Research Interests

Research Interests

Jon’s main research interests are in the use of both subjective and objective approaches to study the interactions between an athlete and their equipment.

Jon has considerable expertise in the evaluation of users’ subjective perceptions of sports equipment using a wide range of sensory methods. Concurrent measurement of sensory stimuli, the physical properties of the equipment and the performance of the athlete using the equipment has enabled relationships to be identified with the users’ perceptions. Recent projects have investigated subjective concepts such as the ‘feel’ of golf clubs and tennis rackets, the ‘comfort’ and ‘fit’ of footwear, PPE and apparel, and the perceived suitability of balls and artificial surfaces for football and futsal.

Jon is also interested in equipment customization to optimize athlete performance. Recent studies in cricket and golf have used biomechanical assessments to investigate changes in athlete kinetics, kinematics and consequently performance outcomes, as properties of the equipment are changed. This approach has enabled design recommendations to be made or product properties to be optimised for an individual athlete.  

Underpinning Jon’s research are the development of advanced measurement technologies, test devices, experimental designs and statistical techniques to generate and analyse high quality data.

Jon’s research interests are embodied in a model of athlete-product interaction which incorporates affective engineering, product customisation, measurement science and test methods.

Research Themes

Click on the images below for further details on each theme.