As a coach, I know a lot of golfers like to video their swing for various reasons…
- To review their swing
- To send to their mates or coach
- To compare their swing to someone else’s
I even ask my lessons to record their swings and send them over, but it has to be done correctly or there is no point! A lot of people overlook how important correct and consistent camera angles really are.
Why it matters!
The placement of a camera can be paramount when trying to implement a change to your golf swing as a small change in position can affect what you are seeing or what you think you can see. There are two main positions to record your swing from, they are down the line and face on. These do however need to be in the correct position and consistent as I will now show you what happens if they aren’t.
If we compare these two photos from down the line from two different camera angles, you can see a few differences at the top of his backswing. In the photo on the right his hands look more behind his shoulder (1), it looks like his hips have rotated more (2), his left knee looks more bent (3), hands look lower (1), another big tell tale sign is what can you see in the background (4)
. In the right picture you can see the brickwork on the left. I can see all of these differences just by a small adjustment in camera placement!
Photo 1
Photo 1 is the position I like to see the camera in from down the line. This is where the camera sit’s in-line with hands and the target. There is no completely correct way of where it should be, as long as it is around this placement and is consistent, consistency is key.
Photo 2
If we compare this to photo 2 above, with a small movement with the camera you can see a lot more of this client’s left hip and leg as well as more of his chest, he also looks like he is standing taller. This shows how misconceiving a change in camera angle can be, especially when trying to make changes!
Photo 3
Photo 3 shows the second position, which is from face on. Again, I like to position the camera at hand height in the middle of the body. This is not a rule and as long as it is somewhere close to this and is consistent then it will be ok.
Photo 4
Photo 4 shows the camera moved slightly, this now gives a totally different view of this client’s set up position. His feet now look like they are aiming left, as well as his shoulders and his hands look like they are pushed forward by quite a lot
How can you make your camera angle consistent!
Recording your golf swing when practicing at the range or at home is a great way to check progress, but as you can see from the above, it is so important to make sure it is consistent to get a true representation of what you are doing.
There are a few ways in which you can make sure your camera angle stays consistent. There are loads of tripods and clips that go on your golf bag available, these are a great way of keeping your phone or tablet in one position throughout your practice session so you are always getting a true representation. To make this even more accurate you could pop a tee, a spare glove, or something elsewhere it will sit so if it does slightly move you can put it back where it was.
What we do as coaches eliminate changes in camera angles.
As coaches we know the importance of keeping a camera placement consistent, this is why we invested in a technology room with two super hi-definition cameras which are placed on a track on the wall so we can set them up for each individual client, and then we don’t have to touch them throughout that session. This then links to the software on the computer called Swing Catalyst which allows us to look at them frame by frame meaning they are really detailed. If we don’t have access to the technology room then we make sure we are using a tripod or we have marked in the room where we are going to stand so that again it is always consistent.
By following these steps and understanding why they are important should give you confidence next time you go and practice to make sure your camera placement is correct and consistent to get true results.
Enjoy your golf and keep practicing!
Jasmine Campbell
Assistant PGA Professional
@jcgolfcoaching
