A key component of your path to improvement in your tennis game is creating an effective “feedback loop” so you can analyze your game, strokes, and tactics and then make adjustments based on what you see. There are many ways to get feedback, including using a coach, asking a friend, analyzing stats, and relying on “feel”. Perhaps the best way to give yourself meaningful feedback is to use video.
Keep in mind that while recording the video is the essential first step, the real feedback comes from the analysis. You could video countless hours of your tennis, but if you don’t have the time to sit down and careful observe the video and analyze your game, then there is little value.
Equipment and Technology
Here is a basic list of the equipment you need to record video and analyze video. The first two items in the list are essential. The rest are optional, but they are all useful to have.
Smart Phone – You can easily record your tennis with any smartphone. Video can require considerable storage space so 128GB or more is ideal. There are many other sports cameras on the market, such as the GoPro that offer some advantages. But for most people the phone is sufficient and offers easy integration with SwingVision, mentioned below.
Fence Mount – You will want to have a way to mount your camera to the back fence of the court. The Swingvision SwingStick https://swing.vision/shop/swing-stick-offer
SwingVision App – While I am not listing the SwingVision app as essential, it is incredibly useful and greatly simplifies the recording process and moves all your video onto Swingvision’s cloud storage system. Swingvision is currently only availably for iOS (iphones).
Battery Extender – If you intend to record full matches (which could go 2 hours or more) I recommend getting a battery extender for your phone. Here is one example: https://www.anker.com/products/a1664-maggo-10000mah-power-bank
Heavy Duty Tripod – If you are going to be doing close-up video at multiple angles (which I recommend), you will want to get a heavy-duty tripod. This will minimize the risk of inadvertently hitting the ball into the tripod and knocking your camera over.
Tripod Clamp/Phone Mount
Ipad or similar tablet – For video and immediate analysis, a tablet can be very useful. The larger viewing area will makes it a bit easier to view your videos in the middle of a practice session.
Backup Storage Capacity – If you are going to be loading video to your computer and archiving significant amounts of video rather than relying on cloud storage you will likely need a backup storage device. Managing your files locally does require a bit more work
Types of Videoing
Match Play – A great place to start is with videoing your tournament, league, or practice matches. Many opponents are happy to have a match recorded if you offer to share the. video with them.
Partner Practice Sessions – Hopefully, if you follow
Close-Up Analysis
Processing
If you use the Swingvision app, there is nothing you need to do to “process” your video. If you are simply recording video on your iphone, you might want to transfer it t