Evaluation of a golf club based on estimation of muscle activity using by musculoskeletal simulation

Abstract

The objective of this study was to suggest a method for evaluation of a golf club by estimating the muscle force using a musculoskeletal simulation analysis. A golf swing was represented by prescribing the positional coordinate data of markers attached to the body of subjects (pro and amateur), which were obtained using a 3D motion capture system, into the musculoskeletal model which was scaled based on the body size of subjects. The motion of the club was also represented by introducing the positional data of each marker attached to the grip, shaft and head into the club model with rigid body, which gave the value of mass and moment of inertia. The tendency of the muscle force around the impact was estimated that both subjects mainly used the muscle around the shoulder joint rather than that of the part of large size and that the part of muscle used in the shoulder joint depended on the skill of subjects.