How to Analyze Horizontal Jumps and Change of Direction with 3D Force Plates

Force plates offer far more than vertical jump data. Anterior-posterior (AP) and medial—lateral (ML) metrics are here! MR automatically detects horizontal jump and cutting tasks with the same familiar jump analysis workflow present for vertical jumps, and provides automatically-calculated metrics for deeper insights into stability, directional control, braking and propulsion.

The following types of horizontal/cutting tasks are now supported in MR 4.2.20 or later:

• 505 agility testing
• Deceleration-landing
• Broad jumps *coming soon
• Lateral Jumps *coming soon

MR automatically identifies jump types and applies universal subphase detection:

• Unweighting (when present)
• Braking
• Propulsive
• Flight (if applicable)
• Stabilization (if applicable)

New parameters include AP/ML forces, shear-specific RFD, and asymmetry metrics. The Jump Loop element now supports AP/ML force, acceleration, velocity, and COP signals for richer visual analysis.

To use the horizontal jump analysis features, MR 4.2.22 or later is required. Users must have a 3D force plate and the myoFORCE software module.

Measurement Workflow:

1. Ask the subject to stand on the force plate(s) for a few seconds to measure the stable body weight interval.

2. Perform the lateral jumps or cuts onto the force plate.

TIP: If you are comparing right vs left, ask the athlete to cut/jump onto the correctly sided force plate for each leg.

NOTE: Only one jump type per recording is supported for analysis. If you wish to analyze multiple types of jumps (cutting, vertical jumps, etc), separate them into different recordings.

The video below shows the recording process for a 45 degree cut activity.

Report Workflow:

1. From the report menu, select the applicable Jump Analysis Report.

• Jump Analysis – Detects bilateral jumps with basic jump metrics enabled.
• Advanced Jump Analysis – Detects bilateral jumps with advanced jump metrics enabled
• Unilateral Jump Comparison – Detects unilateral jumps when performed on a left or right force plate.
• Change of Direction – Detects change of direction (cutting) when performed on a left or right force plate.

2. Jumps are automatically identified in MR. For more information on how each type of jump is detected, reference the myoFORCE guide below.

3. Run the Report. Make edits to the report template to add/remove parameters of interest if desired.

Contact support@noraxon.com for more assistance with report editing or ideas for custom report templates.

The video below shows how to analyze cuts using the Change of Direction report.

The following parameters are available in the Jump Analysis parameters list for horizontal jumping and cutting movements.

• Peak ML Loading Force
• Peak AP Loading Force
• ML Impulse
• AP Impulse
• Relative Peak ML Loading Force
• Relative Peak AP Loading Force
• ML Kinetic Asymmetry Index
• AP Kineatic Asymmetry Index
• Peak ML Braking Force
• Peak AP Braking Force

Users can plot the AP force and ML forces against each other in the Shear Force Loop (ML vs AP). This is part of the “Jump Loops” report element, and is used to analyze the coordination between ML and AP loading.

If desired, the Jump Loops element can be modified to plot different signals (acceleration, velocity, or position) against each other to view any coordination patterns.

Interpretation: The plot illustrates how medioloateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) forces interact during the cutting step. A wider loop indicates increased lateral loading, while a taller loop reflects greater braking or propulsive effort. The loop’s shape reveals the athlete’s deceleration strategy and ability to redirect momentum.

Q: The anterior-posterior and medial-lateral metrics don’t appear in the directions I expect.

A: Ensure you have oriented your force plate correctly in the Protocol Configuration setup according to the “body forward” position of the force plate.

Reference the COP Trace Setup Tutorial🔗 for more information on how to set it up.