Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Dr Catherine Tucker
Senior Lecturer
Catherine is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Biomechanics. She began working at Leeds Beckett in 2013 having previously worked at the University of Limerick. She graduated from the Sport and Exercise Sciences programme with First Class Honours at the University of Limerick in 2008. She then completed her PhD at University of Limerick in 2012. Her PhD focused on using computer simulation to ascertain the effect of movement variability on the outcome of the golf swing.
Currently, Catherine is the Course Leader for the MSc Sport and Exercise Biomechanics and MSc Sport and Exercise Science programmes. In addition, she teaches on a range of biomechanics modules across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She has supervised two PhD students to completion and is currently supervising another student.
Catherine’s main research has focused on the biomechanics of different gait (e.g., running, race walking) and the methodologies employed within. She has also examined areas such as gait variability and symmetry both in lab-based and competition studies of world class performers. As part of the 2017 IAAF World Championships and 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships research projects, she was report editor for all event reports as well as being the Event Director of the horizontal jumps.
Currently, Catherine’s research focuses on running gait mechanics of Premier League footballers, middle distance runners, and on the effect of shoes on gait in populations with knee osteoarthritis. In addition, she is particularly interested in understanding the biomechanics of golf performance and to this end is leading the development of a golf consultancy service at Leeds Beckett University to provide 3D biomechanical analyses to golfers, coaches and other practitioners.
Current Teaching
L4 Biomechanical Principles of Human Movement
L5 Biomechanical Analysis of Sport Performance and Injury
L6 Neuromuscular Aspects of Skilled Performance
L7 Measurement Techniques in Biomechanics
L7 Biomechanics of Human Gait
Research Interests
Currently, Catherine is researching the biomechanics of gait including running, walking and race walking of different populations (e.g., athletes, Premier League footballers, those with pathologies). This particular research is focussed on the methodologies of analysing gait and the effect of wearing shoes on gait of healthy populations and those with osteoarthritis.
Catherine is particularly interested in understanding movement variability within and between athletes / sport performers. With colleagues, she is developing a golf consultancy service in the university to provide a comprehensive biomechanical analysis of golf performance for golfers and practitioners in the area using the impressive biomechanics facilities in the Carnegie School of Sport building. Her interest in golf biomechanics research is centred around understanding movement variability of golfers and what constitutes a “change” in performance. In addition to this, she is also focussed on creating better understanding of the biomechanics of the female golfer for golfers and practitioners.
Catherine has delivered to coaches (PGA of Spain) in the past on her research into movement variability of golfers to understand the theoretical and practical effects of variability. Catherine is open to discussing research projects in any of these areas.
Ask Me About
- Sport
- Sport science
Selected Outputs
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Tucker CB; Anderson R; Kenny IC (2011) A Method to Quantify Movement Variability of Highly Skilled Golfers Performing Driver Swings.
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Anderson R; Tucker CB; Breen S (2008) Movement Variability: A Comparison Between Novice, Experienced and Elite Performers.
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Nicholson G; Jongerius N; Tucker C; Thomas A; Merlino S; Bissas A (2022) The association between hip-shoulder separation angles and technique characteristics in world-class high jumpers. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4
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Bissas A; Walker J; Paradisis GP; Hanley B; Tucker CB; Jongerius N; Thomas A; Merlino S; Vazel P; Girard O (2022) Asymmetry in sprinting: an insight into sub‐10 and sub‐11 s men and women sprinters. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 32 (1), pp. 69-82.
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Walker J; Bissas A; Paradisis GP; Hanley B; Tucker CB; Jongerius N; Thomas A; von Lieres und Wilkau HC; Brazil A; Wood MA (2021) Kinematic factors associated with start performance in World-class male sprinters. Journal of Biomechanics, 124 pp. 110554-110554.
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Gravestock HJ; Tucker CB; Hanley B (2021) The role of upper body biomechanics in elite racewalkers. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3
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Hanley B; Tucker CB; Bissas A; Merlino S; Gruber AH (2021) Footstrike patterns and race performance in the 2017 IAAF World Championship men’s 10,000 m final. Sports Biomechanics
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Tucker CB; Hanley B (2020) Increases in speed do not change gait symmetry or variability in world-class race walkers. Journal of Sports Sciences
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Hanley B; Tucker CB (2019) Reliability of the OptoJump Next system for measuring temporal values in elite racewalking. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33 (12), pp. 3438-3443.
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Bezodis IN; Brazil A; von Lieres und Wilkau HC; Wood MA; Paradisis GP; Hanley B; Tucker CB; Pollitt L; Merlino S; Vazel P-J (2019) World-Class Male Sprinters and High Hurdlers Have Similar Start and Initial Acceleration Techniques. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 1
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Hanley B; Tucker C; Bissas A (2019) Assessment of IAAF racewalk judges' ability to detect legal and non-legal technique. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
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Hanley B; Tucker CB (2018) Gait variability and symmetry remain consistent during high-intensity 10,000 m treadmill running. Journal of Biomechanics
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Hanley B; Tucker CB; Bissas A (2017) Differences between motion capture and video analysis systems in calculating knee angles in elite-standard race walking. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36 (11), pp. 1250-1255.
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Tucker CB; Hanley B (2017) Gait variability and symmetry in world-class senior and junior race walkers. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35 (17), pp. 1739-1744.
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Tucker CB; Anderson R; Kenny IC (2013) Is outcome related to movement variability in golf?. Sports Biomechanics, 12 (4), pp. 343-354.
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Tucker CB; Anderson R; Kenny IC (2013) Is outcome related to movement variability in golf?. Sports Biomechanics, 12 (4), pp. 343-354.
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Hanley B; Tucker C (2019) Changes in contact and flight times with increased speed during overground and treadmill race walking. In: 24th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science, 3 July 2019 - 6 July 2019, Prage, Czech Republic.
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Hanley B; Tucker C (2018) Comparisons between systems to measure contact and flight times in elite race walking. In: 23rd Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science, 4 July 2018 - 7 July 2018, Dublin, Ireland.
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Tucker CB; Hanley B (2018) Comparisons between systems to measure contact and flight times during treadmill race walking. In: 23rd Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science, 4 July 2018 - 7 July 2018, Dublin.
