics tells us how our to execute the movement. Thus it
muscles, bones, tendons, and improves the confidence of the
ligaments work together to produce player.
movement.
Newton’s Law of Motion & Its Application in
 It gives us a detailed analysis of any Sports
sports movements, which helps to
The laws of motion were formulated by Sir
minimize the risk of injury and
Isaac Newton in 1687. He explained and
improve sports performance.
investigated that every motion is under the
Importance Of Biomechanics In Sports impact of following laws of motion:

 Improves sports performance:

Biomechanics tells us the right
techniques for effective and efficient
results by using minimum muscular
force and getting maximum results.

 Improvement in technique:
Biomechanics helps to improve new
techniques, which helps us to get
more results

 Helps to develop the best sports

equipment: Biomechanics helps us to First Law of Motion:
make correct and scientifically proven
equipment. The first law is also named as Law of Inertia.
This law states that an object at rest will
 Improvement in training: Coaches can remain at rest or an object in motion will
give the best training to athletes on remain at motion at constant velocity unless
the basis of scientific knowledge. He acted upon by an external force.
can analyze the player’s movement in
a better way. In other words, an object will remain in a
stationary position or remain in motion unless
 Prevents injuries: It helps us to know an external force is applied to move or stop.
the forces that can lead to the injuries
during the game situation. Application in Sports
A football placed at a penalty point will Third Law of Motion
remain at rest unless a player kicks the ball to
score a goal, Or that same football will This law is also known as the ‘Law of Action
and Reaction’
continue to move at a constant velocity unless
a force acts on it to slow it down (e.g. wind This law states that for every action there is
resistance) or change its direction (e.g. an equal and opposite reaction.
gravity).
Application in Sports
Second Law of Motion
In swimming, if a swimmer pushes the water
The Second Law of motion is also named the backward, in return he is pushed forward by
‘Law of Acceleration’. the water.
 According to this law, the rate of When a person walks he presses the ground
change in the velocity of an object is in the backward direction and the ground
directly proportional to the force pushes him in the forward direction with an
applied and inversely proportional to equal force.
the mass of the body.
Types of Levers and Their Applications in
 The greater the force applied the Sports
faster the velocity and more
displacement. If less force is applied First-class lever:
then the displacement and
Fulcrum positioned between the effort and
acceleration are also less
the load.
 If unequal forces are applied to
objects of equal mass the greater
force will cause more acceleration. If
equal forces are applied to objects
with unequal mass, the object with
mass has less acceleration

Examples in sports: See-saw in gymnastics,

Application in Sports and overhead barbell press in weightlifting.

 A Volleyball player pushes the ball If the fulcrum is positioned closer to the load,
slowly for a drop, whereas hits the less effort is needed to move the load over a
ball hard for a smash. shorter distance. Conversely, if the fulcrum is
closer to the effort, more effort is required to
 Thus drop is slow because there is less move the load over a greater distance.
force applied, whereas smash is very Examples of first-class levers include a teeter-
fast as there is a great force applied. totter, a seesaw, and a chisel. First-class levers
are effective for lifting large loads with
 In the shot put event, a player who
minimal effort.
exerts more force and tosses the shot
put at the correct angle has greater Second-class lever:
displacement.
Load positioned between the effort and the is positioned closer to the effort, more force is
fulcrum. needed but the load moves a greater
distance. Examples of third-class levers are a
pair of tweezers, a baseball bat, and your arm
when lifting something. Third-class levers are
useful for moving loads over greater distances
with more effort.

Applications in Sports

First-class levers:

 In gymnastics, the use of a see-saw as

Examples in sports: Calf raises in fitness a training aid helps athletes develop
training, and pushing off the starting blocks in balance and coordination.
track and field.
 Weightlifters use a first-class lever
When the load is positioned closer to the motion for overhead barbell presses,
fulcrum than the effort, less force is needed targeting various muscle groups.
to move the load. However, when the load is
Second-class levers:
positioned further from the fulcrum than the
effort, more force is required to move the  Fitness training often includes calf
load. Examples of second-class levers include raises to strengthen the calf muscles
a wheelbarrow, a bottle opener, and a and improve jumping abilities.
nutcracker. Second-class levers are designed
to amplify force to move heavy loads.  Athletes in track and field utilize a
second-class lever action when
Third-class lever: pushing off the starting blocks for
explosive starts.
Effort is positioned between the fulcrum and
the load. Third-class levers:

 Weightlifters engage in bicep curls to

build strength and muscular
endurance in the biceps.

 Rowing sports depend on a third-class

lever motion during rowing strokes,
enhancing the pulling power.

