Introduction to Sports Biomechanics: Analysing Human Movement ...

INTRODUCTION TO SPORTS BIOMECHANICS
Figure 1.25 Standing countermovement broad, or long, jump with normal arm action. Top left: starting position; top right:
arms at highest point; bottom left: lowest point; bottom right: take-off.
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Throwing
This section focuses on the principles of those sports or events in which the participant
throws, passes, bowls or shoots an object from the hand or, in the case of lacrosse, from
an implement. Some, or all, of these principles relate to: throws from a circle – hammer
and discus throws, shot put; crossover skills – javelin throw and cricket bowling; pitching
in baseball and softball; shooting and passing movements in basketball, netball,
handball, water polo and lacrosse; throwing-to skills – baseball, cricket, soccer, rugby,
American and other variants of football; underarm bowling; and dart throwing. Some
of these are used as examples in this section. As with other ballistic sports movements,
many throws can be subdivided biomechanically into three phases: preparation, action
and recovery. Each of these phases has specific biomechanical functions. The later
phases depend upon the previous phase or phases. In a basic throw, such as those in
Figures 1.26 to 1.28, the preparation phase puts the body into an advantageous position
for the action phase and increases the acceleration path of the object to be thrown.
In skilled throwers, the action phase demonstrates a sequential action of muscles as
segments are recruited into the movement pattern at the correct time. The recovery