Camera placement

[myousafzai]

Hey Michael
Here is a question from Western Canada (Edmonton Alberta). I practice at an indoor facility with video and a launch monitor. We have a debate about positioning the camera for a down the line view. Should it be on the ball line or the hands/toe line or it does'nt matter.
Ali

[Twitch127]

Hey Michael
Here is a question from Western Canada (Edmonton Alberta). I practice at an indoor facility with video and a launch monitor. We have a debate about positioning the camera for a down the line view. Should it be on the ball line or the hands/toe line or it does'nt matter.
Ali

The camera from the down the line view should have the golfers hands right in the centre of the view finder with the ball in the bottom right hand quadrant (the camera will be at hand height). This is the only place to put it without distorting the plane lines and getting a lot of parallex. From the face on view you should place the camera so the centre of gravity of the golfer, say just below your sternum is in the centre of the camera *(camera will be at stomach height).

I would be really precise with setting up these two camera angles and definately use a tripod. Take a yard or two of fine string to help you set up the camera correctly.

Twitch

[Michael Jacobs]

Good answer twitch --- this is pretty close to the usual suggested location - - I on the other hand don't adhere to these locations

When I am using video {which I do in almost every lesson}
I use my own little system

I place the camera from the behind view on the ball line and get a an overall look

My camera is on the tripod and then I watch the last one in slow motion right on my camera screen

Then from there, I zoom in on certain areas I would like to address from the behind view... This way I am able to show the student the overall and zoomed in areas

I then switch to the front and start off with an overall shot and then repeat the same steps

[Twitch127]

place the camera from the behind view on the ball line and get a an overall look

Won't this cause parrallex due to the hands not being in the centre of the picture. I thought that the hands really identify the shaftplane (as according to TGM the hands and the clubshaft must remain on the inclined plane pointing to the baseline - this of course doesn't rule out plane shifts - and if they are not in the centre but on an angle then the planes will be skewed.

[Michael Jacobs]

Won't this cause parrallex due to the hands not being in the centre of the picture. I thought that the hands really identify the shaftplane (as according to TGM the hands and the clubshaft must remain on the inclined plane pointing to the baseline - this of course doesn't rule out plane shifts - and if they are not in the centre but on an angle then the planes will be skewed.

Twitch,
I am not initially looking shaft planes at all, If I see the need for that I shoot from that angle when I start zooming in on certain areas. I start on the ball line for myself, so that I can see a frame by frame of the club-head travel relative to the target line. I want a sense of their true path from back and front view first.
It is the way I have always done video... the zoom in segments I shoot are for the students benefit when we watch their swing on my big screen monitor. You are correct and have described the best way to identify plane angles