Top 3 Sports Using Video Analysis Software
Posted by David Keefe on Wed, Jan 12, 2011 @ 09:54 AM
Full disclosure - There is NO research that I am aware of that has concluded what the top 3 sports using video analysis software are. This list is compiled from observations of an industry insider.
1. Golf. Because golf is an individual sport and the athlete performs their skill without much directional movement it lends itself well video. Golfers also tend to have a little more money to spend on equipment and instruction. We are also reminded to think about the swing when we watch PGA Golf on TV. The announcers are constantly reviewing swing footage in super slow motion and comparing swings either between two players or one player over time. For all these reason Golf Pros (Instructors/Coaches) are the biggest users of video with their clients and there is a fair amount of software marketed to the golf industry. There is actually a very good book called "The Picture-Perfect Golf Swing" and it is written by Michael Breed with Greg Midland and it is guide to using a video camera to develop a perfect swing on your own. The book is great because it gives step by step instructions and highlights key issues to be aware of when shooting video. It is a handy reference for anyone shooting video regardless of the sport.
2. Baseball. All I think of when I think baseball and video analysis is Dick Mills. Nobody is more passionate about video than this guy. He argues that it is scientifically proven that mechanics alone (not arm strength) can improve your velocity as a pitcher and that a coach is not able to determine good or bad mechanics without using a video camera. So lots of pitchers are using video and so are the hitters. Hitting like pitching (more hitters than pitchers) do not move directionally during their skill. Like golf it is very easy to put a video camera on a tripod and capture the movements that you would like. Baseball is a very popular sport with lots of academies and great teachers using the best tools they can to make their athlete better. Good job baseball for being #2 on the list! Another great article would be how much has Dick Mills had to do with moving the sport towards video. Probably more than he would take credit for.
3. Equestrian. While Equestrian might be a bit of a surprise to some for those who have seen the amount of video cameras trained on horse and athlete during practice sessions and competitions this is quite obvious. Equestrian is quite demanding because the footage is often quite long and a good portion of the footage is shot from a distance. The analysis can be an entire training session and some coaches even want to see how horse and athlete interact leading up to the training session. Video analysis is also used in the sale of horses. It is quite common for horses to be evaluated by video before purchase especially if the horse is in another country. There are lots of long videos being shot in the equestrian world. If you have ever heard to footage being show to the horse we would like to know about it:)
Those are the three sports that are using a ton of video to improve performance and improve coaching but we have yet to address the question of why? Why would anyone use video in the first place? Answer - Video is the link between what you feel and what is real. Narrowing the gap between feel and real is the quickest and most efficient way to improve your skill.
If you have any stories of how video is used in other sports please tell!