Observations on videoing yourself

[nevets88]

I bought a high fps camera years ago but didn't use it as often as I should have and now I realized what an idiot I was. Part of it stems from I hate looking at my swing, it's ugly, no it's fugly. My opinion now? Get over it. The camera is such a useful tool.

In the range near my parents' place, no one... no one, uses a camera, or least I've never seen anyone use one. Forget the tripod, no one even uses their camera phone. Even the pro. I was kind of hoping seeing other people using cameras would guilt me into using my own. And I get lots of stares, especially from older folks, some who walk right up to the camera to see what a curiosity it is. I cannot believe in this day and age, people don't utilize the technology that is available and it's not expensive. Forget Swingbyte or GolfMetrix.

Anyways, had to vent. TL;DR - use your camera. Get one and use it if you don't have one.

[jamo]

I use mine just about every time I go to the range. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've seen other people at the range using a camera, and it's always been a phone.

[nevets88]

Originally Posted by jamo

I use mine just about every time I go to the range. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've seen other people at the range using a camera, and it's always been a phone.

People love to emulate pros, right? On the practice range, there are cameras everywhere, some folks have their own TM or FS. So the average joe copies their slow play, their dress, their equipment, but not their practice habits. Go figure.

Now that I think about it, I didn't see too many cameras at the US Women's Open practice range, anyways, I digress.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by nevets88

People love to emulate pros, right? On the practice range, there are cameras everywhere, some folks have their own TM or FS. So the average joe copies their slow play, their dress, their equipment, but not their practice habits. Go figure.

Pros are good at being Stupid Monkeys™. Average golfers are not. You're dead on with that.

[Golfingdad]

I don't bother to tape myself every time at the range ... usually only every few weeks when I feel I'm ready to submit another video to Evolvr.  In between submissions, I will occasionally video myself just to check progress, or something very specific I can't see.

And, one time in the last year I had a guy actually hand me his iphone and ask me to video his swing ... and that is the only other person I've ever seen using a camera on the range.  I also get curious looks when setting up my camera (iphone on a stick) and have had a couple of people ask me what I'm doing.  One even said something like "Are you measuring your distance?"  "Um, no, it's just a camera."

[jamo]

I don't bother to tape myself every time at the range ... usually only every few weeks when I feel I'm ready to submit another video to Evolvr.  In between submissions, I will occasionally video myself just to check progress, or something very specific I can't see.

A big thing for me is that filming makes me sssslllllooooowwwww ddddooooowwwwnnnn and take each swing more seriously.

[nevets88]

That's too funny. Golfingdad brings a monopod-ish to the range and someone thinks he's a surveyor/construction guy. I agree w/Jamo - when you have a camera, you pay more attention, you're really focused on those one or two things. And you can make blatantly visible changes on one session.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by jamo

A big thing for me is that filming makes me sssslllllooooowwwww ddddooooowwwwnnnn and take each swing more seriously.

Originally Posted by nevets88

That's too funny. Golfingdad brings a monopod-ish to the range and someone thinks he's a surveyor/construction guy.

I agree w/Jamo - when you have a camera, you pay more attention, you're really focused on those one or two things. And you can make blatantly visible changes on one session.

Question for both of you (or anybody else too):  Do you film yourselves and analyze your swings DURING the range session?  I mean, do you film a swing, then watch and analyze the video, then take another swing, analyze, and so on and so on ... or do you just set up the camera and film some (or all) swings and analyze them later at home prior to your next session?

Thanks!

[BostonBrew]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Question for both of you (or anybody else too):  Do you film yourselves and analyze your swings DURING the range session?  I mean, do you film a swing, then watch and analyze the video, then take another swing, analyze, and so on and so on ... or do you just set up the camera and film some (or all) swings and analyze them later at home prior to your next session?

Thanks!

I'll watch it on the range to make sure I can see the whole swing. But it would be hard to analyze much on my little PAS screen. I always wait and once I'm home I play around on the free version of V1.

[arturo28mx]

I film myself at home every couple of months. I don't have any special software in my computer. My most common swing faults: swaying, standing up, or not doing a proper one piece takeaway to stay on plane are very obvious.

Even when filming with an ordinary camera, once you download to the computer, you can use the "k" key to stop the video, while holding down the "k" key use the "l" key to advance in slow motion frame by frame, or the "j" key to go back frame by frame.

