Muscle force transmission to operational space accelerations during elite golf swings

The paper investigates the dynamic characteristics that shape human skills using the task-space methods found in robotics research. It is driven by the hypothesis that each subject´s physiology can be reflected to the task dynamics using the operational space acceleration characteristics and that elite performers achieve the optimum transmission from their available muscle induced torque capacity to the desired task in goal oriented dynamic skills. The methodology is presented along with the full body human musculoskeletal model used for the task-based analyzes. The robotics approach for human motion characterization is demonstrated in the biomechanical analysis of an elite golf swing. This approach allows us to trace the acceleration capacities in a given subject´s task space. The results of the motion characterization show that humans in fact follow a path of trajectory in line with the maximum available operational space accelerations benefiting from their physiology shaped by the combination of the force generating capacities of the muscles as well as by the joint and limb mechanics.