How Force Plates Are Powering the Future of Sports Performance: Real-World Applications in Sports

In the past, multi-axis force plates were almost exclusively the domain of biomechanical labs and research hospitals. Today, they’re becoming indispensable tools in elite and professional sports performance environments around the world. These sophisticated platforms measure 3D ground reaction forces and moments, offering precise insights into how athletes generate, absorb, and transfer force.

At AMTI, we’ve been designing and manufacturing world-class force plates for nearly 50 years, building a legacy of innovation in clinical and research-grade biomechanics. Now, we’re seeing a rapid expansion of force plate use in athletic performance, rehabilitation, and injury prevention. Coaches, sports scientists, and strength professionals are deploying them in creative, field-ready setups that take force measurement out of the lab and onto the field, track, court, or even climbing wall.

Why Force Plates in Sports?

Force plates are a game-changer for athletic development because they provide:

• Objective Performance Data: Measurement of force and power output, limb asymmetries, rate of force development (RFD), fatigue, and return-to-play readiness.
• Real-Time Feedback: Athletes and coaches can work alongside sports scientists and immediately adapt technique based on visualized metrics.
• Rugged, Customizable Solutions: Our force platforms are durable enough for applications in turf, track, courts, and weight rooms, making them incredibly adaptable.

Real-World Applications (by Sport)

Baseball & Softball

• Pitcher’s mounds and batting cages are now instrumented with AMTI force plates to capture how athletes interact with the ground during throwing and hitting. These force plates capture detailed data on how pitchers generate and transfer force through the ground, helping coaches and athletes fine-tune mechanics, improve performance, and reduce injury risk.
• Over 1/3 of MLB teams use AMTI technology in their spring training facilities to improve pitching and hitting mechanics and reduce injury risk.
• Wake Forest’s Pitching Lab, as well as other Division I NCAA baseball programs such as Georgia Tech and Rice University, integrate our plates into their performance, rehab, and return-to-play programs.
• Check out our Point Loma X Padres Biomechanics Lab blog posts to see how AMTI force plates are used to analyze pitching mechanics and optimize player development:
  • PLNU x San Diego Padres Biomechanics Lab
  • New Baseball Lab Already Yielding Positive Results for Players

Golf

• Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) and other top-tier golf performance centers around the world use force plates to measure the ground reaction forces throughout a golf swing.
• By capturing how golfers generate and transfer force from the ground up, coaches and biomechanists can refine swing mechanics, improve power efficiency, and reduce injury risk.
• Check out our blog posts highlighting top-tier golf labs to learn more about how AMTI technology supports golf performance and innovation:
  • Titleist Performance Institute (TPI)
  • Chris Como’s Living Room Golf Swing Biomechanics Lab
  • Kwon3D Golf Research at Texas Woman’s University

Football

• Our force plates have been embedded in blocking sleds to analyze drive force and contact mechanics in real time.
• At Biocore’s Virginia facility, AMTI force plates are embedded under turf for impact biomechanics research, helping inform helmet and padding design to enhance player safety.
• A number of NFL teams, including the New England Patriots, use AMTI force plates in their weight rooms for performance testing, monitoring strength, power, and readiness throughout the season.

Basketball

• Several NBA teams, along with other multi-sport high performance facilities such as The Track at New Balance and the Banner Sports Medicine High Performance Center, have installed AMTI force plates directly beneath the court.
• These setups allow analysis of shooting mechanics, jump landings, cutting maneuvers, and lateral movement, critical for performance and injury prevention.
• Check out our recent blog post highlighting the incredible Banner Sports Medicine HPC sports performance facility to learn more.

Hockey

• Each year at the NHL combine, a dual force plate setup with AMTI’s BMS600900 platforms is used to evaluate player performance, with data collection managed via our partner software, AccuPower Solutions.
• A large majority of NHL teams themselves have AMTI force plates installed in their weight rooms for ongoing performance testing, helping coaches monitor strength, power, and injury risk throughout the season.

Combat Sports (UFC, Kickboxing)

• In mid-thigh pull assessments, athletes perform maximal isometric pulls inside Sorinex racks outfitted with dual AMTI BMS400600 plates to evaluate peak force and RFD.
• One creative installation involved mounting a force plate to a wall to evaluate strike force in kickboxing, a rare but powerful application.

Track & Field / Running

• Sprint tracks at The Track at New Balance have embedded force plates that measure force during running and sprinting strides, helping to optimize form and efficiency.
• AMTI’s Instrumented Start Blocks provide insights into push-off mechanics, used by elite runners to shave precious milliseconds from race times.
• These same force measurement systems also support research and innovation in footwear, enabling brands like New Balance to analyze how different spike configurations, shoe materials, and designs influence performance.

Rock Climbing

• The Climbing Biomechanics Association, a research nonprofit working with USA Climbing, uses AMTI force plates to analyze grip dynamics and force application on holds, bringing biomechanical precision to a sport typically analyzed by video alone.

Force Plates: A Key Player in Athletic Development and Rehabilitation

In short, force plates are no longer confined to academic labs: they’re an integral part of high-performance athletic development and rehabilitation. AMTI is proud to support this evolution by providing rugged, research-grade, and fully customizable force measurement systems that meet the unique needs of each sport.

Whether you’re managing a team, running a lab, or training for gold, AMTI’s force plates offer the precision and flexibility to take your analysis to the next level.

Ready to transform your performance program? Contact us today to explore how AMTI force plates can be integrated into your sport-specific setup.

Sources

1. Wake Forest Pitching Lab – https://www.wakeforestpitchinglab.com/
2. PLNU x San Diego Padres Biomechanics Lab – https://www.pointloma.edu/schools-departments-colleges/college-health-sciences/biomechanics-lab
3. Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) – https://www.mytpi.com/
4. Chris Como Golf Biomechanics Lab – https://edition.cnn.com/videos/sports/2020/09/04/chris-como-bryson-dechambeau-coach-dallas-techniques-living-golf-spt-intl-spc.cnn
5. The Track at New Balance – https://nbdevelopment.com/portfolio-item/the-track-at-new-balance-2/
6. Biocore, LLC – https://www.biocorellc.com/
7. Sorinex Mid-Thigh Pull Rack – https://www.sorinex.com/
8. Banner Sports Medicine HPC – https://www.bannerhealth.com/services/sports-medicine/banner-high-performance-center
9. AccuPower Solutions – https://www.accupowersolutions.com/
10. USA Climbing –  https://usaclimbing.org/