Taking the time to set up and film your golf swing properly will pay off with a library of great swings from the same angle that can be accurately analyzed during your filming session, or used in the future for comparison as you improve. No matter how good your golf swing is, a misaligned video distorts it and makes it almost impossible to analyze effectively.
If you’re new to video analysis it might seem like a no-brainer – just point and press record – but you’ll thank yourself later for learning how to film your swing properly.
First things first, this is what you need on hand:
- A phone, tablet or camera. Pick your preference but your phone’s camera is usually as good as any stand alone camera.
- A phone holder or tripod. Even if you have someone to help film, using a holder or tripod will align your videos the same every time. Plus, you don’t have to deal with the “I thought I was recording” moments.
*Insider tip: We sell two types of phone holders in our shop if you need a new one - An alignment stick or extra club. This will help you set up your shot with a target line reference.
Now you’re ready to start filming. The two standard filming angles are Down-the-Line (DTL) and Face-On (FO).
Down-the-Line:
1. Set the camera up 10-12 feet behind you, at belt height, centered on your hands.
Ensure you can still see the top of your swing in the frame. If you’re taller you may need to set the camera back even further. Use your own paces (or strides) of the distance to determine the optimal camera location so you can film consistently everywhere you play.
2. Take an alignment stick and point it down your target line.
If you have another stick, place it perpendicular to your target line stick to create a “T” and straddle the stick in your stance. This will help make sure your feet are positioned the same way each time (this is optional).
3. Press record and take a practice swing, then check your camera alignment and make adjustments as needed.
*Insider tip: If you are filming by yourself, flip the camera orientation around to face you and walk back to your hitting area and take a slow practice swing watching the screen of your device to make sure your full swing stays in frame
Remember:
- Camera belt high, centered on your hands
- Camera pointed down your target line
- Clubhead is visible in frame during entire swing
Face-On:
1. Start with creating the same alignment stick target line reference mentioned above.
2. Set the camera up about 10-12 feet away, at the height of your belt line.
Use the bottom black line in the camera screen to ensure your camera is square to your target line alignment stick. Locate the camera directly in line with your ball position.
3. Press record and take a practice swing, then check your camera alignment and make adjustments as needed.
Or, flip the orientation of the camera so you can see yourself on the screen of your mobile device.
Remember:
- Camera belt high, square to your target line
- Camera aligned with your ball position
- Clubhead is visible in frame during entire swing
Feeling overwhelmed by this already? The V1 GOLF app has two handy capture guides. When you’re on the capture screen, scroll the bottom menu to the right to apply a DTL or a FO guide to your screen, then use that to get yourself set up properly.
How to use the camera timer:
When filming your swing on your own in V1 GOLF, use the timer to get set up before recording. From the capture screen, hit the timer icon once for 5 seconds, twice for 10, and three times for 15 seconds, then hit record. The timer will count down, then a beep will sound when it starts recording. Wait for the beep then swing away!
Remember, it is free to record your swing in the V1 GOLF app, but if you want to import videos from your phone camera roll upgrade to V1 GOLF+. This will also unlock the compare tool, which allows you to compare your swing side by side with any of the swings in our model swing library. Curious about how you’d stack up to Cam Smith? Now you can find out!
