How Basketball is Affected by Biomechanics

992 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: 11 components of physical fitness in basketball

How Basketball is affected by Biomechanics
According to the oxford dictionary Biomechanics refers to “the study of the mechanical laws relating to the movement or structure of living organisms”, while McGinnis (2005) defines biomechanics in exercise as the study of forces and the effects of these forces on humans in exercise and sport competition. The objective of this essay is to examine how an in depth knowledge of the biomechanical principles that exist in basketball can be utilised to enhance an athlete’s performance and prepare them for competition in elite basketball. McGinnis (2005), in the objectives and applications of biomechanics in exercise and sport included the following; technique, equipment and training improvements to enhance performance as well as technique modification and equipment redesign to prevent and rehabilitate injury. In the following essay the validity of those techniques in basketball as well as various sectors of biomechanics and how they can have an effect different stages of the sport will be examined. Also, several aspects of a typical basketball player’s dynamic will be assessed. Basketball consists of two phases; Offense and Defense. Each of these phases are made up of several components, i.e. defensively in basketball you are required to take charges, slide laterally in a crouched position, jump to block the ball and to catch a rebound, dive on a loose ball and sprint to position to help out other defenders. Each of these movements or counterparts of defensive basketball can be biomechanically analyzed. This is important, as improvements to technique of these actions or movements, as stated earlier can result in enhanced and optimum performance (Bartlett, 1999). Also, in this essay, the effect...

... middle of paper ...

.... In order for an athlete to contain the offensive opposition, they must remain between the player and the basket at all times. This task’s difficulty depends on the level of offensive ability of the opposing player. Defending is especially difficult when guarding the ball handler who will be dribbling from side to side frequently, spinning, crossing over and doubling back. To remain on basket side, lateral agility is vital. According to Shimokochi, et al (2013), a low body centre of mass and fast hip extension motions to kick the ground are vital for improved lateral acceleration-deceleration movements. This information can also be applied to dribbling drills as the stance and movements are quite similar. Training drills could be implemented to improve technique and to enhance the teams ability to perform on defense.
Effect of Elastic forces and Stability/Balance

Show More
Related

  • The Biomechanics of Pitching

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pitching a ball both fast and accurate is more difficult than it may seem. These factors all depend on how the pitcher controls his body, or how well his mechanics all come together. This is a big reason why people started looking into, and studying, Biomechanics. Biomechanics is the study of the human body and how it moves. Biomechanists take advancements in engineering and mechanics and apply them to see what effects they have on the body and how they can improve production.

    Read More

  • How To Play Basketball: The History Of Basketball

    1390 Words  | 3 Pages

    When you first learn how to dribble the ball you are required to know the rules of dribbling the ball. In basketball you can only use one hand to dribble. You can’t run with the ball unless you are dribbling. When you become an expert at dribbling you will learn to do different types of moves. For example, some of the moves you can do are a crossover, behind the back, and between the legs.

    Read More

  • Biomechanics In Ice Hockey

    1870 Words  | 4 Pages

    Biomechanics allows the study of ice hockey to occur. In terms of ice hockey, biomechanics can be used to study a players shot, a goaltenders movement, line changes where players jump over the boards to get on and off the ice, and impacts. Multiple options are available in regards to recording biomechanical values during ice hockey play. These options often include instruments with the player’s helmet, which do not disrupt the player’s movement. Other options being used are accelerometers attached to the players extremities. Currently studies in ice hockey are looking at head impacts and the injuries connected to those impacts. These impacts are often categorized between event type, impact location, and impact object. These categories are helpful in determining what happened to cause the impact, once the impact is determined biomechanics is used to determine liner and rotational accelerations. The values that are calculated for the linear and rotational accelerations can be used to determine if head injury is likely for similar events or if a head injury occurred during the event

    Read More

  • The Force to Dribble a Basketball

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    If you think about it, it’s almost impossible to measure the force that it takes to dribble a basketball, unless you have the right tools. Let’s just think about the basic physics that you should know. In order to dribble a basketball you need to apply enough force for the ball to go from your hand to the floor and back up to your hand. When the ball is in your hand it is holding potential energy. Potential energy is the energy that is about to be transferred into kinetic energy, which is when the energy is in use. The ball is in kinetic energy after it leaves your hand and starts to fall. So the force of gravity has to be less than the force of the bounce to keep the dribbling going.

    Read More

  • Effective Ways to Kick a Soccer Ball

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lees, A., & Nolan, L. (1998). The biomechanics of soccer: A review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 16(3), 211-234.

    Read More

  • Construction Of Basketball

    609 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gender, race, and sexuality are socially constructed systems that act as guidelines, or rules, for how people interact with each other. A social construct often appears to be reality. However, when you step back and look at these systems critically, it is easy to see that gender, race, and sexuality do not represent a true reality. An easy example of a social construct is the game of basketball. Our society has created the game of basketball; we have rules for how to play, what to play with, and what to wear. However, if you stop and think about it, you could actually play basketball any way you’d like, but the game is only called basketball when you play by the rules. The rules define the game and give it meaning. The same is true for social

    Read More

  • Biomechanics

    626 Words  | 2 Pages

    The term biomechanics means the study of the structure and function of biological systems using the methods of mechanics. Biomechanics studies the process of kinematics and develops artificial limbs and footwear specifically to aid the body in performance. The study of biomechanics also includes the stress testing on crash dummies in car accidents and any sport where stress is placed on the body in order to produce performance. The type of stress specifically is the joint stimulation and bone modeling stress.

