What Is a Force Plate?

Kaine Doblo Head of Sport Science and Athletic Performance & Rehabilitation Coach 

Imagine standing on a high-tech scale that doesn’t just measure your weight, but measures how you move, jump, land, and push off the ground. That’s essentially what a force plate does.

Force plates are specialised platforms with built-in sensors that capture detailed information about how your body produces and absorbs force during movement. When you stand, squat, jump, or land on a force plate, it records data hundreds of times per second, giving us insight into your movement that the naked eye simply can’t see.

This information helps us understand not just how much force you produce, but how evenly, how efficiently, and how safely you move.

Why Does Force Plate Testing Matter?

Force plate testing allows us to move beyond guesswork and subjective assessment. It gives objective data that can guide rehabilitation, performance training, and return to sport decisions.

BENEFIT	WHAT IT MEANS
Spot Hidden Imbalances	Are you putting more weight through one leg than the other? Force plate scan detects asymmetries as small as a few percent, often before you even notice a problem.
Track Your Recovery	Coming back from an injury? Force plates provide objective data showing exactly how your movement is improving over time, taking the guesswork out of rehabilitation.
Prevent Future Injuries	By identifying movement patterns that could lead to problems down the track, we can address issues before they become injuries.
Measure What Matters	From how quickly you can generate power to how well you absorb force when landing. Force plates capture the metrics that truly drive performance.

Who Can Benefit from Force Plate Testing?

Force plate testing can be valuable for a wide range of people, including:

• People undergoing injury rehabilitation, such as ACL, ankle, or other lower limb injuries

• Individuals preparing for return to sport who want data-driven clearance

• Athletes looking to improve power, speed, and movement efficiency

• Everyday movers who want to identify and address imbalances before they lead to pain

At PRP Health, we use force plate testing to support smarter decision making, clearer progress tracking, and more personalised rehab and performance programs.

If you’re curious about how force plate testing could support your rehab, training, or return to sport, our team is always happy to chat.

Force plate testing, sports science, strength and conditioning and athletic performance rehabilitation at PRP Health in Victoria Point, led by Kaine Doblo, Head of Sports Science and Athletic Performance Rehabilitation Coach.