VALDCAST Daniel Cohen: Decoding Force Plate Truths
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Dec 4, 2025 
Dr. Daniel Cohen, a sports scientist and co-founder of ForceDecks, dives into the complex world of force plate data. He explains how elite performance metrics like concentric impulse and eccentric deceleration are misunderstood. Cohen critiques traditional ‘fatigue monitoring’ and urges a shift toward load response analysis, stressing the importance of context in athlete assessment. He tackles the flawed 10% asymmetry rule, advocates for sport-specific approaches, and highlights data hygiene as vital for accurate insights.
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Large Data Validates Discriminating CMJ Metrics
- Large-scale Premier League data confirmed earlier smaller findings about which CMJ metrics discriminate elite players.
- This validation increased Daniel Cohen's confidence in the data lake and its cleaning processes.
Reframe Fatigue To Load-Response
- Stop calling routine testing 'fatigue monitoring' and instead frame it as load-response monitoring.
- Expect elite footballers to generally improve neuromuscularly across a season, not always decline.
Choose Jump Type By Context And Hygiene
- Use both single-leg and double-leg jumps where appropriate, but prefer double-leg CMJ for time-limited monitoring due to cleaner signals.
- Only use single-leg data when you ensure high test hygiene and clear queuing.