    Read More

  • Losing Weight Essay

    1648 Words  | 4 Pages

    "To better monitor the training and diet programs of a basketball player, it must be first understood the components of the physique and body of them (Gerodimos, 2005)." From what we know is that centers have the highest proportional body mass compared to other positions whereas guards had lower body mass related to their height. The results from the research suggest that the "body composition characteristics in basketball may be specific to the position of the player on the court (Gerodimos, 2005)." Knowing this we can tailor the diet plan and workout routine for the player to increase their

    Read More

  • Analysis Of A Basketball Jump Shot

    2292 Words  | 5 Pages

    A basketball Jump shot also known as a jumper is one of the most important shots in the game. Its purpose is for the player to jump, usually straight up and while in the mid-air attempt to score while arcing the ball in the basket. Jumps shots are known for winning games, especially crucial last second shots such as mine but it’s a skill that a player should be familiar and have knowledge of. Although it seems simple and easy its actually is a very detailed and mechanical aspect to the game which is why I choose to analyze the biomechanics of a basketball jump shot.

    Read More

  • Basketball: The Evolution And Evolution Of Basketball

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    Basketball is a popular sport that millions of people play around the world but does everyone know how basketball started and how it evolved throughout history? “Many people do not know that basketball was around since the early 1890s. In 1891, James Naismith, a Canadian-American sports teacher invented this simple sport”(Livestrong.com). Certainly the rules and the style of play wasn’t similar as today’s game. When it was first played in the early ages, there were more carrying the ball and tackling other players in order to get the ball.

    Read More

  • The Influence of Basketball

    1093 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sports are often identified to have positive influences on many individuals. The sports industry is growing worldwide, especially the basketball industry, which is regarded in second place behind football. The global prevalence of basketball is unquestionable, especially among the young. Basketball is a dynamic team sport that involves a pattern of alternating, active, and skilled movement activities. There are compound demands that require a mixture of individual skills, team plays, strategies, and motivational aspects.

    Read More

  • Biomechanics Of Running Essay

    1894 Words  | 4 Pages

    What is Biomechanics? It is the study of forces and their effects on the living system (McGinnis, 2013). In this essay, I will be looking at the biomechanics of running. Running, as well as any other sport requires skills for which advancement is due to consistent deliberate practice and effective development. However, runners should establish a training system that actively builds their original running pattern instead of basing it on what works well for others. Understanding the biomechanics of running gives a better knowledge of their running techniques and points out areas of concerns that require improvement. Despite the fact that running is dependent on the interaction of the whole body, breaking down the running pace into single components allows us to further understand how minor changes can increase improve performance and decrease injury risk.

    Read More

  • How It Works: Projectile Motion in Basketball

    1206 Words  | 3 Pages

    Physics is a part of everyday life. It is evident in the modern technological devices we use in every day experiences and objects around us. Although physics is understood to be only useful in the classroom, physics can also be applied to one the most popular activities on the planet, basketball. Whether jumping for the ball, or leaping for a slam dunk, the human body follows the same laws of projectile motion as do other objects. The sport that includes shooting, passing, running, and dribbling involves topics covered in physics such as force, friction, effects of air resistance, velocity, air pressure and energy. Basketball also involves factors such as projectile motion in making a basket, gravity and its effects on passing and dribbling, and Newton’s First and Third Law on passing and a number of others.

    Read More

  • The Physics of Basketball

    1941 Words  | 4 Pages

    The most important part of the game of basketball is shooting the basketball, after all the object of the game is to put the basketball through the basket. A shot is taken by a player pushing on the ball and launching it toward the basket and upon the ball hitting the rim or backboard physics refers to this action as a contact force. Using this concept of contact force a shot can be calculated exactly. From a player’s height, the mass of the ball and a given position on the court which would include the distance from the basket it is possible to calculate the exact angle and force the shooter must apply to make a basket every time he or she shoots the ball. Of course if it were this easy basketball would not be as fun to watch or play. The problem with hitting a shot every time with the calculated angle and force is that the ball would have to travel toward the basket with the exact angle and force calculated for that particular shot. What makes this difficult is that the muscles in our body would have to be controlled flawlessly to push the ball with the exact amount of force and to give the ball the exact angle that is needed every time a shot is taken...

    Read More

  • Basketball: A Reflection On The Concept Of Basketball

    1083 Words  | 3 Pages

    Basketball is a very complex sport that takes many years to fully grasp the Complete concept of. Basketball is for anyone who is willing to get a little physical, for you are running up and down the court with ten other players while playing defence and offence. There are just a few things you need to focus on when starting off. These include; dribbling, passing, shooting, and defence. You need to learn the rules and regulations in the game as well. Not only that, but, Always be in triple threat position, meaning you have your elbows are out and you are balanced. This assures that the ball is protected and you are in the position to either pass, shoot or dribble.

    Read More

More about How Basketball is Affected by Biomechanics

Open Document