“Fast Forward” Quintic video analysis system for scrutinising technique and injuries

December 2nd, 2006 | Cricket, Quintic Video Software

Quintic software provides video analysis of technique for athletes and coaches. Lines, angles, alignment guides and point trajectories can be created to indicate patterns of movement. Linear speeds and accelerations, for example regarding ball release speed, can be calculated for detailed analysis of technique.

This analysis allows the user to compare technique of current practice (left) with best practice (right), together with verbal instruction and biomechanical analysis to improve coaching effectiveness. A great deal can be learned from video analysis, with the benefits applicable to all levels of performance.

The software was developed through work with fast-medium bowlers from Sussex along with members of the British Athletics squad involved in throwing disciplines. It is now used by a number of sports bodies, including the English Table Tennis Association, UK Athletics, British Swimming Association and Charlton Athletic as well as the ECB, Sussex, Somerset, Northamptonshire and Hampshire.

In February 2002, Hampshire acquired the Quintic video analysis system as a tool for coaching their Academy players. “The two individual players who benefited most from the system were fast bowlers Chris Tremlett and leg-spinner Ian Hilsum,” said cricket development officer Mark Garaway. “Chris has had serious problems with an injured back. With the help of video analysis, we were able to enhance Chris’ bowling action and the height of release. He took 20 first-class wickets last season and has been rewarded with a place on the National Academy”.

Hilsum is a promising leg-spinner who benefited from working with Shane Warne in 2002. The technical advice that Warne gave to Hilsum was later monitored using the Quintic system. “Shane and Ian worked together four or five times,” said Garaway. “But the ongoing influences of video analysis allowed Ian to access technical information and compare himself to Shane…

Quintic x4 Image still capture

Fifty-five bowlers marked for modification of action

June 28th, 2006 | Cricket, Quintic Video Software

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will assist 55 bowlers found to have suspect actions in domestic cricket to rectify their faults with the help of a newly-constituted committee.

The Bowling Action Committee is made up of a combination of ex-internationals and umpires, including Mudassar Nazar, Iqbal Qasim, Nazir Junior, Anwar Khan, Khizar Hayat, Shahid Aslam and Aaqib Javed.

Following a meeting held on Monday, it has been decided that the bowlers will be divided into four groups and each bowler’s action will be recorded on video. The videos will be forwarded to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for biomechanical analysis using Quintic Biomechanics Software. After confirmation that the action is illegal, remedial action will be carried out under the supervision of the committee members.

The bowlers have been divided into four regional groups. Footage of their actions will be recorded at the NCA in Lahore on July 7 for bowlers from Lahore and Sialkot, under the supervision of Shahid Aslam, at the National Stadium in Karachi on July 9 for bowlers from Karachi, Hyderabad and Quetta under Anwer Khan, at Khan Research Laboratories Ground in Rawalpindi with Aquib Javed on July 9for bowlers from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Abbottabad and at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on the same day for bowlers from Multan and Faisalabad with Nazir Junior.

Pakistan has been plagued with suspect bowling actions at domestic and international level. Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez have all been reported at various stages internationally and Shabbir Ahmed is currently serving a one-year suspension from international cricket after being called for the third time in his career last November.

In light of this, the committee was set up as part of the PCB’s policy on suspect action and there was concern within the board at the high number of bowlers it found with faulty actions.

ICC confirms slow bowler research for ICC Champions Trophy 2004

July 29th, 2004 | Biomechanics Consultancy, Cricket, Quintic Video Software

The International Cricket Council has confirmed details of the slow bowler research programme that will take place during the ICC Champions Trophy in September.

The second npower Test at Edgbaston marks the start of the detailed programme of slow bowler filming, which will continue throughout the ICC Champions Trophy, covering the slow bowlers of all participating teams.

The project is being undertaken by the ICC to gather detailed scientific data to help address the issue of suspect bowling actions among slow bowlers.

