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This study investigated the forces and torques to the joints in the various steps of backward somersault indirectly and through simple biomechanical
relationships which had previously been proposed and used in long jump. The experiments were carried out using 15 experienced children aged 11t 25 d years.
Each subject performed three back ward somersaults with round off. The
experiments were filmed and recorded by a 25 HZ video camera. Two dimensional
kinematics plus biomechonical analysis yielded valuable mechanical parameters which agree with the results achieved by the more sophisticated and expensive force
platform and three dimensional analysis systems.