By philcheetham on 7/30/2010 2:43 PM

TPI Instructor - Gord Workum just wrote an article explaining in simple terms why 3D motion capture is better than 2D video (See previous article in this blog). Gord stated that 3D quantifies the motion of the golf swing objectively; this is true, but one might immediately think “But wait, I can measure distance and angles on a 2D video screen by drawing lines.” Yes, you can but there is a good possibility your result will be wrong and potentially a lot wrong.

In response to that idea, this article explains why 3D motion capture can be pictured as videoing the golfer with an infinite number of 2D cameras and not only that but these imaginary cameras actually follow every part of the golfer’s body throughout the entire swing.

For example to measure the true wrist set/release angle accurately with a 2D camera you would have to position the camera perpendicular to a plane along the forearm and club shaft and the camera would have to remain in that perpendicular relationship to the arm/club throughout...

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By philcheetham on 7/29/2010 10:36 AM

Here is an article written by Gord Workum; a Titleist Performance Institute Instructor on why 3D Motion Capture (and Analysis) is better than simple 2D video analysis with regard to the golf swing.  I like it and I will follow up with another article adding my point of view.

 

The only way to measure the efficiency of a golf swing is with 3D Motion Capture; with 2D one can just judge the style of the golfer’s swing. Yes, you can detect the big 12 swing characteristics with 2D, but with 2D you can not quantify any of the big 12 without being subjective. With 3D Motion Capture, you can also detect any of the big 12 swing characteristics, but you can quantify each one of them, objectively, and see if your client is improving their swing efficiency by improving or eliminating the swing characteristic that is causing them to have an inefficient movement. If you are only using 2D video with your clients then you have no way of objectively showing them that they are improving, all your conclusions will...

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By philcheetham on 7/3/2010 12:03 PM

In December of last year my daughter Jennifer asked me to get her into tumbling.  She cartwheels everywhere in the house and is more times upside-down than on her feet.  So I finally enrolled her in a tumbling class.  After two beginner sessions she was hooked and the coach immediately asked her to be in the “pre-team” class.  At that point she told the coach “my Dad is an Olympian”.  This of course brought the coach out to meet me.  His first question was “Can you help us coach?”.  I said no for about a month, but then caved-in.  Jennifer now enjoys her Dad helping coach and I enjoy occasionally bouncing on the trampoline and unfortunately sometimes going home sore.  The team she now competes for is Xtreme T&T, Scottsdale AZ.  At the recent State Championships in her age group and level, she took first place on Double Mini-Tramp and second on trampoline!  I guess this is her sport.

So what is T&T anyway?

T&T stands for Trampoline and Tumbling.  It is a separate division of gymnastics under USA Gymnastics...

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