Michael Hiley

Loughborough University | Lough · School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences

During apparatus dismounts gymnasts land from up to 4 m above the landing surface. The gymnast needs to withstand high impact forces and the use of landing mats allows gymnasts to attenuate the forces with their landing strategy and interaction with the landing mats. Competition landings from various gymnastics apparatus involve the use of a 200 mm...

This study aimed to identify differences between ball release parameters and different pitch length deliveries in cricket fast bowling. A total of 707 fast bowling trials (bouncers, yorkers, stock balls) performed by 21 male fast bowlers were recorded and used to investigate the variations in ball release parameters. Ball release angle (p < 0.05) w...

Accurate ball pitch length in cricket fast bowling is potentially achieved from a redundant combination of four ball release parameters. Yet, it is unknown how parameter co-variations affect pitch accuracy. This study investigates whether pitch length variance is determined by coordinated ball release parameter co-variability. Twelve fast bowlers p...

High-skilled and recreational rugby players were placed in a semi-immersive CAREN Lab environment to examine susceptibility to, and detection of, deception. To achieve this, a broad window of seven occlusion times was used in which participants responded to life-size video clips of an opposing player ‘cutting’ left or right, with or without a decep...

The back handspring is one of the most commonly performed skills on the balance beam in women’s gymnastics. Despite this, quantitative research on the beam has often been overlooked. This study aimed to investigate the kinetic and kinematic variables during the performance of two back handspring techniques on the beam: the back handspring with two...

Speed and accuracy of the badminton smash are critical components for successful performance. Fifty-two participants data were collected using a Vicon 3D Motion capture system (400 Hz) at the BWF Glasgow World Championships (2017). The purpose of this study was to identify and compare spatial speed-accuracy trade-off (SATO) relationships amongst in...

A logarithmic curve fitting methodology for the calculation of badminton racket-shuttlecock impact locations from three-dimensional motion capture data was presented and validated. Median absolute differences between calculated and measured impact locations were 3.6 [IQR: 4.4] and 3.5 [IQR: 3.5] mm mediolaterally and longitudinally on the racket fa...

The aim was to determine whether operating a feedforward schema for generating movement pattern parameters was more successful than an open loop strategy for coping with uncertain initial conditions. A computer simulation model was used to determine the optimal solutions that maximised the likelihood of performing a successful upstart. Feedforward...

In springboard diving consistency of body orientation at water entry is necessary for a good dive and is likely to be dependent on the consistency of conditions at takeoff. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a diver modifies his technique from dive to dive during the board contact phase in order to be more consistent at takeoff...

An angle-driven computer simulation model of aerial movement was used to determine the maximum amount of twist that can be produced in a reverse 1½ somersault dive from a three-metre springboard using various aerial and contact twisting techniques. The segmental inertia parameters of an elite springboard diver were used in the simulations and lower...

esearchers who have used the temporal occlusion paradigm to study responses to deceptive actions have focused on the time window in which players resolve deception, improving from low to high response accuracy. Remarkably, the window of time during which players become deceived has yet to be examined. In the present study we address this by examini...

When learning swinging skills on a bar there has been conflicting advice in the research literature regarding whether to coach the “gold standard” technique to novices. The present study aimed to determine how technique (joint angle time histories) and (inter-limb) coordination changed as novice gymnasts learned a fundamental gymnastics skill (the...

The aim of the study was to examine changes in centre of pressure (COP) movement, alignment and shot outcome during golf shots from flat, uphill, and downhill slopes by mid-handicap golfers. Twelve male golfers hit balls with a six-iron from the flat and 5° slopes while kinematics and kinetics of the swing were collected. A launch monitor measured...

Researchers have suggested that expert performers wait longer before initiating movement responses so that they can obtain more information to inform their decisions (Brault, Bideau, Kulpa & Craig, 2012, PLoS ONE, 7(6): e37494). The aim of the present study is to establish how movement kinematics and kinetics relate to observed effects, response bi...

It has been demonstrated that expertise in sport influences standing balance ability. However, little is known concerning how physical contact in sport affects balance ability. The aim of this study was to examine whether differences between contact and limited-contact sport experiences results in differences in postural control. Twenty male colleg...

Sway area and sway speed data for all participants. (CSV)

Loughborough University, Summer Showcase-conference poster presentation. Smash Speed, Impact Location, Badminton World Federation, Hawkeye, Glasgow World Championships

In springboard diving, low variability in takeoff conditions and in the somersault orientation angle at water entry is to be expected since consistency and accuracy are necessary for a good dive. A diver's adjustment of body configuration during flight may be a deliberate compensation for variations in takeoff conditions, leading to increased joint...

