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Filming yourself at tennis to improve
Every player who sees themselves for the first time discovers a different player from the one they imagined: late preparation, planted feet, the arm doing everything. That is precisely why video makes you improve, provided you film in the right place and look at only one thing at a time.
“How do you film yourself at tennis?” The answers you find mostly suggest mounts, apps and smartwatches. A regular on a tennis forum sums up the essentials more simply: an average picture is enough, as long as you see yourself and learn from what you see. Everything else is tweaking.
Behind the player, up high
To work on groundstrokes, the best position is behind the baseline, in line with the player, at two metres high or more. From there you see the preparation, the positioning relative to the ball, the trajectory and where it lands. The fence behind the court is the ideal support: a phone clamp fixed at head height, or higher, and the framing takes in the whole court.
For the serve and footwork, the side view, level with the baseline, shows what the view from behind hides: the ball toss, the knee bend, the contact point in front of or behind the body. The two views complement each other; switching from one session to the next is enough.
Slow motion, for the stroke only
A racket stroke lasts too short a time to be read at normal speed. The phone's slow-motion mode breaks the stroke down and shows the contact point, the opening of the racket face, the rotation of the shoulders. It has two drawbacks: it needs a lot of light, and it produces heavy files. Keep it for technique sessions, in short sequences. For a match or a game exercise, normal speed is enough and shows the choices better.
Three things to look at, one per session
As with team sports, video is useless if you watch all of it hoping some truth will come out. One question per session:
- The preparation: is the racket ready when the ball bounces, or does it start at the last moment? It is a very common flaw, and very visible on screen.
- The feet: does the player take small adjustment steps before hitting, or arrive planted, forced to compensate with the arm?
- The recovery: after the shot, does he go back to the centre, or watch his ball leave?
An amateur video shows the gap between what the player thinks they do and what they actually do, and that gap is what you correct.
Watch straight away, not in the evening
Video corrects best when you watch it quickly. A sequence reviewed at the side of the court, between two sets of shots, gets corrected on the next set, while the feeling is still there. The same sequence watched in the evening on the sofa gives a good resolution and rarely a change. The principle, and how to organise it with a group, are described in filming a training session.
For the club coach
A coach who films students does well to set a simple rule: one sequence per student per session, shown straight away, and kept to compare in three months. The before-and-after comparison is what motivates an amateur player most, and it is the one proof of progress they cannot dispute. For students who are minors, the consent rules are those in filming young players.
Frequently asked questions
Where should you put the phone to film yourself at tennis?
Behind the baseline, in line, fixed to the fence at head height or higher. From the side, level with the baseline, for the serve and footwork.
Should you film in slow motion?
For the technical stroke, yes, in short sequences and with good light. For play and choices, normal speed is more useful.
Do you need a tennis analysis app?
Not to begin with. The phone's camera and one precise question per session are enough to correct the essentials.
How do you train alone at tennis with video?
Phone fixed to the fence, a series of shots, then review the last sequence before the next series, looking at only one thing: the preparation, the feet or the recovery.
By sport: Tennis · Volleyball · Basketball
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