"Introduction to Sports Biomechanics" – the multiple choice questions results

Revisiting “Introduction to Sports Biomechanics: Analysing Human Patterns” by Roger Bartlett (2008) was tough (see previous blog entry http://thevolleyballanalyst.blogspot.com/2011/05/biomechanics-starting-at-beginning.html). Thankfully, as a measure of my understanding, the book has a website with 40 multiple-choice questions for each chapter at http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415339940/resources.asp. Here are my results:

29/40 (72.5%)

It was relatively easy to understand movement planes and movement types and how its used to describe simple movements such as walking.

30/40 (75%)

This was a great chapter because it showed you how to undertake a movement analysis study.  Again, this was relatively easy to understand.

29/40 (72.5%)

This chapter was tough as it further discussed the geometry of movement patterns and how to interpret graphs using position, time, angle, velocity or acceleration as two variables.  I had to reread the chapter twice (second time painstakingly slowly) before I got a fuller understanding.

31/40 (77.5%)

It started okay with the use of video cameras in sports and two versus three-dimensional recording movements.  However, when it got to data processing with associated equations and possible sources of error, I barely got through it!

21/40 (52.5%)

This chapter was physics principles applied to body movement and it was a struggle.   Having stopped studying the subject at high school, my knowledge of physics is patchy at best.  With a poor understand of basic physics terminology, the more I read, the more confused I got.  

22/40 (55%)

This chapter was slightly easier than the last chapter because at least I studied anatomy (bones, joints, muscles) in higher education.  It got difficult when discussing electromyography and its usage.

162/240 (67.5%) This was a tough read overall and my overall mark reflects that.  My understanding has improved vastly but it still has some way to go.  I feel some practical experience would really solidify my biomechanical understanding such as the process of undertaking a movement analysis study, the problems faced and how all of the information in the book relates to the study, e.g. I don’t understand how knowing the bone or muscle structure would specifically help me improve an athlete’s technique.

I am thankful that biomechanics only makes up one module in my masters course.