[Startup24+] SSTC Baseball Science Lab
Upcoming Agreement with Pro Teams... Also Applied to Cycling and Golf
"Enhancing Skills Without Injury, Maximizing Athletic Ability with 3D Motion Capture"
"Analyzing and Storing Players' Peak Performance Movements for Use During Slumps"
Joonhaeng Cho, CEO of SSTC (right), is explaining pitching motion analysis to a professional baseball player.
[Asia Economy Reporter Minjin Kim] There was a passion that could not be fulfilled only at school. Leaving the position of assistant professor at a university where he had worked for eight years, he started his own business in October 2020. This is the story of Jo Junhaeng (47), CEO of SSTC (Sports Science Technology Company).
It all started with baseball. That is why the company’s brand is also called ‘SSTC Baseball Science Laboratory.’ SSTC develops programs that maximize athletes’ abilities using 3D motion capture technology and applies them to training. Meeting CEO Jo at the headquarters training center in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 13th, he explained, “We analyze pitchers’ pitching forms and power to find the optimal movements and training methods tailored to each player. If properly executed, it can increase pitch speed and is also highly effective in injury prevention and rehabilitation.”
Both problems and effects are proven by numbers. Therefore, they cannot be deceived or hidden. Based on equipment and software imported from the UK, CEO Jo developed the program. Pitchers such as An Insan of NC Dinos and Yoo Jaeyu of Doosan Bears mainly went through this program. CEO Jo is expanding the application range to batters as well. Recently, he completed a scientific verification analyzing Samsung Lions player Kim Seongyun to understand how great power is generated from his small physique. Kim Seongyun is 163 cm tall and weighs 62 kg, making him the shortest and lightest player in KBO history, but he boasts a steel shoulder and excellent agility.
CEO Jo, who majored in physical education and studied biomechanics during his master’s and doctoral courses at Yonsei University, analyzed the 3D pitching mechanisms of Yonsei University baseball team pitchers here. Meanwhile, he has accumulated big data on about 300 professional baseball players and amateur players from elementary, middle, high school, and university levels aspiring to become professionals.
The analyzed images and data may look complex, but the principle is simple. CEO Jo explained, “We attach 40 motion sensors to the players’ bodies and have them perform pitching or batting motions. These motions are analyzed three-dimensionally, and power, angles, and other factors are quantified to determine which movements, muscle strength, or center of gravity shifts are needed or lacking.” They also compare maximum or average values by age, body type, athletic ability, and player grade.
SSTC will soon sign agreements with several professional baseball teams. CEO Jo said, “We plan to analyze and store players’ peak form and movements so that when problems arise due to slumps or injuries, the data can be reviewed to adjust movements and balance, providing necessary solutions to players.”
Using the principles applied in baseball, CEO Jo is expanding the market to other sports such as cycling and golf. Last October, he analyzed the training of the Yeoncheon County Cycling Team in Gyeonggi Province through a cycling MRI system. For cycling fitting, 12 ultra-precise motion analyses and high-speed cameras were used. This analysis data is utilized not only for athletes but also for equipment (bicycle) fitting to find the optimal equipment suited to the athlete’s physique.
CEO Jo said, “We have confirmed that demand is increasing not only among elite athletes but also among professional-level amateurs. I want to help not only athletes achieve their dreams in sports but also many sports enthusiasts perform at their best without injury.”
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