This is all I need.

I think filming one's swing is one of the most valuable tools to improve.

[CBO]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Question for both of you (or anybody else too):  Do you film yourselves and analyze your swings DURING the range session?  I mean, do you film a swing, then watch and analyze the video, then take another swing, analyze, and so on and so on ... or do you just set up the camera and film some (or all) swings and analyze them later at home prior to your next session?

Thanks!

Since I got my camera and started with Evolvr I now always bring the camera whenever I go to the range to practice. I usually do my warm up, then sit and watch my last evolvr lesson (I save all to my phone) to just settle down a bit and remind myself of what I'm working on. I do whatever drills I'm given or half/slow swings just focussing on those one or two things I'm working on. A lot of those I'll film and then see if I'm actually doing what I think I'm doing and it's a great help in improving and getting to know the feel I need to improve whatever it is I'm working on. I check the slow motion playback on the screen of my camera, it's big enough to see the things I need to focus on. I can see the screen when I do my drills too so it helps as a small mirror too. I've gone to hitting a lot less balls (at least compared to people I see around me) and having the camera filming my swings I can really focus on what I want to improve. Film a swing, see what's going on and instantly connect that to the feel I have doing the swing. Do some drills or swings exaggerating that feel and then film again to see if it's improved.  For me it's been a great tool and whenever I'm out on the range without it (always bring a spare, full, battery, lol) I feel like I'm not as effective as I could be. Then when I get home I'll usually get the last few swings from the front and dtl on the computer and will look at those in V1 where you can really slow it down and analyze things. I try not to look into things too much there though, just focus on what I tried to focus on on the range and then let the evolvr guys decide what I need to work on. So far that's worked great and for me it makes practice a lot more fun keeping it focussed and tracking improvement this way.

I've seen one of the pro's at the range film students a few times but never anyone else. I usually stand all the way in the back so I can quietly work on my swing and not bother anyone with the camera and don't really pay much attention to what others are doing so maybe I've just missed it, think if someone had a tripod set up and was doing it the say I do I would have noticed though.

[jamo]

Question for both of you (or anybody else too):  Do you film yourselves and analyze your swings DURING the range session?  I mean, do you film a swing, then watch and analyze the video, then take another swing, analyze, and so on and so on ... or do you just set up the camera and film some (or all) swings and analyze them later at home prior to your next session? Thanks!

I'll generally watch a few videos just to check in, otherwise I could waste the entire bucket on something that's not making a difference.

[dsc123]

I think I've seen someone else do it once.  It was a younger guy who was in a rut and asked me to film him with his iphone so he could figure out what was wrong.  I've never seen someone just filming themselves as a matter of course.

I probably use my camera every other time I go to the range.  I hit balls without the camera, then when I think I've "got" whatever I'm working on I'll hit 5-6 balls on video and take a look.

[nevets88]

Yes, during. The cameras let you step though in slow motion and the screens are big enough to let you get a general idea of what's happening.

[Golfer6760]

I use a camera at the practice range as much as possible. I have a bad habit of creeping my shoulders open even though my feet are square. I may feel like I'm square to the target but I'm not. The camera helps me groove the square feeling & bring it to the course.

I also use swing smart once in a while during practice. It' awesome for learning good tempo and keeping my swing path inside out.

If I go to the practice area and just bang balls all sorts of bad things creep in within a couple of short weeks. Then it takes a month to get rid of the bad habits. I use the aids to stay in tune.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by jamo

I'll generally watch a few videos just to check in, otherwise I could waste the entire bucket on something that's not making a difference.

This is also my procedure.

I'll warm up for about 15 minutes, take a video, review it, and work primarily on the one major piece ... that pissed me off the most

And that is the same major piece for forever - the backswing. I see other pieces, but one at a time.

[mchepp]

Originally Posted by nevets88

That's too funny. Golfingdad brings a monopod-ish to the range and someone thinks he's a surveyor/construction guy.

A few weeks ago I saw a guy with a homemade rig to hold his iPad while he swung. It was made from plywood and had to be nearly as big as the iPad itself. It was huge. It was fixed onto the end of a big tri-pod so it was a monster.

[Zeph]

I hit a quarter of a small bucket on one recording perhaps. Then I take a break and look at the recording to see what's going on and if what I'm working on is happening or not. I'm done with recording a session with 2 full buckets and come home to see I didn't do anything different.