The aim of the study was to examine changes in weight transfer, alignment and shot outcome during golf shots from flat, uphill, and downhill slopes. Twelve elite male golfers hit 30 shots with a six-iron from a computer assisted rehabilitation environment (CAREN) used to create 5° slopes while collecting 3D kinematics and kinetics of the swing. A l...

An angle-driven computer simulation model of aerial movement was used to determine the maximum amount of twist that can be produced in a forward 1½ somersault dive from a three-metre springboard using various aerial twisting techniques. The segmental inertia parameters of an elite springboard diver were used in the simulations and lower bounds were...

Insights into sensorimotor control of balance were examined by the assessment of perturbed and unperturbed balance in standing and handstand postures. During perturbed and unperturbed balance in standing, the most prevalent control strategy was an ankle strategy, which was employed for more than 90% of the time in balance. During perturbed and unpe...

An angle-driven computer simulation model of aerial movement was used to determine the maximum amount of twist that could be produced in the second somersault of a double somersault on trampoline using asymmetrical movements of the arms and hips. Lower bounds were placed on the durations of arm and hip angle changes based on performances of a world...

The Kovacs is a release and regrasp skill performed on the horizontal bar in men's artistic gymnastics. It is a popular skill in elite competitive gymnastics with over 40% of male gymnasts performing a variation of the Kovacs at the London 2012 Olympics. In the qualifying competition 84% of Kovacs were successfully regrasped, with the remaining 16%...

Feedback delays in balance are often assessed using muscle activity onset latencies in response to discrete perturbations. The purpose of the study was to calculate EMG latencies in perturbed handstand, and determine if delays are different to unperturbed handstand. Twelve national level gymnasts completed 12 perturbed and 10 unperturbed (five eyes...

When performing a giant circle on high bar a gymnast flexes at the hips in the lower part of the circle, increasing the kinetic energy, and extends in the upper part of the circle, decreasing the kinetic energy. In order to perform a sequence of giant circles at even tempo, any variation in angular velocity at the end of the flexion phase needs to...

In vaulting a gymnast must generate sufficient linear and angular momentum during the approach and table contact to complete the rotational requirements in the post-flight phase. This study investigated the optimization of table touchdown conditions and table contact technique for the maximization of rotation potential for forwards rotating vaults....

Minimising joint torque is often used as an optimisation criterion when investigating human movement. Alternatively, an aspect of performance may be chosen to be maximised when investigating sporting movements. The aim of the study was to optimise the technique in the backward giant circle prior to a double layout somersault dismount from the high...

Optimisation is often used in an attempt to explain technique adopted in skilled sport performance. This might take the form of minimising joint torques in an expectation that the optimum simulated technique will resemble the actual performance. If a suitable optimisation criterion can be identified then this may give some insight into the adopted...

In vaulting the gymnast must generate sufficient linear and angular momentum during the approach and table contact in order to complete the rotational requirements in the post-flight phase. This study investigated the effects of touchdown conditions and contact technique on peak post-flight height of a straight handspring somersault vault. A planar...

The upstart is a fundamental skill in gymnastics, requiring whole body co-ordination in order to transfer the gymnast from a swing beneath the bar to a support position above the bar. The aim of this study was to determine the solution space within which a gymnast could successfully perform an upstart. A previous study had shown that the underlying...

In the takeoff and early flight phase of a twisting somersault, joint coordination is based on feed-forward control whereas in the late stages of the flight phase configuration adjustments are made using feedback control to ensure accurate completion of the movement and appropriate landing orientation. The aim of this study was to use a computer si...

There is conflicting evidence as to whether skilled performance is associated with lower or higher movement variability. The effect of skill level and task difficulty on movement variability during gymnastics swinging was investigated. Four male gymnasts ranging in skill from university standard through to international medallist performed 10 conse...

The upstart is a fundamental skill in gymnastics where it is used to transfer a gymnast from a swing beneath the bar to a position above the bar. The aim of this study was to optimize the technique in the upstart on the uneven bars in order to determine the underlying control strategy used by gymnasts. A previous attempt based on minimizing joint t...

The handstand on rings is a requirement in competition routines in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics, and hence is a key skill in the development of an elite artistic gymnast. This study was carried out to establish the coaching requirements of a training aid for a handstand on the rings, to investigate the biomechanics of the handstand, to design and cons...

The undersomersault, or felge, to handstand on parallel bars has become an important skill in Men's Artistic Gymnastics as it forms the basis of many complex variations. To receive no deductions from the judges, the undersomersault must be performed without demonstrating the use of strength to achieve the final handstand position. Two male gymnasts...

If the magnitude of timing and angle variability in whole body coordinated movements were known, this would allow more realistic levels of variability to be included within optimizations of technique. The aim of this study was to determine the technique for improved consistency of performance of the Tkatchev release and regrasp on high bar, while i...

