Three Easy Steps to Sports Prediction for Beginners

Learn how to identify subtle changes in player movements (biomechanics) to predict player and team success and sports outcomes.

To be successful in sports prediction, you must learn how to identify minor changes in player performance during live games.

You must be the first to identify small movement (biomechanics) changes that can cause big game impacts AND be ready to make decisions before anyone else.

Easier said than done, right?

Yes and no. 

If you don't focus, yes, it's extremely difficult.

If you focus and have a method to keep you focused with a million things going on, no, it's not that hard.

So, we'll start easy - showing you what to focus on and how to execute that movement analysis in real time.

First step, recognize that there are two different types of movements you want to look at it - 

Macro - BIG.

Micro - small.

In a later post we'll dive into the differences between the two but for now just recognize you want to look at whole body movements (macro) first and then focus in on each joint (micro).

Second step, apply the law of action-reaction to sports. That just means that when there is a movement there is a reaction to it. Action and reaction are forces, and the goal of the human body is to balance forces acting on it at all times, especially in sports. 

Third step, learn to identify the three types of forces during movement -

1. Where it is.
2. What Direction.
3. How Much.

Those three simple principles give you an ability to analyze biomechanics during sports.

We'll look more at the law of action-reaction and the three principles of force later; however, for now put the start points together -

1. You have two types of biomechanics - big and small.

2. The Law of Action-Reaction gives you a whole body start point using basic physics - the body wants to balance itself. That's what it is constantly doing. When it's off balance that's when you see the mechanics issues that cue the performance problems that lead to changed game outcomes.

3. The 3 principles of force are an easy start point to apply physics to the body to spot where force is and where mechanics changes may occur that affect performance.

Your goal is to spot biomechanics changes before anyone else to make decisions and act fast. Keep your focus and it is easier than it sounds.

If you want to learn more about biomechanics qualitative analysis for beginners, click here. 

Amy Ashmore, Ph.D. holds a doctorate in Kinesiology from the University of Texas at Austin. She is an educator focused on resistance training and performance analytics located in Las Vegas, NV.

To explore the latest RT methods, earn CEUs for physical therapy, AND explore performance analytics for sports, click here.