Love at First Try? How Reliable is a First Impression for Selecting a Golf Putter?

AbstractIn the game of golf the putter is used for 40 to 50 percent of all strokes during a round. Therefore, it is important for a golfer to find the putter that suits the own game best and that promises the most success on the green. Compared to all their other golf clubs, average recreational golfers usually select their putter relatively fast - the main criterion for choosing a specific putter being the first impression after a few practice strokes. The purpose of this paper therefore is to find out whether this first impression is reliable in the process of finding a putter, a study was completed. The study was conducted with ninety test subjects of varying skill levels and experience. This study used three different types of putters. The putting accuracy of each test subject with every test putter was recorded. The subjects had to twice fill in a questionnaire about their perception of the putters’ properties before (Q1) and after (Q2) the putting sequences. The results of Q1 and Q2 were set in relation to the analysis of putting accuracy resulting in low number of successful identifications for Q1 and more than twice the number of successful identifications of Q2. An analysis of the handicap and the playing experience of the test subjects indicates that golfers of all skill and experience levels are able to find the best putter through the first impression. However, the results showed that the identification rate is still low. The paper therefore concludes that a golfer should not rely on the first impression alone

Saddle-pressure distribution and perceived comfort during inclined and upright cycling

To gather further information on the issue of discomfort and its prevention during seated bicycle riding, different seating conditions were tested during short term indoor cycling trials. The pressure distribution on the bicycle saddle for an upright position on a wide, cushioned saddle and an inclined position on a narrow, sporty saddle as well as the riders’ subjective feedback revealed significant differences between these scenarios.Um weitere Informationen zum Thema Unbehagen und dessen Vorbeugung beim sitzenden Radfahren zu erhalten, wurden verschiedene Sitzbedingungen während kurzfristiger Indoor-Radfahrversuche getestet. Die Druckverteilung auf dem Fahrradsattel bei einer aufrechten Position auf einem breiten, gepolsterten Sattel und einer geneigten Position auf einem schmalen, sportlichen Sattel sowie das subjektive Feedback der Fahrer zeigten signifikante Unterschiede zwischen diesen Szenarien

Saddle-pressure distribution and perceived comfort during inclined and upright cycling

To gather further information on the issue of discomfort and its prevention during seated bicycle riding, different seating conditions were tested during short term indoor cycling trials. The pressure distribution on the bicycle saddle for an upright position on a wide, cushioned saddle and an inclined position on a narrow, sporty saddle as well as the riders’ subjective feedback revealed significant differences between these scenarios.Um weitere Informationen zum Thema Unbehagen und dessen Vorbeugung beim sitzenden Radfahren zu erhalten, wurden verschiedene Sitzbedingungen während kurzfristiger Indoor-Radfahrversuche getestet. Die Druckverteilung auf dem Fahrradsattel bei einer aufrechten Position auf einem breiten, gepolsterten Sattel und einer geneigten Position auf einem schmalen, sportlichen Sattel sowie das subjektive Feedback der Fahrer zeigten signifikante Unterschiede zwischen diesen Szenarien

Saddle-pressure distribution and perceived comfort during inclined and upright cycling

To gather further information on the issue of discomfort and its prevention during seated bicycle riding, different seating conditions were tested during short term indoor cycling trials. The pressure distribution on the bicycle saddle for an upright position on a wide, cushioned saddle and an inclined position on a narrow, sporty saddle as well as the riders’ subjective feedback revealed significant differences between these scenarios.Um weitere Informationen zum Thema Unbehagen und dessen Vorbeugung beim sitzenden Radfahren zu erhalten, wurden verschiedene Sitzbedingungen während kurzfristiger Indoor-Radfahrversuche getestet. Die Druckverteilung auf dem Fahrradsattel bei einer aufrechten Position auf einem breiten, gepolsterten Sattel und einer geneigten Position auf einem schmalen, sportlichen Sattel sowie das subjektive Feedback der Fahrer zeigten signifikante Unterschiede zwischen diesen Szenarien

Prediction of Road Surface Quality during Cycling Using Smartphone Accelerometer Data

Many cyclists use online-maps for planning their routes, however, only little information is known about the road surface of different cycling paths, farm or public roads. Cyclists prefer road surfaces fitting the type of bike they are using for a specific ride (e.g., time trial, road, MTB, cyclocross, gravel bike). Often riders upload their ride data including GPS, heart rate (HR) or power (P) on platforms like Strava or Garmin Connect. In this research we tried to evaluate whether it is possible to (1) evaluate the road surface quality using a 3D accelerometer mounted on the bicycle’s fork (f = 500 Hz) and whether (2) results of similar quality can be achieved using the accelerometer of a smartphone (f = 100 Hz) placed in the cyclist’s pocket. For data acquisition a cyclist rode on a cyclocross bicycle on three different road surfaces (cobblestones, gravel and tarmac) with three different speeds (10, 20 and 30 km/h) and three different tire pressures (3, 4 and 5 bar). Data of both measuring systems were analyzed using machine learning algorithms. Results showed that road surfaces could be predicted with more than 99% accuracy with the accelerometer and with more than 97% with the smartphone-data

On-track Measurements in Motocross: The Correlation of Neck Muscle Activity and Contact Incidents of Helmet and Neck Brace

AbstractModern motocross racing is a very demanding and a highly injury rated sport. Within a wide range of injuries, cervical spine injuries are most feared and can even end up in different forms of paraplegia. Worn around the neck and with a non-permanent connection to rider, neck braces primarily offer a protective purpose to prevent cervical spine injuries. Beside the protective purpose, neck braces can have a supporting or a fatigue effect to the rider's neck muscles, where the effects depend on the specific neck brace design and the contact occurring between helmet and brace. Within a field test one subject was measured. During on- track measurements the contact incidents of neck brace and helmet were recorded utilizing a self-made sensor construction. The sensor construction was based on 12 electrical push-buttons and was mounted at the helmet's underside. Contact data was stored using two portable data-logging systems. Additionally muscular activity of m. sternocleidomastoideus (scm) and the upper part of trapezius (trap) were recorded while riding using a portable EMG-system. The acquired EMG data delivered information about a change of neck muscle activity while riding with the neck brace system. Activation levels and distribution of muscular activity of m. sternocleidomastoideus and m. trapezius show divergent activation levels and a changed distribution of muscular activity in response to wearing a neck brace. Related to the data of specific contact areas, it could be observed that almost one fifth of total riding time, contact between helmet and neck brace could be recorded. Low and high frequent contact areas of helmet and neck brace were calculated for total riding time, single laps and specific events, whereby a decreasing trend of contact incicdents by increasing riding time was observed. The EMG and contact data obtained delivered information about a connection of the changes of neck muscle activity and the frequent contact areas of helmet and brace. It can be concluded that driving with neck brace affects the activation levels and distribution of muscular activity of the muscles observed. According to the recent results, the correlation of contact and EMG data could be used for further neck brace design improvements and specific design adaptations to special requirements of several bike sports