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HomeTechniques

Tom Brown's Foot Mapping Technique

 
Foot mapping is a technique to convey exacting pressure release information using a coordinate system. Each track should be labeled whether it is a left or right foot, front or back foot (if applicable), and the length and width of the foot. Next draw the track to scale. Very small tracks may need to be scaled up to more easily identify pressure releases in the track.

Next divide the track into quarters with a horizontal and a vertical axis. Label the top left Quadrant 1, the top right Quadrant 2, the bottom left Quadrant 3, and the bottom right Quadrant 4.

Now, divide each quadrant with 20 evenly spaced horizontal lines, numbering them from top to bottom.

Next, divide each quadrant, individually, into 8 evenly space vertical lines. Letter them from A through H, starting with the line next to the vertical axis and working towards the outside of the track.

So, finally, if you were to tell Tom that you have a track of a man's right foot with a rolling, negative pitched spiralling pock pressure release covering Quadrant 1, numbers 2, 3, and 4, and letters F, G, and H, he would know exactly where in the track you are talking about. Then he would tell you that it indicates that the person stopped to pick up a coin, or some small object. But, if the pressure release was found an inch back, it would have meant they had just bent over.