Stability depends on the position of a performer’s centre of mass (the point of balance of their body). Some sports require stability to allow for efficient movement, power generation, maintenance of control and injury prevention. Think of kicking a football: when you are in an unstable or unbalanced position, a pass or shot can end up being off target. In netball, a stable position increases shooting accuracy.
However, some performers use an unstable body position to their advantage. This is the case in the 100 m sprint start in track athletics. The ‘on your marks’ position is more stable than the ‘set’ position because a sprinter in the ‘set’ position does not have their centre of mass over their base of support. Instead, their centre of mass is slightly forward, over their front foot and right at the edge of their base of support. On hearing the starting pistol, the sprinter lifts their hands off the ground, creating an off-balance position. This causes them to fall forward, therefore generating momentum for the speed they require to leave the blocks as quickly as possible.
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