Computer simulation modelling is a powerful tool in Sports Biomechanics as it allows the researcher to investigate the underlying mechanics of technique. Once the underlying mechanics have been established technique may be optimised, which may be used to reduce injuries or to improve performance. When optimising technique, minimising effort or join...

In the table contact phase of gymnastics vaulting both dynamic and static friction act. The purpose of this study was to develop a method of simulating Coulomb friction that incorporated both dynamic and static phases and to compare the results with those obtained using a pseudo-Coulomb implementation of friction when applied to the table contact p...

Support systems can be used to prevent or reduce the impact during landings in various gymnastics disciplines. A support system typically consists of two ropes, three pulleys attached to steelwork in the roof space of the gymnasium, and a belt around the gymnast's waist. The aim of the study was to determine the forces at the pulleys and the tensio...

When a gymnast contacts the vaulting table the hands initially slide in the direction tangential to the table surface and then remain stationary. The force resisting the motion in the tangential direction is friction: dynamic friction when the hands are moving and static friction (stiction) when the hands are stationary. An angle-driven simulation...

In the optimisation of sports movements using computer simulation models, the joint actuators must be constrained in order to obtain realistic results. In models of a gymnast, the main constraint used in previous studies was maximum voluntary active joint torque. In the stalder, gymnasts reach their maximal hip flexion under the bar. The purpose of...

The felge, or undersomersault, on parallel bars has become an important skill in men's artistic gymnastics as it forms the basis of many complex variations. To receive no deductions from the judges, the felge must be performed without demonstrating the use of strength to achieve the final handstand position. Two male gymnasts each performed nine tr...

The dismount from the high bar is one of the most spectacular skills performed in Men's Artistic Gymnastics. Hiley and Yeadon [2005. Maximal dismounts from high bar. Journal of Biomechanics 38, 2221-2227] optimised the technique in the backward giant circle prior to release using a computer simulation model to show that a gymnast could generate suf...

The release window for a given dismount from the asymmetric bars is the period of time within which release results in a successful dismount. Larger release windows are likely to be associated with more consistent performance because they allow a greater margin for error in timing the release. A computer simulation model was used to investigate opt...

The Tkatchev on the high bar is a release and re-grasp skill in which the gymnast rotates in a direction during flight opposite to that of the preceding swing. Since the release window is defined as the time during which the gymnast has appropriate linear and angular momentum to ensure the bar can be re-grasped, it was speculated that the release w...

In men's artistic gymnastics the triple straight somersault dismount from the high bar has yet to be performed in competition. The present study used a simulation model of a gymnast and the high bar apparatus (J. Appl. Biomech. 19(2003a) 119) to determine whether a gymnast could produce the required angular momentum and flight to complete a triple...

It has previously been shown that male gymnasts using the "scooped" giant circling technique were able to flatten the path followed by their mass center, resulting in a larger margin for error when releasing the high bar (Hiley and Yeadon, 2003a). The circling technique prior to performing double layout somersault dismounts from the asymmetric bars...

It has previously been shown that male gymnasts using the "scooped" giant circling technique were able to flatten the path followed by their mass center, resulting in a larger margin for error when releasing the high bar (Hiley & Yeadon, 2003a). The circling technique prior to performing double layout somersault dismounts from the asymmetric bars i...

This article was published in the serial, Journal of Applied Biomechanics [© Human Kinetics] and the definitive version is available at: http://hk.humankinetics.com/JAB/journalAbout.cfm In Men's Artistic Gymnastics the backward giant circle on high bar is used to produce the angular momentum that the gymnast needs to perform somersaulting dismounts...

In Men's Artistic Gymnastics the current trend in elite high bar dismounts is to perform two somersaults in an extended body shape with a number of twists. Two techniques have been identified in the backward giant circles leading up to release for these dismounts (J. Biomech. 32 (1999) 811). At the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games 95% of gymnasts used the...

Reaction forces experienced by gymnasts swinging on the high bar may be determined indirectly using inverse dynamics analysis or may be measured using strain gauges. The accuracy of inverse dynamics analysis may be poor because of errors in the estimated inertia parameters and in the accelerations obtained from digitized data. On the other hand the...

The motion of a gymnast around the high bar is modelled first as swinging around a rigid rod then more accurately when the rod is considered to be elastic. How the gymnast should best move his hips is also considered.

In Men's Artistic Gymnastics the backward giant circle on the high bar is used to generate the rotation that the gymnast needs to perform the release–regrasp and dismount skills. Bauer presented a point mass model of high bar circling which indicated that ideally a gymnast should flex around the lowest point and extend around the highest point of a...