One of the most impactful ways to improve your swimming is to watch yourself swim! You can do some video analysis and learn a lot about your stroke technique.
Check out our 5 tips on how to get the best camera angles to film yourself underwater while swimming. Plus, there are some very helpful examples of mistakes to spot in your stroke on camera, and tips for improving and fixing them.
All you need is a phone or tablet, an action camera (such as a GoPro) is optional! In this example, Fares Ksebati (Swim Coach & CEO of MySwimPro) is swimming with MySwimPro’s VP of Product, Nick Newell. Check out his story about how swimming is changing his life and health forever!
1 – Use a phone or tablet on the side of the pool
Ask a coach or friend to film you by the side of the pool. Ideally they can walk along the pool deck to capture a full 25 or 50m lap. You’ll be surprised how much of your stroke changes just within one single lap! This is even better if you can film it in slow motion, then you can really see the details of your technique.
Related: Train with Coach Fares Ksebati at our next international MySwimPro Training Camp!
2 – Film underwater from the ladder or ledge of the pool
Grab a GoPro or similar action camera, and place it somewhere low underwater, such as a ladder or step ledge on the wall of the pool. You can even buy accessories that keep the camera in place. This angle in the photo below is great because you can see the swimmer’s full body in the shot, not just the top of their head.
3 – Film your stroke from the front
Watching your stroke from this head-on angle is so helpful. You can spot how efficient your pull is. So if you’re crossing over across the midline of your body, you’ll notice that here! Plus, you’ll be able to see just how your body rotates, and how much displaced water you might be moving.
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4 – Film in slow motion
Set your phone or action camera settings to slow motion. This makes the video quality, plus you can really see every single movement and how it impacts your swimming. We recommend swimming all the strokes in different paces – slow, medium & sprint. This helps you spot differences in your form.
5 – Use a pole to follow you while you swim
Grab a camera pole and ask friend to run along the side of you as you swim. This is the perfect way to get a full body shot while underwater. If you cannot do this, ask a friend to try to keep up with you while wearing fins on their feet and swimming underwater with 1 hand holding a camera. It can be tough!
Looking for more ways to to improve your swimming? In the MySwimPro app, you can follow a Training Plan with Personalized Guided Workouts. Watch our video featuring Nick’s swim story.
We’ve helped over 2+ million swimmers reach their health and performance goals by training with our app! Download the app today to get started. Start free trial >
