Finally, I don’t feel like a self-absorbed, anal-retentive geek on the range taking video of myself.
I’ve been a big believer in taking video of my swing to see what I’m doing, but I’ve always felt self-conscious setting up my digital camera on the range. It was also fussy and I often wouldn’t bother with video.
But about a month ago I downloaded the V1 Golf App on my iPhone. It makes it easy to capture video and review it on the range or anywhere. What’s more, it’s dead easy to send the video to my instructor for analysis.
And it can pay immediate dividends.
Two weeks ago, I took a couple face-on and down-the-line videos of myself and sent them to Clay Farnsworth, a Master Instructor and Online Coach for the Graves Golf Academy.
Within a couple days, I received an analysis back from Clay that was complete with his diagnosis and recommendations, lines drawn on my swing and slow-motion side-by-side comparisons with Moe Norman, the creator of the Single Plane Swing I’ve been working on.
Clay showed me the good things in my swing and made observations for improvement. I watched it a couple of times and focused on two key recommendations to move push my butt back and to bump my left hip toward the target at address for my next game. I was even on the front and 41 on the back for a tidy 77. The score isn’t that important—my next game confirmed there are no quick fixes in golf—but I was struck by the effectiveness of the V1 app, especially with a skilled instructor like Clay. What’s more, he lives in Orlando and I live west of Toronto.
What I especially like about the app is that I can use my iPhone to capture slow-mo video, and just prop it up in the top of my bag to shoot video. I can quickly review my swing on my own, and send it to Clay right away. It’s dead easy.
For anyone who has taken a lesson with a golf professional using V1, it’s much the same experience; Clay drew lines on my video to show my angles and whether I was on-plane, which made it easy for me to grasp his instruction. Clay also records his thoughts in a folksy but professional way that’s great to listen to and easy to understand.
Having video of Moe side-by-side with me is ideal because it allows me to match Moe’s model, which I’ve come to see is crucial for learning his Single Plane Swing. For example, I could see that his trail elbow was tucked close to his body and pointed at the ground at the top of his backswing, and mine moved a far distance. I got it right away.
Before each range session, I review Clay’s analysis and choose a few more pieces of his instruction to focus on. I’m gradually improving elements of my swing with this tool and Clay’s astute instruction. The combination of the V1 Golf App and an insightful instructor such as Clay is potent. Now, I take video during every range session, which makes it easy to make adjustments on the range and monitor my long-term progress.
This internet stuff is way cool. Even for a geezer like me.
About Tim O'Connor
