How else can we use this information?

The information within this blog is relevant to that of a volleyball dig which is a quite narrowed down skill as I cannot think of any other sport in which similar is used.

This does not mean however, that the biomechanical principles applied to the dig don’t apply to other sports.

The angle of incidence can in fact be applied to racquet/bat sports of tennis, badminton and even cricket where the angle of which the ball is struck determines where it travels and the accuracy of each shot. Optimum angles for these sports will differ but the principle of wanting to be accurate is the same. This biomechanical principle does not just need to apply to sports but can also be viewed in a light of everyday life. When writing on paper or other, the angle of which we hold the pen, pencil, texta, paint brush, ect. determines how thick, thin, faint or heavy the mark is which is left behind.

The kinetic chain or summation of force is used when throwing a ball in any sport or for your dog at the park. It uses the whole body’s power behind the action to achieve a greater power. In the kinetic chain there are two types of movement patterns, one of which was covered within this blog, the push-like pattern, and the throw-like movement pattern. The throw-like movement pattern has an emphasis on speed behind the object, as would be used for kicking a football or throwing a netball. The push-like movement pattern is ideal for accuracy within a skill or task, such as what we want from a volleyball dig or when playing darts.

When we are unbalanced it is either because our base of support is small, for example we are less balanced when standing on one foot compared to two with them shoulder width apart. Being less balanced is determined by how easily we are able to be moved or pushed over. Having a solid base of support is important for everything we do, for example when in the kitchen using knifes we aren’t likely to stand on one foot as it isn’t as stable as two therefore unsafe. The centre of gravity is also important with things we do, as where this is also determines how balanced we are. This middle point of our mass changes for different tasks, for example in the rugby scrum the players lower their bodies as to not fall over from the force which is applied from being pushed and pushing back.

Newton has three laws of gravity and all are important in what we do, from walking (action and reaction), driving with un-restrained items and having them hit you in the head when you stop suddenly (inertia) or trying to lift a heavy box on your own compared with having someone help you (more mass requires more force).

While these are the biomechanical aspects I decided to look into in regards to the volleyball dig, there are many more which have deep principles behind them. Accuracy of the dig is determined by these biomechanics and for which technique is used to execute the skill. Having a better understanding behind these biomechanics I am able to break down the volleyball dig into a more complex skill than what it appears to be when first performed.