Angular velocity measures how quickly a body segment rotates around a joint, expressed in degrees per second (°/s) or radians per second (rad/s). This measure is fundamental in understanding the speed and dynamics of rotational movements.
Unlike linear velocity which measures straight-line motion, angular velocity specifically describes rotational motion. For example, when throwing a ball, the angular velocity of the shoulder joint indicates how fast the arm is rotating during the throwing motion.
Key applications include:
- Sports Performance: Analyzing the speed of limb rotation in activities like pitching, kicking, or swimming strokes
- Power Generation: Higher angular velocities often correlate with greater force production
- Injury Prevention: Excessive angular velocities can indicate increased injury risk
In video analysis, angular velocity is calculated by measuring the change in joint angle over time. High-speed cameras and frame-by-frame analysis tools enable precise measurement of these rapid rotational movements.
Angular velocity is closely related to angular acceleration (the rate of change of angular velocity) and torque (the rotational force causing the angular motion). Together, these measurements form the foundation of kinetic analysis.