Video Self-analysis

[EricW]

For those who have achieved in the sport, how helpful did you find the use of video analysis to tune your technique? I'm getting tempted to invest in a video camera. I can get one that seems to be more than I would ever need for under $400, but if that investment is simply becomes a time-consuming diversion, I don't know if I want to go down that road.

[Note the camera is a JVC, don't ask me the model #. It has a built-in camera, nice lens, nice screen, remote control. I'm not sure what else, if anything, I would need besides maybe an extra battery.]

Would I be better off with $400 spent on gas, DVD's and bullets? It's not even so much the money as the fear of spiralling down into this endless abyss of farting around with electronics (which I generally find very irritating) instead of working on my shooting. On the other hand, if I can fine tune my technique in the backyard w/o driving 150 miles round trip, the camera could pay itself off in short order.

Opinions?

[Matt Cheely]

I thought it was great to see myself shoot on video. Just used my digital camera, which has a vidoe mode. Not great resolution, but it let me see how hunched up on the gun I was. I think that is the easiest thing to pick up on. When you draw you can see your head and shoulders move, and as you progress through a stage, I saw that I would incresingly get tighter and loose a correct stance (had I started out with the right one to being with).

So yeah, I think it is a great thing. When you're shooting you can't really tell what the heck you did, now you can!

ETA: Don't spend the money on the camera just for this, but it's a good thing you can use it for also. (I'm also not really "achieved" in the sport... yet... )

[Loves2Shoot]

I have a Sony Cybershot that works well enough to show you what you need to see, and since I'm on computers more than TV it is easy.

As far as tuning my technique, I haven't made up my mind. I think it helped with the reload, but the biggest thing video has done for me is to help me trust my vision. The video looks sooo much faster than it feels.

[shred]

I've played with it for a while. I find match video most useful, since dinking with the camera in practice by yourself gets old fast-- it's generally annoying to try and instant-replay what you just did, so you end up running the drill several times, then rewinding to look at them all and trying to remember what you did when.

[Flexmoney]

I think it is a great idea. I wish I had done more of it...and wish to do more in the future.

I am a bit of a video (and information) junkie though...go figure. I really like to watch video of top shooters and break-down their technique (DVD's at 1/16 speed is awesome).

[Flyin40]

I learned long ago about how much easier video makes self evaluation. Its great to really break down technique and critque yourself. It really "Clicks" in your head when you see yourself doing something you shouldn't do. Other people can tell you but when you finally see it for yourself it helps tremendously.

One word of advise on video though, make sure you don't over analyze yourself to the point your trying to make your technique so perfect it actually hurts you.

You can spend so much time rapped up in the technique when it comes time to shoot your mind is on a hundred things. Start small and don't work on 15 things at once.

Actually this will make a topic in itself. I'll start one in mental conditioning.

Flyin40

[mcoliver]

I think it is a great idea.  I wish I had done more of it...and wish to do more in the future.

I am a bit of a video (and information) junkie though...go figure.  I really like to watch video of top shooters and break-down their technique (DVD's at 1/16 speed is awesome).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ahhh, ditto on that.

And what's even better is to set the cam on a tripod. Film the top shooter (or your friends who shoot better than you will also do fine ) on a stage. Film yourself shooting the same stage (and ideally with the cam in the exact same position). Take note of their times and HF's. Upload the vids to your computer. And with some video editing software, super-impose your run with his. Then start the learning (and improvement) process.

[ParaJoe]

I'm not well achieved in the sport but I have taken video of myself in practice and had someone tape me at a few matches. As Flyin40 said, until you see yourself making the mistake sometimes it doesn't sink in. I have been doing a lot of practicing here lately and with no one to practive with, it gives me something that I can take home and see the mistakes I made. Just my .02.

JOe

[rschoon]

Does a college or professional team analyze video? You bet.

What I do is at the beginning of practice I set the video up on a tripod and when I am ready I just turn it on and let it go til the battery is drained. That way I don't get distracted during practice. I won't look at the tape until at least the next day.

Also I plan out what I am practicing on. Be it Bill drills, draws or what ever and I just stick to that. That way I can improve on what I worked on the practice before.

