Sports acoustics: Using sound from resonant shells, vibrating cylinders, strumming shafts, and water impact to evaluate athletic performance

The sound from equipment used and/or specific acts during athletic competition, such as hitting a baseball with an aluminum bat, carries beyond the playing field and can provide a nonobtrusive method to evaluate athletic performance—such as where on the bat the ball was hit. Standardized equipment guarantees repeatability, for example, every volleyball resonates at the same frequency. Each major sport can have unique noise interference which in some circumstances can be overwhelming, and the distance from the sound source can vary significantly during a game. Still, it will be shown that useful performance information can be obtained under realistic conditions for at least the following sports: volleyball, softball, baseball, golf, swimming and diving, soccer, and football.