How to Film Your Golf Swing for Online Analysis: Face-On and Down-the-Line Guide

Want useful golf coaching feedback without traveling to a studio? Start with two clear swing videos: one face-on and one down-the-line. These two views give a coach far more context than a highlight clip shot from a random angle. Here is how to film safely and consistently from home, a driving range or an indoor practice bay.

What you need before recording

A smartphone is enough. Use a stable tripod or mount, good lighting, a club you normally play, and a safe area to swing. Ask permission before filming in a shared facility. Never place the phone, a tripod or another person in the path of your club or ball.

1. Record a face-on golf swing video

Face-on means the camera looks toward the front of your body from the side of your intended target line. A useful angle should show your full stance and swing, not just your hands or clubhead.

1. Position: Put the camera on the side of your stance, roughly opposite your chest, well outside the swing area.
2. Height: Start around hand-to-chest height. Avoid filming from the ground or high overhead.
3. Frame: Show your feet, head, hands, ball and club at the top and finish. Take a practice swing to check that nothing disappears from the picture.
4. Keep it steady: Do not move or zoom the camera while swinging.

The face-on view may help a coach observe setup, ball position, pivot, hand motion and how your body moves through the strike. It cannot by itself prove what caused the ball flight, so include what the ball actually does.

2. Record a down-the-line golf swing video

Down-the-line means viewing the golfer from behind, looking generally toward the target. It helps reveal posture, alignment and the overall path of the motion.

1. Position: Place the phone behind the golfer and outside the hitting area. Keep it clear of the possible club and ball path.
2. Alignment: Aim generally along the target line and keep the lens level.
3. Height: Around hand height works as a starting point. Camera height and angle change how a swing appears, so consistency matters.
4. Frame: Include the complete club throughout the backswing and follow-through, plus your feet and the ground near the ball.

If you later compare the videos to see progress, return the camera to the same place and angle. Otherwise camera changes can make the swing look different when it is not.

3. Keep one normal-speed clip

Slow-motion video is useful for examining positions, but the full movement matters too. Send a normal-speed clip so a coach can see how your rhythm and sequencing fit together. Better light will often make a video more useful than a very dark high-frame-rate recording.

4. Tell your coach what the shot actually did

Include the club, where you aimed, the starting direction and whether the ball curved. Describe your normal miss: thin or heavy contact, slice, hook, push, pull or inconsistent start lines. One representative swing with useful context is often better than selecting only your single best-looking move.

5. Avoid common filming mistakes

• Too close: Your feet, hands or club disappear out of frame.
• Extreme angle: A normal move may appear distorted.
• Moving camera: Comparisons become unreliable.
• No ball-flight explanation: Your coach has to guess what problem the video represents.
• Unsafe positioning: Someone stands close to the swing to get a better shot. Safety always comes first.

How to get an online golf swing analysis from Forged Golf

Forged Golf offers a $50 Online Swing Analysis with personalized evaluation, voice-over review, drills and a written improvement plan. Golfers seeking a longer breakdown and written practice blueprint can choose the $85 Premium Swing Blueprint. Review each product page for current service details and turnaround.

After checkout, send your face-on and down-the-line clips or shareable video links to chad@forgedgolf.com with your order number and the shot pattern you want to improve. You do not need to visit the studio for these online services.

Prefer an in-person lesson near Naples?

For Southwest Florida golfers, Forged Golf also offers an in-person $50 30-Minute Check-Up and $100 60-minute private lesson. Visit the booking page to explore sessions.

Forged Golf, 4270 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 202, Naples, Florida 34112. Your best golf. Built here.