Take this with a grain of salt though. This is my first season even though I have been using video for years in the karate arena.

[Cameron]

Not only is it entertaining to watch match video over the winter, but self analysis, as well as fellow shooters giving ideas on improvement is really helped with video. Well worth the money spent if you would like serious improvement in the game.

[dirtypool40]

I learned long ago about how much easier video makes self evaluation.  Its great to really break down technique and critque yourself.  It really "Clicks" in your head when you see yourself doing something you shouldn't do.  Other people can tell you but when you finally see it for yourself it helps tremendously.

Flyin40

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bingo. I saw how lazy my left hand was on draw and reload. That was in teh first five seconds.

[j2fast]

I haven't achieved anything in this sport yet but I'm a big proponent of self-evaluation through video. I used it religiously many years and pounds ago when I was an athlete and then continued it on as a coach. I always felt like myself and my athletes made big strides after seeing how I/they really looked. The results definitely showed on the track.

[tightloop]

They are great as a training aid, but for other than personal use, I wouldn't bother..just my .02 ...

[Ron Ankeny]

EricW:

I have filmed alot of my drills while shooting static. You know, the reloads, draws, index, etc. I found the video to be very useful, but it is a bit of a hassle when practicing alone.

I filmed several shooters at Area One, but I have no footage of myself. I have footage of Sam on 7 stages but he hasn't seen the film. Sam is wicked fast on the draw, and he acquires/sets up on the next target without hesitation. Yeah, he is fast on the trigger in speed shoots, but on every stage he won at Area 1, there were other shooters in our squad who actually had less trigger time. There is a lesson in there.

Anyhow, I am going to start filming myself in practice on mini-field courses by using a tripod. In fact, I am on my way out the door right now. I'll set up some field courses like down a hall, etc., that lend themselves to having the camera at one spot, then let you know how it goes.

Ron

[EricW]

Thanks Ron!

On one hand, I know the video will help. On the other, being as compulsive a person as I am, I know a trap awaits. One thing I've done lately is to leave the timer in my range bag during dry fire. Instead of beating a time at any cost, I'm focusing on clean technique. My shooting has really sped up...oddly enough. Maybe the camera will be different, I don't know.

The particular video camera I'm looking at has a nice remote control, so I think using it solo won't be such a bad deal.

[Newbie]

Eric:

I purchased the Samsung Sports Camcorder (SCX105L) from Circuit City. While it is on the expensive side ($599) I got it on sale for $569 and an additional 20% off (don't ask). This video camera is AWESOME! It records in MPEG-4 in many different video modes and it records it onto the 512meg built in memory chip. I also purchased a 1 gig. memory stick to boost the amount of recording time. You can read the specs on the CC website: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsung-Spo...roductDetail.do

The reason I love this camera is because it is very SMALL, it fits into the palm of your hand and has a wired remote camera that I mount under my ear muffs. Once the memory fills up you can download the AVI file to your laptop and continue on shooting but since most stages at no longer then 40 seconds you could capture a whole match on the built in memory chip alone. While I have not had a chance to test it in a regular match due to forgetting the unit on it's charging base I did run around the basement practicing shooting (and according to my wife, looking like an idiot) at the IPSC cardboard targets and the video was outstanding. I was going to bring it to the Indiana State Championship tomorrow but I don't want to mess around with it, I'm nervous enough as it is shooting these matches.

When I get an opportunity to actually record something I will post it here if possible.

Dave

[Genghis]

I have a friend who shoots with me. We have recorded match footage of each other with my camera phone, which records MPEG-4 clips. We've also used my digital camera, which records clips of similar quality.

There is no zoom, so the quality drops off markedly if the camera is farther from the shooter. The sound doesn't always sync with the video.

Despite these drawbacks, we have noticed some helpful things from the video. You can see the speed of reloads, the basic stance, and how we move during a stage. But you can't see holes appearing in the target, even if they're fairly close. And you can't see things like whether the finger is off the trigger. I think it is, but I'd like to see that much detail nonetheless.

I'd like to get a better camera with zoom, so we can see stuff closer up and catch more details. I'd like a remote too, so we could set up the camera and begin recording without being right there.

That Samsung with the helmet cam sounds great!

