Golf Swing Analysis

Golf swing analysis is a standard component of any coach's resource portfolio. Any good teaching program will provide video analysis to players seeking to get better. To qualify for elite instruction, to gain entry into scholarship or major competitive academies, a video of your golf swing is, in most cases, a standard requirement.

The tools required to video and analyze your golf swing consist of a video analysis application (software) which loads a swing video captured by a camera (hardware). The market offers the golfer a rich set of resources from which to choose in both of these categories.

The software and video cameras described below are just good examples of these tools at a point in time. They illustrate the features, the cost and availability of high quality resources to help you and your instructor improve your golf swing.

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Software:

Swing Reader HD Software
cSwing Software
V1 Software

Cameras:

Panasonic HM-TA1
Casio EX-ZR100
Fuji F-HS20

Software

SwingReader is a feature-rich, easy-to-use swing analyzer for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. SwingReader will help you analyze your body mechanics and improve your game.

I was introduced to SwingReader by the head pro at my golf course. Mark, used his iPad to review my swing. He captured by swings with SwingReader, drew some guidelines with his finger on the iPad and added some voice notes which were recorded via the iPad's microphone. At the end of our half-hour lesson, he had captured all relevant details and was ready to copy them to me a number of ways. He had the Pro Version of Swing Reader so he could retain a library of all his students and their lessons, but for me he just asked whether I wanted the golf swing analysis sent to my Facebook account or my email address. I took the email route

By the time I got home, the email and attachment was there, complete with lines and audio, for future reference. Mark says he won't do lessons without it. SwingReader plus the iPad is more than any teaching pro could want; golf swing analysis on the iPad has revolutionized golf teaching.

Here is a short (no sound) video from the SwingReader website that illustrates the feature set and ease of use of this application.

SwingReaderLite is free; SwingReader Pro for IPhone is $2.99, for IPad $4.99 in App Store

cSwing currently runs only on a Windows-based PC desktop or portable computer running XP or later. cSwing does not run on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablet computers as of 2012.

Those are not serious drawbacks given what this excellent software affords the users. Three key features of this software standout for the golfer seeking video swing analysis, namely:

The fact there is no a version of cSwing for mobile devices isn't important because so many people have inexpensive pocket digital cameras now, that they all can export their video format files into cSwing. cSwing supports all formats. If you have a Firewire or USB cable or SD disk storage with your camera, you can link the video to your desktop and cSwing can upload the video to your golf swing analysis library.

For professional swing coaches, the multiple camera support enables face on, down-the-line and overhead cameras to record your swing simultaneously. The playback will expand the abilitiy to focus on your swing characteristics to an exacting degree.

Another feature that I like with cSwing is that if the pro in the swing library is left-handed (e.g. Mike Weir) i, as a righty, can flip his video around and synch Weir's swing to mine frame-by-frame for easy comparison. Also, cSwing will let you download and try their software for free for 15 days (including the multiple camera feature. You won't see free trial offers for any mobile software.

Otherwise, cSwing matches all the features in most other video software including those mentioned for SwingReader, above.

I have a copy of cSwing and have used it for clubfitting and my own swing analysis using a single camera. When I first purchased a copy, Mike Weir was using it while he was being coached by Mark Wilson in his early days on tour. I highly recommend this software for its value and quality. They have excellent tech support and a setup guide for the equipent and materials you need to setup your own golf swing analysis station.

V1 Home is a consumer version of V1 Pro and is the most advanced swing video analysis software available for any golfer to analyze and correct their golf swing right from their own computer. With V1 Home, comparing your golf swing to your favorite tour player has never been easier or more effective to do.

V1 Home comes in two versions, Basic and Premium. Basic is free for all platforms (iPhone, Android, Windows desktops from Win98 thru Windows 7). For Premium, the cost is $39.95 (USD).

One nice feature is the audio hit-detection capability for swing recording. This is great when you're at the range by yourself and you want ot record several swings without having to fiddle with the camera for each swing. The video is triggered by the sound of ball meeting club at impact so each swing video is autoatically captured via the camera / device microphone.

Swing Libraries and the Golf Academy
Most software packages have a library of pro swings: pros putting, iron shots and woods both from down the line and face-on views. These are great to watch by themselves, just to get a visual sense of what a good swing looks like. The key advantage, though, is that you can split screen and match a video of yourself against the pro swings in the library. Frame-by-frame, slow motion or full speed. You get to see where your flaws and good parts are relative to good actions. This is invaluable and its there for constant referral and feedback.

Likewise for instructors, they get to use these tools to give students real visual feedback to reinforce their verbal instructions. From feeling the practice strokes and mishits, students can relate to visual concepts of what the pros are talkiing about. From kinesthetic to visual learners, instructors have tools to help them reach the two ways most people absorb swing instruction.

A golf pro can give you your lesson, take your swing on his iPhone or iPad, complete with audio instructions and comments and then either email the video session to your email, facebook account, or your account with the software vendor (e.g. SwingReader, Golfshot or V1 can all do this). You can build a library of your own swings as you progess through the season or a set of swing fixes for various flaws that you've encountered (slice, hook, chunk, etc) and so can your instructor. The information and learning tools at your disposal are really phenomenal. Swing characteristics, lessons, swing fixes, scores, performance statistics and training plans can all be linked together and organized to help you monitor your golf development.

Post-lesson, a student can submit subsequent videos that he has made of his swing while practicing on his own. The coach can load the video into V1, mark it up with the lines, cirles and angle markings and run the video in slo-mo and either post the video online for the student to login and view on his own or interact with the coach via online chat or email. A remote coaching session, if you will. Accessibility of student to coach and coach to student is unprecedented.

Cameras

Smartphones and tablets come ready made to capture voice and video. They are fully capable of integrating software, golf swing and instruction information. If you want video that is more sophisticated, that you want to separate and load later into other devices or upload later into the software you choose to analyze your swing, separate cameras are available to perform that service.

The table lists three great examples of digital cameras with video capability for golfers. Prices are for new models, your experience and deals may vary. Personally, I have used dthe Panasonic HM-TA1 which is pocket size, very easy to use and provides high quality video. Of the three here, it is the smallest and easiest to carry when golfing. It has a built-in USB connector so transferring video to my desktop PC is very easy (Mac or PC). At $150.00 when I bought it in 2011, it provides very good value.

Now, I have an iPhone 4s and use it instead when I'm on the golf course. The iPhone has my golf software plus video all in one. The iPhone 4s is also an excellent camera that and I can send analysis/video and related info anywhere on the internet. They only advantage the Panasonic has is a universal adapter on the bottom to attach to a tripod. This I find indispensible when I'm at the range or out practicing. I can set the TA1 up behind me or to the side to take stable swing videos while I'm out on my own.

No Excuses

The tools above are just a small example of what is now available for video analysis to the average golfer. My advise is to use them together with your pro or PGA professional in order to get their input and experience. Being able to share the video with a teaching pro improves your two-way exchange with the teacher. The give and take will increase your understanding of your golf swing and the pro will better know you and your tendencies. Chances for improvement are phenomenally better. If you've never had your swing analyzed via video, now is a great time to do so. Even if you don't own the equipment, it is easy to find a pro with all you need and at very affordable prices.

Golf Swing Analysis