 Understanding the different types of

levers and their applications in sports
Examples in sports: Bicep curls in can help athletes and coaches
weightlifting, rowing strokes in rowing sports. optimize their training techniques and
If the fulcrum is positioned closer to the load improve athletic performance.
than to the effort, less force is needed but the EQUILIBRIUM
load moves a shorter distance. If the fulcrum
Equilibrium is defined as a state of balance or gravity as much as is consistent with the
stable situation, where opposite forces cancel activity involved.
each other out and where no changes are
This is the reason why a golfer will take a wide
occurring.
stance before swinging at the golf ball or
When a body or a system is in equilibrium volleyball players while offering defense, and
there is no net tendency to change. In spreading their feet wide.
mechanics, equilibrium has to do with the
forces acting on a body.

When no force is acting to make a body move 2. Lower the center of gravity, higher the
in a line the body is in translational stability: For an accelerated start, we need to
equilibrium, when no force is acting to make keep the center of gravity as low as possible
and as near as possible to the edge of the
the body turn the body is in rotational
equilibrium. However, a state of equilibrium base nearest to the direction of intended
motion. This is the reason racers crouch at the
does not mean that no forces act on the body
but only that the forces are balanced. start of the race and the racing cars have very
low floors.
Types of Equilibrium

Dynamic Equilibrium
3. When the body is free in the air, if the head
Static Equilibrium and feet move down, then the hips move up
and vice versa: While performing a high jump,
Dynamic Equilibrium: Dynamic equilibrium is this principle comes into play.
the balance of the body during movement

Static Equilibrium: It is the balance of the

body during rest or in a stationary position. The players tend to lift up their heads and
thrust one foot as high as possible. Once the
The fundamental human movement is 7 in head and one leg clear the bar, they are
number. These basic movements that the dropped which raises the hips to clear the bar.
human body can perform are pulled, push,
squat, lunge, hinge, rotation, and gait. All
other movements are variations or
combinations of these. As the hips are lowered, the opposite leg is
raised to clear the bar. Pole vault, and diving
Stability principles give sportsmen the rule while competing in swimming and hurdle
about being in balance while running. They races are also sports where this principle is of
offer guidance to trainers for improving a paramount importance.
sportsperson’s ability to achieve static
balance and dynamic balance.

Guiding Principles To Determine Degree of 4. Body weight is directly proportional to

Equilibrium (stability) stability: The heavier the sportspersons, the
more stable they are. It is obvious that a
1. The broader the base, the greater the lighter person can be moved far more easily
stability: For greater stability, increase the than a heavier person.
area of the base and lower the center of
 a football lineman shifts weight toward the
opposing line prior to the snap.
This is the reason why sports like wrestling,
boxing, judo, etc., are organized according to 8. An opponent can be forced to lose balance
different weight groups. if pushed or pulled in the direction where the
center of gravity is closest to the edge of the
Equilibrium (Stability) Principles base of support. Boxers use this principle to
1. To maintain balance while being stationary, create a loss of balance by shifting the weight
the athletes must maintain their center of on the heels.
gravity over the base of support. Thus, to 9. For positions of readiness, if the distance is
begin a free weightlifting movement, the lifter shorter then the center of gravity must move
needs to hold a standing position and then go to the base of support, the more rapidly the
into a squat and stand again.
body can be put in motion in that direction.
2. If the balance is lost, an athlete needs to for example, sprinters in the “set” position
enlarge the base of support and make sure shift their weight in the direction of the race.
that the center of gravity is over it. Like, by Center Of Gravity
keeping the feet wider to prevent falling after
being pushed helps recover balance. The Center of gravity is the point in a body or
system around which its mass or weight is
3. While carrying any object, one needs to evenly distributed or balanced and through
shift the body weight so that balance is which the force of gravity acts.
maintained. We do this by leaning in the
opposite direction when carrying heavy The center of gravity is fixed, provided the
weights or equipment. size and shape of the body do not change.

4. Ensure that the center of gravity is over the An athlete’s center of gravity is the exact
center of the base of support. Like, while middle of the body and can rotate freely in
performing a handstand, the hips need to any direction and where weight is balanced
remain towards the center of the base which on all opposite sides.
is formed by the hands.
It exists at a point along the midline of the
5. Stability improves when we lower the body at about 55% of the athlete’s height.
center of gravity. This is the reason why Core stability enables athletes to control their
during shot-put, the follow-through involves body position, generate optimum power, and
bending the knees. transfer force along the kinetic chain.

