Affecting Athletics through Physics and Technology
Updated: Feb 14, 2022
Affecting Athletics through Physics and Technology
They always say, 'If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.'"
The saying practice makes perfect is an old saying as well. Mathematics and physics can catapult you to championship level performances in sports.
Computationally based simulations use mathematics to predict behavior or outcomes. Using different metrics or numbers will create different projected outcomes. This concept can be applied to athletic performances as an individual and as a team. The most impactful way an athlete can change his performance is through training.
You need to create training objectives to determine what is a successful final output. The drills or workout the athlete does will be the input, the result on the court/field is the output. The athlete’s effort and training regimen will determine their probability of success in any sport.
Three steps of a Training Triangle
1. Spend time finding out what your training objectives are
2. Experiment with different inputs, during training, to maximize output performance
3. Confirm the process is repeatable and fulfills your objective, then add on to the training regimen
The key to finding the correct training regimen; you must have accurate metric measurements and must have a fluid plan that can adapt based on your previously defined personal expectation. With advanced analytics in sports, which can be mind-numbing, it may be time to include analytics in coaching and training young athletes.
Could the coaching clipboard change???
The new athlete and coach is a scientist. With the advancement in technology, shouldn’t we have real time metrics during practice drills and games? Technology where we can push our athletes to their peak exhaustion, record their decision-making skills, then teach them through visual electronics. Precise decision making is what matters in the 4th quarter, the eighteenth green, the ninth inning. It is what wins consistently and wins championships. Future athletes will still have to be physical specimens, but the next generation champion will be able to calculate science. The next generation athlete will be able to make mathematical decisions, during exhaustion, at the speed it takes for a major league baseball pitch to reach the plate. Technology will allow athletes to take the pitch “up the middle” in a blink of an eye and carpe diem.
" Basketball was something I came into late. I probably wouldn't have made it in the NBA if it wasn't for soccer." Steve Nash
The concepts of spacing and strategy based on different scenarios (2 v1, 3 v 2) will change the outcomes of games, no matter the sport. There are similar techniques and strategy that can be applied to many disciplines of athletics. Below, I have listed a couple different sports and what inputs might create a winning formula.
POSSIBLE INPUTS
Baseball/softball- spin rate, pitch movement, total kinetic energy, exit velo, bat speed, extremity foundation, probabilities based on counts
Basketball- Close out percentages, contested shot percentages, Extremity foundation, team movement, team spacing, movement mechanics
Golf- volume of clubhead used, total kinetic energy, exit velo, club head speed, angle of ball strike, spin rate, apex
The future is exciting for new athletes, the blending of technology will revolutionize the field of competition. The use of technology in sports can show young students that hard work can make you improve, if you are focused and dedicated. New technology will allow young athletes to feel and see progress numerically. No longer shall athletes boast about cheating for improvement, they will show you their input statistics on their app.
“Winning is not always the barometer of getting better.”
“The greatest thing about tomorrow is I will be better than I am today.”
“No matter how good you get you can always get better and that's the exciting part.”
Thank you for reading! Feel free to reach out if you are interest in more concrete answers of what further steps can be taken. Feel free to reach out to discuss ideas or if you have suggestion.
Sincerely,
Adam Grzyb
ASG Logics LLC
314-704-7961
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