The objective of this work is to develop an inverse dynamics model that uses minimal kinematic inputs to estimate the ground reaction force (GRF). The human body is modeled with 14 rigid segments and a circular ankle-foot-roll-over shape (AFROS) for the foot-ground interaction. The input kinematic data and body segment parameter estimates are obtained from literature. Optimization is used to ensure that the kinematic data satisfy the constraint that the swing leg clears the ground in the single support (SS) phase. For the SS phase, using the segment angles as the generalized degrees of freedom (DOF), the kinematic component of the GRF is expressed analytically as the summation of weighted kinematics of individual segments. The weighting functions are constants that are functions of the segment masses and center of mass distances. Using this form of the equation for GRF, it is seen that the kinematics of the upper body segments do not contribute to the vertical component GRFy in SS phase enabling the reduction of a 16-DOF 14-segment model to a 10-DOF 7-segment model. It is seen that the model can be further reduced to a 3-DOF model for GRFy estimation in the SS phase of gait. The horizontal component GRFx is computed assuming that the net GRF vector passes through the center of mass (CoM). The GRF in double support phase is assumed to change linearly from one foot to the other. The sagittal plane internal joint forces and moments acting at the ankle, knee and hip are computed using the 3-DOF model and the 10-DOF model and compared with the results from literature. An AFROS and measurements of the stance shank and thigh rotations in the sagittal plane, and of the lower trunk (or pelvis) in the frontal plane provide sufficient kinematics in an inverse dynamics model to estimate the GRF and joint reaction forces and moments. Such a model has the potential to simplify gait analysis. Copyright © 2014 by ASME.