You want to improve your movement but don’t want to pay for lessons. You have watched videos on YouTube. You have read articles. You’ve been trying to feel the changes, but you don’t know if you’re making them.
Here’s the solution: your phone. Record your movement, watch it, and you’ll see things you can’t feel. You don’t need expensive software or a coach standing by your side. You just have to know what to look for.
Configure the phone properly
Most golfers register their swing incorrectly. They randomly put their phone down and hope it catches something useful. There isn’t. You need two angles: down the line and face to face. It means the camera is directly behind you, looking at your target. Face means the camera is directly in front of you, perpendicular to your aiming line.
To go online, place your phone about 10 feet behind you at waist height, pointing your hands at the address. For the front, place it 10 meters in front of you, also at waist height, facing the ball. Use something stable to support it. A head covering over your bag works. A tripod is better. Make sure the camera is level and records your entire move from setup to completion.
What to look for online
The view below the line shows your swing plane and your positions. At the address, check your stay. Your back should lean forward from your hips, not rounded. Your arms should hang naturally. At the top of the backswing, check the position of the club. The shaft should be pointed roughly at your target line, not along or within it.
On the rise, watch the movement of the hips. Your hips should move toward the target before rotating. If they just spin, you’re losing power and stability. At the stroke, your hands should be in front of the ball, not even with it or behind it. This is the weak axis and is critical for strong contact. At the end, you should be balanced on your front leg with your chest facing the target.
What to look for face to face
The face view shows weight shift and swing width. At address, check ball position and weight distribution. Ball position varies by club: driver from the front heel, fairway woods inside the front heel, long irons on center slightly forward, mid irons on center, short irons on center and wedges from center to slightly back. Your weight should slightly favor your front foot. During the backstroke, look at the head. It should stay relatively stable, not swaying back with your body.
At the top, check your weight. It should have been loaded on your back leg, but your head should not have moved significantly. In decline, see yours forward weight shift. Your hips should move toward the target before your hands come down. At kick, most of your weight should be on your front foot. In the end, everything should be there.
Common mistakes you’ll see
Most golfers are shocked when they watch their swing. They think they are doing one thing, but the video shows something completely different. Common mistakes: standing up during the shot, rolling the club onto the ball, swinging instead of rotarylosing balance at the end. You can’t fix what you can’t see and you can’t see it without video.
Don’t try to fix everything at once. Choose one thing. Work on it. Register yourself again. See if it’s improved. Repeat. Video is feedback and feedback is how you improve. Without it, you’re guessing.
The simple truth
You don’t need a coach to analyze your swing. You need a phone and know what to look for. Register yourself from below and face to face. See your positions at address, top of return, impact and finish. Compare what you see with what good swings look like. Pick one thing to work on. Register yourself again. This is how you improve yourself. The camera doesn’t lie and it’s the best trainer you’ll ever have.