ICC General Manager – Cricket David Richardson, explained how the filming programme will be carried out: “Starting with Edgbaston, we are using high-speed cameras positioned behind the bowler’s arm and square of the wicket to film slow bowlers actions’ at 250 frames a second, which is five times faster than standard TV cameras.

“The footage from both cameras is then combined and converted by a software programme to create a three-dimensional image of the action, together with the ability to analyse it in every detail. This will provide us with a new generation of information that can be used in considering levels of tolerance for the accepted amount of extension at the elbow, either in terms of straightening or hyper-extension of the arm,” said Mr Richardson.

The ICC has commissioned Dr Paul Hurrion, a leading human movement specialist, to carry out the filming programme and provide interpretation of the data.

There has been less research carried out into slow bowling than faster bowlers, so this project will provide a clear scientific explanation of what actually happens during the delivery action of the world’s leading slow bowlers. Although a laboratory is likely to produce slightly more accurate data because of the controlled conditions, a competitive match situation guarantees the correct levels of player effort and technical application in the most realistic conditions.”   Paul Hurrion

“Once Dr Hurrion’s data has been processed and analysed following the completion of the ICC Champions Trophy, it will be used by the ICC and its specialist advisors to consider if the current levels of tolerance for slow bowlers need to be reviewed based on this new information,” confirmed David Richardson.

The 15 matches of the ICC Champions Trophy in September provide a rare opportunity to film the actions of all slow bowlers in competing teams at the same time under similar match conditions. The project will be the most extensive ever carried out into the actions of international slow bowlers.

None of the data collected by Dr Hurrion will be used to assess the actions of any slow bowler that might be reported for a suspect action during the tournament. Any such reports will be dealt with under the standard ICC process, based on match footage supplied by the host TV broadcaster.

Englands’ Darren Gough bowls to Nasser Hussain in the nets…”

July 22nd, 2004 | Cricket, Quintic Video Software

“Englands’ Darren Gough bowls to Nasser Hussain in the nets at the Asgiriya stadium in Kandy yesterday.”

ECB’s Head Sports Physiologist and Biomechanicst, Nigel Stockill films Nasser Hussain during net practice prior to viewing on the Quintic Software.

“The majority of net sessions are filmed, giving the players the opportunity to view their technique frame by frame. Players have built up a library of good technique on their laptops, which is analysed via the Quintic software. Quintic is a biomechanical analysis software package that enables stride length, release hieght, speed to be calculated…”

Nigel Stockill ECB
Head Sports Physiologist and Biomechanicst.

Darren Gough

Sports Injury Bulletin : Prevention, Treatment & Rehabilitation

May 22nd, 2004 | Cricket, Quintic Video Software

Case study 2: A fast bowler with a lower-back injury

Since the mid-1980′s, there has been much research aimed at identifying the causes of lower-back injuries in bowlers. Typically, there are three bowling actions for fast bowlers: the front-on technique with hips and shoulders remaining parallel to the crease for much of the action; the side-on technique whereby the action starts with the hips and shoulders pointing down the pitch; and the mixed action whereby the bowler usually counter-rotates the shoulders towards a side-on position early in the action. This mixed action can place additional rotational stress on the lower back, and as such has been identified by a number of scientific studies as the action most likely to result in injury (for a review of these studies, see Bartlett et al, 1996, and Finch et al, 1999). Typical injuries include spondylolysis (a stress fracture of the lumbar vertebrae), disc degeneration, and muscle and other soft tissue damage. Fast bowlers are also at risk because of the repetition of their actions, repeatedly placing high stresses on the joints of their lower limbs and lower back.

Despite this recently acquired knowledge, many bowlers participating in the game at all levels are still regularly becoming injured. Typically, the injured bowler will see a physiotherapist who will treat the injury until the player is fit again. However, this is often no more than a temporary solution and coaches need to discover more long-term answers to ensure that their players are able to perform at their best for as long as possible. Modification of a potentially injurious bowling action is one longer-term the solution that has already had some success in preventing the recurrence of injury, especially in Australia (eg: the left-arm pace bowler Bruce Reid in the late 1980′s). This case study similarly attempted to modify the action of a young injured bowler, using an innovative new video system.

