Conquest Chronicles Interviews Motus Global

Motus Global is an advanced technology lab that tests and trains elite athletes looking to transition into the professional world of sports. Motus Biomechanics Lab is nationwide, with the ability to travel anywhere with their mobile lab. Past destinations include Florida, Arizona, California, Boston; anywhere you need them they’ll be there. Although, majority of their testing takes place at their home base at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

They have worked with teams from several different professional sports leagues including Major League Baseball and the National Football League.

They have been known to test a wide variety of athletics, such as football, baseball, lacrosse, tennis, and even golf swings. You can get a glimpse of the motion sensor testings here. I got the chance to sit down and talk with Tony Laughlin, General Manager of Motus Biomechanics Lab and Will Carroll, Director of Media Relations at Motus Global.

Using motion capture and camera based systems, they are able to analyze the movement proficiency of an athlete. They break down their mobility, balance and power that derives from their natural athletic movements. On top of that, they are able to find the origin of flaws in an athlete's motion, which helps improve their skill while at the same time limit potential injuries.

They then help relay this information to trainers, coaches, and doctors to help mold them into the best athlete they can be. This research can help boost an athlete’s stock in the draft, as well as their overall performance. It helps build a slight edge over the competition, and as we know in sports, a slight edge can make all the difference in the world.

Motus started their research at IMG in 2011 and since then has tested thousands of athletes including big names such as former Tennessee Volunteer quarterback Josh Dobbs and former Texas A&M wide receiver Josh Reynolds. They also tested one of the best quarterbacks in USC history back in 2013, Matt Barkley.

And no Trojan fans, we cannot blame his professional shortcomings on the lab.

The Process:

Quarterbacks such as Josh Dobbs and Matt Barkley are first put through a mobility testing. This is a basic testing to examine all athletes on the first day, and the results will help build a specific program for each individual. Each quarterback then runs through their designed “QB screening” wearing QB sleeves. The lab can now analyze their arm efficiency and shoulder stress while the QB’s compete in both workouts and on the field practices. They use this to identify chinks in the chain of their throwing mechanics, that can improve the power/accuracy while at the same time limiting potential injuries. At the end of the program they are run through the same mobility testings from the first day, to examine overall strides made.

Look for the possibility of another Trojan quarterback to use their services down the road, whether it be Sam Darnold or a future start still to come.