How Often do You Film Your Swing?

[mdl]

There's already a how to film your swing thread .  But there was an off-topic discussion in another thread about how much and when to film your swing, and how you should use that tool.  I thought it might make an interesting discussion, so I'm starting a dedicated thread.

Personally, I think it varies.  If you've already got a stable swing that you're happy with and you're just trying to maintain, not really working on anything new, then you probably don't need to film much.  Maybe just every once in a while to make sure some problems aren't creeping in.  Or if you start making a consistent miss more than before, or generally start hitting good shots less often than normal.

If you are currently trying to improve your swing, actively making either major or minor swing changes, then I think you need to film your swing very regularly.  I'm making major swing changes right now, and I film 1/3-1/2 of my swings in my practice sessions.  My routine right now goes something like this.  Warm up, do some drills (I'm on dry position and feel checks and head on the wall drill right now), hit a few balls with a very slow swing.  Then I alternate hitting a few balls concentrating on the priority piece of my swing I'm trying to change and then filming a few swings (usually just one or two).  Choose down the line (DTL) or face on (FO, caddie) view depending on which gives a better view of what I'm working on.  Then I check the video, usually do some dry or slow swings or drills trying to address the change I'm still not achieving.  Then repeat.

If you're looking for assessment or help with your swing from the video (Evolvr, a My Swing thread, your pro or knowledgable friends...), I tend to refrain from posting/sharing until I feel I've made really good progress on the piece I was trying to change after the last video I shared.  No one needs to see a string of videos that all look almost exactly the same!

What about everyone else.  Do you film obsessively?  Never?  Every once in a while?  Go through cycles?

If you do film regularly, do you feel it's helped you significantly?  Any favorite routines, tips?  If you don't film much, is it because you don't feel like you need to (at least right now)?  Because you don't like using video, disagree that it's a good idea?  You don't have a camera and tripod?  Laziness?

[jamo]

I'll get at least a few swings on film just about every time I hit the range.

[Golfingdad]

I voted "once in awhile," but maybe I should have said "many practice sessions."  I'm somewhere in between the two, I guess.  My current routine is to go to the range twice a week.   I'll set up the camera (just my iphone ... on a steeeck)  and do a down the line and face on video, maybe once every couple of weeks.  I don't film myself unless I am intending to send in a new Evolvr video or post one here on my swing thread.

I have Analyzr on my computer at home but I just don't have the time in the evenings to use it right now, so I rarely analyze my own swing.

[Ernest Jones]

I film my swing religiously. Probably too much, but at least it keeps me from machine gunning as my camera can only catch 2-3 swings at a time when in 120 or 240 fps.

[Lihu]

I wrote many, but with a 30fps camera.

[Hammer 4]

I voted Once in a while. Just to dam lazy..lol

[MS256]

Any time I smash my fingers with a hammer.

The sight of my swing makes me forget about any other pain.

Seriously:

In the "off season" if I'm trying to change something. Every practice session.

During the "golfing season" when I'm dancing with the girl I brought to the dance. Never.

[dsc123]

I picked every time.  Too many times I've worked on something, thought I had it, then filmed it the next day to see that I was completely wrong.

So now the only time I don't film is when I am practicing before or after a round.  Any dedicated range session include a camera.

[bplewis24]

Well, it's been over a year (maybe two?) since I last filmed my swing.  Part of it was the range I used to go to wasn't really conducive to filming FO (which is what I prefer) because of their stall setup.  The other is I hate seeing my swing on film :-)

Now that I go to a more "open" driving range, I plan on getting some film.  I still need to get a tripod of some sort.

[dsc123]

I still need to get a tripod of some sort.

try this: http://www.amazon.com/Octopus-Portable-adjustable-Cellphone-Bag-Red/dp/B007NFI656/ref=sr_1_2?s=wireless&ie;=UTF8&qid;=1397156724&sr;=1-2&keywords;=tripod+for+cell+phone

[LuciusWooding]

Many practice sessions; it's a pain in the ass to set everything up, and I don't always get good footage even when I make good swings. Plus I practice fairly often so if I took much footage and actually looked at it I'd be spending a lot of time. I probably spend too much time looking at the footage and not enough time filming. Plus I'm probably keeping too much footage; I should really just delete most of my videos after a week or so because they usually don't get looked at after a couple trips to the range. Plus I never seem to get my best swings on camera so sometimes I'll try and get locked in right before I start filming and it ends up taking a long time; usually I start pretty late into my practice session because I want the swing to not be too ugly, and I generally post the swings that got me the better results because nobody wants to look at and analyze several swings and preshot routines versus a 5 second video.

I will film at home sometimes though if I need to check positions. But that's usually because I'm really bored and can't practice outside. It's just a hassle and I don't have the knowledge to benefit from filming every day. I try to post in my swing thread only when I want to check progress or if I'm stuck, I try not to squeeze daily free lessons out of the site.

[cipher]

At least a few of the swings on every practice session for me.

[bplewis24]

try this: http://www.amazon.com/Octopus-Portable-adjustable-Cellphone-Bag-Red/dp/B007NFI656/ref=sr_1_2?s=wireless&ie;=UTF8&qid;=1397156724&sr;=1-2&keywords;=tripod+for+cell+phone

Do I look like Daddy Warbucks to you?!?

J/k, that's perfect.  I needed a $4 order to get free shipping with Amazon with something else I had in my cart, and it looks like that will do it.

[nevets88]

I'm curious - those who video their swing - are you the only guy @ the range doing it? Or one of a few?

[Ernest Jones]

I'm curious - those who video their swing - are you the only guy @ the range doing it? Or one of a few?

All by my lonesome. :tumble:

[cipher]

I'm curious - those who video their swing - are you the only guy @ the range doing it? Or one of a few?

I am the only one I have ever seen do it at my range. I probably get some weird looks, but I don't really pay attention or care.

[jamo]

I'm curious - those who video their swing - are you the only guy @ the range doing it? Or one of a few?

I've never seen someone else use a camera at the outdoor range, but I have at the indoor range. (My guess is that it boils down to selection bias - the guy who has the wherewithal to go to a soccer dome mid-day when there's snow on the ground is probably more likely to be a hardcore golfer.) Actually, one of my recent visits was the first time I've ever seen more people using some sort of device than not. A few guys have little things they put down next to their ball paired with an iPad. Looked like a tiny launch monitor or swing speed monitor - I should have asked.

[mvmac]

It's rare if I don't film at least one swing during a practice session. Shocker right?

I'm curious - those who video their swing - are you the only guy @ the range doing it? Or one of a few?

Most of the time I'm the only one filming. When someone wants to see their swing, which is only a couple guys at my club, they'll just ask me to film a couple since I have a good camera and can get the angles right. They use to film on their phones at regular speed, have no idea what they're looking at lol.