Seeing is Feeling
The bowler was recommended to the Sports Science Consultancy Unit at Chelsea School, University of Brighton, by his physiotherapist. He was treated for lower-back pain that was suspected a to be spondylolysis. As he was still relatively young, staff the Consultancy Unit decided to attempt to modify his action with the help of Sussex County Cricket Club’s coach, Peter Moores, and the Quintic Video Analysis System. This system involves a digital video camera linked to a laptop computer that allows almost instantaneous playback on the laptop screen. Images can be viewed in real time, slow motion or frame-by- frame, and, as shown in Figure 1, sequences filmed on two separate occasions can be viewed side-by-side on the same screen.

The Quintic System also allows joint angles to be measured and compared if required. Thus, by viewing each delivery immediately after it was performed, the bowler was able to experience feelings associated with his “injurious” technique and, later, those associated with the ‘less injurious” technique as it was modified. In addition, both coach and bowler were able to monitor and measure the changes that occurred in the action throughout the coaching period.

What needed changing?
Aspects of the bowler’s action that were, identified by the coach as in need of modification were: limited drive of the right leg; poor foot placement, excessive flexion of the trunk towards the left (off-side); and extensive rotation of the trunk and poor use of arms in the follow-through. The excessive lateral flexion and rotation of the trunk as shown in the right side off images 1 and 2 respectively, were thought to be most related to the lower-back injury suffered by the bowler. The coach also encouraged the bowler to “stand tall’ and bowl through the crease in a straight line rather than rotating around the front left after release, as shown in the right side of Figure 2.

Coaching sessions took place at least once a month for a period of four months. The Quintic System was used on these occasions and on a number of follow-up sessions to allow the bowler to monitor the changes that had occurred in his action. It is important to mention that the changes were and introduced gradually and systematically. Interestingly, the bowler was not adept at identifying the associated with either “good” or “bad’ techniques early on in the coaching programme. He gradually became more aware of alterations in his action, and near the end of the programme became very good at noticing slight alterations in technique.

Comparison of the left image with the right image of Figures 1 and 2 show that the bowler’s technique was modified with a great deal of success. The left side of Figure 1 shows that bowler’s spine was more upright at the point of ball release, which should reduce stress in the left lower back where the pain was felt. The bowler’s body no longer rotated excessively around the planted front leg, and the right-leg drive was more powerful and directed down the pitch (see Figure 2).

What happened next?
During the four-month coaching programme the bowler did not bowl at full speed in order to help him concentrate on the changes, nor did he bowl in any matches. He also attended a Polartis course aimed at improving core stability. This was also deemed important since he tended to allow his body to fall to the left during delivery, which arguably was contributing to the cause of the injury. With better core stability he was better able to support his action and remain more upright. A follow-up analysis session was carried out after a period of three months, during which no coaching or analysis sessions were offered, and the bowler was therefore left alone to continue practising. Encouragingly, the Quintic System was able to show that he had retained the new modified action and had not reverted to the old one. More encouragingly, the bowler no longer complained of low-back pain. Feedback from the bowler revealed that expert coaching using the Quintic System had been the key to enable him to modify his action.

This case study has been a great success and goes some way to demonstrating how applied sports science can be used in cricket and the modification of bowling techniques to reduce the risk of injury. Similar studies are now being carried out using the Quintic System on batting technique, tennis serving, and swimming strokes.

If you want further information about this study, contact Rob Harley (Senior Lecturer in Physiology and Head of Sports Science Consultancy at the University of Brighton) on 01273 643758;
e-mail: r.a.harley@bton.ac.uk.

Adrian Burden

References
Bartiett, R.M., Stockhill, N.P., Eillott, B.C., and Burnett, A.F. (1996). ” The biomechanics of fast bowling in men’s cricket: a review.” Journal of Sport Science, 14, pp 403-424

Finch, C.F., Elliott, B.C., McGrath, A.C. (1999). “Measures to prevent cricket injuries: an overview.” Sports Medicine 28, pp 263-272



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