Validation of Inertial Measurement Units for Analyzing Golf Swing Rotational Biomechanics

Validation of Inertial Measurement Units for Analyzing Golf Swing Rotational Biomechanics

Training devices to enhance golf swing technique are increasingly in demand. Golf swing biomechanics are typically assessed in a laboratory setting and not readily accessible. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) offer improved access as they are wearable, cost-effective, and user-friendly. This study...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 23; no. 20; p. 8433
Main Authors: Kim, Sung Eun, Burket Koltsov, Jayme Carolynn, Richards, Alexander Wilder, Zhou, Joanne, Schadl, Kornel, Ladd, Amy L., Rose, Jessica
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Basel MDPI AG 13-10-2023
MDPI
Subjects:
Accuracy
Biomechanics
Businesswomen
Comparative analysis
Golf
golf swing technique
Golfers
inertial measurement units
Kinematics
Measurement
Motion capture
Pelvis
Recreation
rotational parameters
Software
Training
Velocity
wearable sensors
United States > US
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Training devices to enhance golf swing technique are increasingly in demand. Golf swing biomechanics are typically assessed in a laboratory setting and not readily accessible. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) offer improved access as they are wearable, cost-effective, and user-friendly. This study investigates the accuracy of IMU-based golf swing kinematics of upper torso and pelvic rotation compared to lab-based 3D motion capture. Thirty-six male and female professional and amateur golfers participated in the study, nine in each sub-group. Golf swing rotational kinematics, including upper torso and pelvic rotation, pelvic rotational velocity, S-factor (shoulder obliquity), O-factor (pelvic obliquity), and X-factor were compared. Strong positive correlations between IMU and 3D motion capture were found for all parameters; Intraclass Correlations ranged from 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89, 0.93) for O-factor to 1.00 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.00) for upper torso rotation; Pearson coefficients ranged from 0.92 (95% CI: 0.92, 0.93) for O-factor to 1.00 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.00) for upper torso rotation (p < 0.001 for all). Bland–Altman analysis demonstrated good agreement between the two methods; absolute mean differences ranged from 0.61 to 1.67 degrees. Results suggest that IMUs provide a practical and viable alternative for golf swing analysis, offering golfers accessible and wearable biomechanical feedback to enhance performance. Furthermore, integrating IMUs into golf coaching can advance swing analysis and personalized training protocols. In conclusion, IMUs show significant promise as cost-effective and practical devices for golf swing analysis, benefiting golfers across all skill levels and providing benchmarks for training.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:1424-8220
1424-8220
DOI:10.3390/s23208433