6. The greater the friction between the The human body is made up of individual
supporting surface and the athlete’s body, the body parts with their own weight. So, our
greater the ability to maintain balance. This is total body weight is the sum of individual
the reason why sports persons wear weights of organs such as our arms, legs, etc.
specialized shoes that prevent excessive
sliding on a playing surface. The point, about which the distribution of
these individual weights is symmetrical, is the
7. Shifting the center of gravity towards an center of gravity of the body. Thus, if a body
approaching force increases an athlete’s has more mass distributed in its upper part,
ability to maintain balance. This explains why
the center of gravity will be at the top of the When an object is projected through space,
body. three forces influence the course of the flight

This applies to humans, as the center of (i) Propelling Force:

gravity of an average person is located
The initial force produces certain effects
approximately at a height of one meter, thus
being above the waist. depending upon its point and direction of
application. If the application is directly
There are two properties of the center of through the projectile’s center of gravity, only
gravity that have a great impact on sports. linear motion results from the force.
First of all, its location is dependent on the
shape of the body. As the object is moved further from the
center of gravity, the rotator motion of the
So if the same body is to take a different object increases at the expense of linear
shape, the position of the center of gravity motion. If the force is below the object’s
will shift. An athlete that bends his/her legs center of gravity, the backspin is the result.
will lower his/her center of gravity
position. amongst other things, will result in Forward spin results when the force is above
greater stability, something especially the center of gravity. When the force is off-
important in sports such as wrestling. center to the left, a clockwise spin results, and
when it is off-center to the right, a
Projectile In Sports counterclockwise spin occurs.

Projectile: When an object is thrown into (ii) Force of Gravity:

space either horizontally or at an acute angle
under the action of gravity is called a As soon as contact is broken with a projected
projectile. Or, object, the force of gravity begins to finish the
upward velocity of the object.
It refers to the motion of an object projected
Finally, gravity overcomes the projectile’s
into the air at an angle. The path followed by
a projectile is known as a trajectory. motion and the object begins to descend. The
factors that determine how soon gravity will
In sport, there are many examples of cause the object to descend are:
projectiles e.g. putting the shot, throwing a
(a) Weight (mass) of the object
hammer, discus, and javelin in athletics.
(b) Amount of force driving it upward

(c) The effect of air resistance on the object.

(iii) Effect of Air Resistance:

As the speed of an object increases, air

resistance has a greater retarding effect. The
more surface area an object presents in the
direction of movement, the greater will be the
effect of air resistance.
Factors affecting the projectile trajectory
(iv) Angle of Release: Static Friction: It occurs when a body is
forced to move along a surface but movement
The angle between the initial trajectory and does not start. This friction is present
the horizontal determines the shape of the
between two or more solid objects that are
parabola described in flight by the object or not moving relative to each other.
body. The optimum angle for the maximum
horizontal distance of flight is 45°. Without static friction, your feet would sleep
out and it makes it difficult to walk.
The steepness or shallowness of the curve will
depend on the angle of projection, with Dynamic/kinetic friction: It occurs when two
angles greater than 45° producing steeper objects are moving relative to each other and
curves and angles less than 45° producing work together. Further, it is of two types
shale-lower curves.
Sliding Friction: It is a kind of friction that
(v) Height of Release: acts on the object when it slides or rubs over
the surface. It is weaker than static friction.
The next factor that affects the trajectory of a Sliding friction causes wear and tear
projectile in sport is the height of the point of
projection or release in relation to the landing Rolling friction: It is a force that slows
surface of the object or body. down the motion of a rolling object. It acts on
objects when they are rolling over a surface.
There are examples from sports where the
height of the projection is both above and Advantages of friction
below the landing surface. For example, in the
shot put, the optimum angle is less than 45° It helps to move: Frictional force helps to
because the point of release is well above the move the object, e.g. running, or walking with
land surface. the friction of feet and surface.

Friction & Sports Stop the moving object: It helps to stop the
moving object through friction
Friction is a force resisting the relative motion
of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material Hold or grip object: With the help of friction,
elements sliding against each other. It our fingers and palms enable us to grasp and
generally creates an obstruction to moving hold objects.
objects. Keep the objects at their position: Friction can
hold the object at its position.
It is created whenever two surfaces move or
try to move across each other. It opposes the Disadvantages of friction
motion of one surface across another surface.
Makes movement difficult: Friction can make
Friction depends on the texture of both the movement difficult. For example, excess
surfaces and on the amount of contact force friction can make a box difficult to slide on the
pushing the two surfaces together. floor.
Types of Friction Waste of energy: Excess friction means extra
There are two types of friction energy, so extra energy is wasted because of
friction.