The Tribune

By DR KENT L BAZARD

ANYONE who knows me knows I love science - especially physics. It’s the language of movement, force, and performance. 

I tell my athletes all the time: “Sports is physics—like it or not, you gatta love it.” 

And every time an athlete explodes off the blocks, launches a javelin, or rotates through a tennis serve, they’re not just moving - they’re manipulating mass, torque, and velocity. This is the foundation of sports science. And it’s time our athletes understand it.

Understanding how the body produces, transfers, and resists force is essential for improving performance, preventing injuries, and extending athletic careers. Two areas in particular— ground reaction forces and angular kinematics—offer powerful insights into why some athletes outperform others, and how we can all train smarter.

The Force Beneath Your Feet

Every time you sprint, jump, or change direction, your body generates force into the ground— and the ground responds. This is Newton’s Third Law in action. The better an athlete is at producing high levels of force quickly, the more explosive their performance.

Research from Frontiers in Sports and Active Living (2025) highlights that elite athletes excel in two major force variables: magnitude and rate. That means they’re not just strong—they’re fast with their force application. This ability, often measured as rate of force development (RFD), translates directly into faster sprint times, quicker cuts, and higher vertical jumps.

And it’s trainable. Exercises like resisted sled sprints, trap bar jumps, and eccentric strength work can teach the neuromuscular system to produce force more efficiently. At a national level, investing in this type of training science could elevate our athletes from “strong” to “explosive.”

How Angles Win Games

In sports involving rotation—such as baseball, javelin, swimming, and tennis—success depends on more than just strength. It requires precise control of angular momentum across multiple joints.

A study published in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance found that athletes who produce optimal joint angles and sequence movements correctly generate more power and reduce injury risk. For instance, a javelin thrower doesn’t succeed just by having a strong arm. Performance depends on how energy transfers from the ground through the hips, core, shoulder, and finally the wrist—in a kinetic chain of rotation.

Athletes with poor mechanics often overuse one joint—typically the shoulder or lower back— and develop chronic injuries. At Empire Sports Medicine, we use motion analysis tools to identify inefficiencies and develop individualized corrective strategies. The aim is not just to strengthen, but to optimize movement.

Sports Science for Every Athlete

For too long, sports science has been seen as a luxury—something reserved for Olympic athletes or professional clubs. That mindset has to change.

Even at the high school level, athletes benefit from understanding the physics of movement. Coaches benefit from performance testing, fatigue monitoring, and better recovery programming. Schools and federations benefit by producing more consistent, durable talent.

In a small nation like The Bahamas, where talent is plentiful but support systems still growing, we must move away from guesswork and toward data-driven training. Sports science isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Final Word: Make Physics Your Edge

Every athlete competes under the same laws of physics. Those who understand how to apply them have the edge. Force, motion, momentum, rotation—this isn’t just science class. It’s how gold medals are won.

So embrace it. Learn it. Apply it. Because in the world of sport, physics isn’t just the rules of the game—it is the game.