Video recording guidelines
• Observe the basics of good photography. Pay attention to proper lighting, focusing and framing. Set the lens no wider than to see the clubhead through its arc. • The use of a tripod is highly recommended. Adjust the legs of the tripod to level the camera and position it at about hip height. • Views: Face-on - the camera should be directly in front of the ball and at right angles to the target. Down the line - point the camera between your body and the ball. Aim at a target that is visible within the picture. • Use the highest shutter speed lighting will allow. Featured product "The best value swing analysis product currently available"
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Seeing your swing on video By Alex Nicolson, PGA Coach It was on a family golfing holiday in Scotland, aged 13, that I first saw my swing. The recently purchased camcorder was designed to capture humorous family moments and.our golf. Before I saw my swing, I was certain that my pubescent moves mirrored those of my idol, Nick Faldo. To my horror, video revealed that my swing plane was not a thing of beauty - it was in fact, practically around my ankles. So began an obsession with video. Many years later I use this tool to teach, but I am sharply aware of film's powerful effects on an unsuspecting golfer. Leadbetter was one of the first coaches to use video in tuition, and his success contributed to the huge sale of camcorders to golfers in the 1980's. Since then, the advancements of computer software allow swings to be analysed in even greater detail. A clubface travelling at 110 mph used to be a blur - now it can be captured clearly at any point in the swing. However, it is how this technology is used that makes all the difference, and I would like to offer some suggestions. Who can it help? Seeing your swing on video is not for everyone. There are golfers who don't think about their swing, have never seen it, have no idea how it works - it just does. These feel players need to be careful with video. If they become too conscious of what they look like they may lose the ability to "just hit it". Where it can make a real difference is for players who either need to make changes to their swing, or to those who need to keep an eye on the fundamentals (grip, posture, tempo etc.)
Feedback is essential to learning This is true of all skills. Our senses of sight, sound and touch are key to learning golf. Feel is perhaps the most essential of these, but it cannot be relied upon soley. Greg Norman said he used video because he needed to know the difference between "feel and real". In other words, often what he felt he was doing he wasn't - and he was world number one at the time. For example, if you have a tendency to stand too tall to the ball and your pro wants you to stand in a position that feels like you're squatting under a bush - look at it on video. Learning is accelerated when you can immediately see that the new position looks good, allowing you to accept the change more readily. What's the diagnosis? Although seeing your faults can be mildly disturbing for some, it can greatly improve your understanding of a pro's diagnosis. It is at this stage where the video software comes into its own. The professional can single out the key areas that need to be worked on, using drawing tools to illustrate the relative movements of your head and body. The mysteries of swing plane can also be very quickly revealed when viewing from "down the line" (i.e. viewed from behind the ball, towards the target). Moreover, in the click of a button, your pro can bring up some tour star with whom to compare you. Being able to take away relevant reference swings is an attractive feature of swing software. Compiling your own "swing library" permits casual viewing of awesome golfers to prepare you for the weekend - better than any screensaver. Referring to tour pros is great, but please note, that picking one who is roughly the same build as you is important. A friend of mine was left rather puzzled when the pro she took a video lesson with on holiday started an on-screen comparison between her (5'2" on tip toes) and Ernie Els. Beyond the lesson Golfers who have their own camcorder and analysis software have a potential advantage in the speed of their learning. For some useful tips on taking and viewing video, read the guidelines in the left and right hand columns.
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