DIY tripod/Range filming tips

I want to go and record my swing at the range again today. In the past, I've always resorted to stacking up empty buckets of balls, and setting my camera on top of them, which results in a video which is filmed much to close to the ground. I've been scouring places like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Best Buy for cheap tripods, but the cheapest ones are always mono-pods. I really don't want to shell out $30-40 for a tripod that is only going to be used for filming my swing. I've tried things like using my stand bag to put the camera on, but the camera tends to tip over, and I have to do practice shots, then ATTEMPT to get it back in the same place twice.

Please, someone enlighten me. Any DIY tripod/simple tricks to get the camera hip-height or ~3-4 ft off the ground would be awesome.

Go to Home Depot and have them cut an 8' 2x4 into three equal lengths (about 2' 8").  Then just lean them together in TeePee fashion and set the camera on top.  You shouldn't even need to fasten them together, it's easy to carry, and should cost < $3.

EDIT: you said 3-4 feet - in that case use a 10' or 12' 2x4, but same idea.

Looking for something a little more compact. With that much lumber, I might as well go buy a 4ft 8''x8'' beam that'll just stand up. Thanks for the idea, though.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009UT28

I use this tripod and it's worked quite well for me.  I know you said you were looking for something DIY, but this one is $17.  You really can't beat that, especially after you realize how much less hassle is involved than trying to balance your camera on your bag or on some buckets.

I agree with above, amazon is the best place to look. I got this one and it works like a charm.

Along the home depot route, you could get a wooden stake and attach an L-bracket to the top with a 1/4-20 bolt and a couple of nuts / washers to mate with the tripod mounting point on your camera.  Basically make a $5 monopod that you don't mind sticking into the ground.  As long as the stake isn't too big around, it shouldn't cause any real turf damage.

I have one like this, a mini tripod with flexible legs.  Bend and wrap the legs to the top edge of your bag.  Just the right height and it won't move.  $8

http://www.cellularfactory.com/fulldet.jsp?d=32821&a;=849&mr;:trackingCode=39B322E9-441F-E011-AB84-001517B1882A&mr;:referralID=NA

i went the DIY route. today i went and had three 3 1/2 foot length 3/4'' PVC pipe cut at the local hardware store, picked up a two-inch 1/4'' hex bolt to mount the camera onto, and this pipe fitting:

i drilled a hole from the bottom through the top that was a little smaller than the 1/4'' hex bolt, put the bolt through the hole, and threw the legs in the fitting. works like a charm, and fits snug enough not to need to be glued together, so it all comes apart and fits in the bag. price: $2.33

Yes I use something similar too. I practice on the range at my course and just position the camera on the top of my bag and put it where I need to. Sometimes I use my iphone too and just put that in the cup holder on my clicgear trundler

This is what I use... it's simple and worth the $17 or so that it costs... just find $8 worth of other stuff you want off of Amazon and take the free shipping (that's what I did).  It fits well enough in the large pocket of my golf bag when I do take it to the range and it is simple to set up.

I bought mine for under $20 with shipping on eBay.

Can't beat that!!!