Video Anaylsis - Like it?

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Dec 3, 2008
161
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Curious to hear your thoughts (hitting gurus and novices alike) about the benefits of video analysis. In my playing career, I never saw myself hit and never compared my swing to elite hitters. The new generation of players has all the opportunity in the world to analyze their swing through video. Is it beneficial? I suppose only as much as the coach is knowledgeable...

Do you like video analysis, and why? Do you think it can cause players to over-think hitting too much... to concern themselves too much with mechanics? Or, maybe a concern about proper mechanics is a good thing. Do you use it to compare a player's swing to elite hitters, or to compare their own swing over time? How do you (and how often do you) use video analysis with your players, students?

Interested to hear opinions. Thanks!
 
May 12, 2008
20
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I think hitting just caught up to golf. This has been around for years in golf. There will be plenty of pros and cons but I believe it does help show swing flaws.
 

FJRGerry

Abby's Dad
Jan 23, 2009
202
0
Collegeville, PA
I've been video recording my daughter occasionally during pitching and hitting practices since last spring. She's 13 and playing for a 12U travel team, as well as LL. We both find it beneficial in helping determining in what's working and what isn't. I use a Sanyo Xacti CG6 which is a pocket size video camera. It's very convenient and allows frame by frame playback.
 
I just started taking my DD to a new hitting coach, and the first thing he did was film her and show her her swing next to "elite" players using the RightView Pro software (which is pretty cool, btw). Then they started working on drills to correct the differences he pointed out in the comparison.
 
Dec 28, 2008
389
0
I like to use video analysis for a variety of reasons:
1. Confidence building - I use Right View Pro and compare the girls style of swing to pro/college/olympic players that their swing is the most like. They see themselves at the next level and I personally think that does a huge amount in helping their confidence.

2. Reward - Even a frame by frame review with a normal video camera shooting 30/60 frames per second won't capture everything about each swing. I purchased a Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 which can shoot video at up to 1,200 frames per second and can also shoot high quality stills at up to 60 frames per second. That way we can frame by frame and catch every single aspect of the swing without missing anything, and can use the high quality fast speed stills to then hand them shots to use for their "facebook" pages or whatever showing them at a perfect contact point. This is a good motivator to keep them working hard and is a great reward for those that do, and again is a great confidence booster. Because they can see the fruits of their labor.

3. Learning/Communication tool - A lot of girls say "I don't do this/that/the other thing" "I was doing just what you said" but in slow motion they can see themselves. Often it can come down to communication. "See I was doing what you said" "Oh I see the problem my word "A" is coming across to you based on your history with other coaches as "B". "Ok lets figure out what the common words should be that you and I use to discuss. Here let me show you what I meant with the words I used." Or it could be "You are right Suzy Q you do a great job with keeping your hands level all the way up to this point in the swing right here, that is when you are rolling your wrists."
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
113
Mundelein, IL
I like video both to show girls what they're doing and to do some in-depth analysis of their mechanics. You can run the same clip back and forth several times and look at different aspects. It's tough to catch everything in real time. Video lets you see what you wouldn't see otherwise.
 

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