I asked this question in the help section and I was told to re ask the question here. Instead of reposting the entire thread I am attaching a link to the other thread here:

http://forums.photographyreview.com/showthread.php?t=28218

I am wondering if any of you sports shooters have used a Gimbal style mount on your tripod/monopod for shooting sports... racing in particular... and if it would be a hinderance or an asset in my equipment bag. I tend to travel light when I go to the race track or looking for birds/wildlife but I always carry a monopod for those "just in case" moments.

Is it worth spending the money on this type of mount or should I just stick with the ball head I have now?

hmmm ... 14 views and not a single response here or in the other thread.. so I am guessing that we have no current users of this style of mount. I guess I'm just gonna have to take on for the team and try it out.

We had a talk from a photographer at our local photo club who used a home made mount similar to that in function, but not design.
He shot sports like cricket, where a long lens is needed but it doesn't need to move rapidly to capture the subject (compared to motorsport) and there is a lot of waiting involved for the action. Also dog agility shows, where there is a lot of waiting and then the action is at a fairly well defined point, usually the end of the slalom poles or the catch in Flyball.

I don't see any point in that on a monopod, after all it's the monopod that allows you the movement - I reckon it comes into its own on a sturdy tripod.
I think it would be more appropriate for bird stakeouts, or wildlife stalking.
If it has adjustable pan and tilt drag, then it would be better, I think.
I don't think it's appropriate for racing, I've not seen one at a UK motorsport event.

Unless your shooting with a 400 or larger lens you don't need a monopd, all they do is limit your movement. I have even shot at the Indy 500 with a 400 and no monopod, I hate the things.

JS

I tried using a monopod to steady myself when shooting earlier this week and found it was more of a hinderance than being any help. As long as there is decent enough light I can shoot fast enough to eliminate camera shake zoomed out at 500.

I was thinking that it would work best on a tripod as you sugested SW. The pro models apparantly allow for an excellent range of motion for pan and tilt but I am not so sure about the affordable /Jr. models I have seen around. I have a friend who is a metals fabricator andhe says he thinks it is a simple enough design to re-create. I may get him to do it (he only wants his materials cost covered as he's gonna use it as a lesson in reverse engineering for himself) and give it a try.

I tried using my monopod at the Grand Am cup in Ohio this summer... that lasted about 45 seconds lol.

Monopods are really only needed for a few lenses. any 600mm or 500mm , 400mm f/2.8, 300mm f/2.8, 200mm f/1.8.

That is most certainly a neat head, and I've seen that before and been really interested, because from what I hear, it is pretty impressive. I've seen them going on classifieds for about 350, and if you are shooting big glass, it's some you'd want to look into for sure.