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An IMU-based mobile system for golf putt analysis

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Abstract

A mobile system for real-time golf putt analysis and augmented feedback is of high interest for technique training and research. Recently, instrumented golf clubs comprising inertial measurement units were introduced as a suitable modality for mobile putt analysis. The high level of sensor integration and its mobile nature enable the unobtrusive and mobile collection of a high amount of data. We developed such a mobile analysis system with feedback capabilities using off-the-shelf components with a removable sensor. The main features are an automatic putt detection with machine learning methods and the real-time parameter calculation in the club coordinate system. In a validation study, the system detected more than 83 % of the putts for 8 out of 11 subjects while maintaining a false-positive rate of 2.4 %. Thus, it is a suitable tool to analyze putting strokes in real time and enables feedback intervention applications. As an application example for research, the collected kinematic data of eight players (1,946 putts) were used to analyze training progress. Compared to the common analysis of expert and novice differences, the presented results provide a first insight in the motor learning path of inexperienced golfers. In principle, the presented system can be used to realize mobile data analysis systems for various sports disciplines beyond golf putting. It furthermore provides an innovative tool to analyze motor learning processes in more detail.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Bavarian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology and the European Fund for Regional Development. The authors would like to thank Alexander Ruppel for his support in data collection and implementation and all subjects who volunteered in the studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Digital Sports Group, Pattern Recognition Lab, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Martensstrasse 3, 91058, Erlangen, Germany

    Ulf Jensen & Bjoern M. Eskofier

  2. Institute for Sports Sciences, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany

    Marcus Schmidt, Markus Hennig & Thomas Jaitner

  3. Adidas Group, Herzogenaurach, Germany

    Frank A. Dassler

Authors
  1. Ulf Jensen
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  2. Marcus Schmidt
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  3. Markus Hennig
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  4. Frank A. Dassler
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  5. Thomas Jaitner
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  6. Bjoern M. Eskofier
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Correspondence to Ulf Jensen.

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Jensen, U., Schmidt, M., Hennig, M. et al. An IMU-based mobile system for golf putt analysis. Sports Eng 18, 123–133 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12283-015-0171-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12283-015-0171-9

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