[Ron Ankeny]

Eric:

I set up some field courses and filmed several runs. I ran my first run just kind of on autopilot (that was my intent) and the task was complete in 13.50 seconds. It was a 15 round course through three different ports in three different walls, then I finished in the gap between two of the walls. The run looked fairly smooth to me. I ran the second run with the intent of being very visual on the sights, and I also wanted to redirect my attention to the non-shooting tasks (reloading and moving) with the intent of getting with the program when not shooting. I also shot as soon as I could when coming into position. The second run was 11.94 seconds. The heck of it is, I really didn't know what I was watching on the film. I had to watch the video repeatedly in slow motion to see where the real difference in time exists.

On the second field course I had a 11.12 on the first run. That was two ports and a space between the walls on a 16 round course with a reload between each position. The second run felt like I was totally in the zone with a 10.26. When I viewed the tape in slow motion, I could see the major difference was foot position, being in a more comfortable postion to move out and I was shooting targets while still in motion coming into position. The second run was as good as it gets, but I am at a loss as to how to make it happen every time.

I finished by taping an El Pres. some draws, and a Bill Drill. The El Pres was 4.86 down nine points with a 1.4+ draw and a 1.4+ reload. The Bill Drill you could cover with the palm of your hand. I had a 1.2 draw and a total of 1.84 seconds.

Here's what I learned from the video. First, I look slow and awkward in my movements in field courses. I also look indecisive. The killer runs are fluid with no wasted motion. I need a lot of work. The static shooting was interesting. The video revealed what I already knew. When I am in the zone, holy crap. After the reload on the El. Pres I had midteen splits and midteen transitions, but I looked totally at ease and relaxed.

I will use video more frequently simply because I have access to some pretty decent digital video cameras from work. I need to maintain proficiency with the tools I use in my job and using them when I shoot is a good way to do that.

If I didn't have the cameras would I buy them? I don't know. I suppose it depends on how much disposable income a guy has and how much he/she would use the camera. If I had to choose between the camera and a class with one of the big name trainers, I would probably go for the class. Now if I had someone locally who could review the video with me and coach me, there is no question, I would spring for the camera.

[Merlin Orr]

I'm convinced. Got the Old Handycam charging. One thing I am sure of. It will be interesting.

[AWLAZS]

I just watched myself mess up 100 reloads. The video lets you see what you are really doing compared to waht you think you are doing.

[lynn jones]

videoing yourself shooting is like videoing yourself having sex.  there is not that many people that really want to see it.

paris h

[Ben Stoeger]

Interesting comparison....

[j1b]

I learned how to shoot off of video.

Both watching nationals matches (Lenny Magill video) and taping myself and others shoot.

As I got back into the sport - the two things I reached for were my timer and my camera.

Never underestimating the fundamentals of shooting (in other words - learning how to hit the target) shooting video and scrutinizing that video to a degree that might come close to neurotic was key to any success I might have had.

It is essential to my ability to improve. Needless to say, I think the $400 is worth it.

Just my $.02.

J

[glock17w]

When I played basketball in college, we spent a practice session watching video of we needed to improve from the game before. Video showed us what we were doing right and what we were doing wrong. Most professional athletes will watch video of a past performance or video of opponent to figure out what they need to work on to win.

I took a couple of training classes at TDSA in Dallas, TX. The instructor would video all shooters so at the end we could watch ourselves and see how we improved. It was a good tool.

I was planning on buying a video camera soon. Videoing my shooting will be one of its uses.

[norbs007]

I learned long ago about how much easier video makes self evaluation.  Its great to really break down technique and critque yourself.  It really "Clicks" in your head when you see yourself doing something you shouldn't do.  Other people can tell you but when you finally see it for yourself it helps tremendously.

And what's even better is to set the cam on a tripod. Film the top shooter (or your friends who shoot better than you will also do fine ) on a stage.  Film yourself shooting the same stage (and ideally with the cam in the exact same position).  Take note of their times and HF's. Upload the vids to your computer.  And with some video editing software, super-impose your run with his.  Then start the learning (and improvement) process.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Like what they said.

Helps me to avoid developing bad habits by comparing my run with better shooters.