Abstract: The force plate data acquisition system measures, processes and analyzes the vertical reaction forces and various weight shifts between the ground and a golfer's feet during a swing. Plates are supported on cantilever beams through ball bearings. The beams are attached to a rigid frame and instrumented with strain gauges configured in a Wheatstone half bridge arrangement. An eight-channel strain gauge data acquisition board in a central processing unit records strain information. Data collection can be independent or controlled by a motion analysis system to provide synchronous foot force and video information. A set of BASIC programs collect strain readings from the foot plates, process the data, relate beam deflections to applied load and plots reaction force and weight shift information to the computer screen. Graphs produced are total vertical reaction force, foot-to-foot weight shift, heel-to-toe weight shift, outside-to-instep weight shift and the speeds of each.

Abstract: A method for the design of a golf club head includes the selection, by the designer, of dimensions which define the basic shape of the golf club head. Once the basic shape of the club head is defined, critical points on the golf club head may be located. Once the basic shape and the critical points are known, a model of the basic shape may then be displayed. In addition, the method may further include the selection of desired mass properties, types of mass constraints and back-weighting parameters, all of which are determined by the designer. These specifications, in addition to the basic shape of the club head permit the design of back-weighting of the club head. Once the back-weighting has been designed, the final solid model of the golf club head, which includes the basic shape and back-weighting, may be displayed.

Abstract: A method of and system for analyzing golf swings is described. A three dimensional android computer model of a human as well as a parametric dynamic computer model of a golf club are generated and combined. In addition, the three dimensional motions of a person swinging a golf club are recorded using cameras that track reflective markers placed at various locations on the person. A computer processes the marker path data to calculate three dimensional angular motions of the body segments of the person and the golf club which is then used to kinematically drive the joints of the android model to effect superposition of the recorded golf swing on the android model and golf club model. Kinetic data derived from the analysis of the model may in turn be used to dynamically drive the joints of the android model to also superimpose the recorded swing on the models. The results are used, among other things, to study the biomechanics of the golfer and the performance of the golf club.