How to Video Your Golf Swing with an iPhone

Filming your golf swing with an iPhone is one of the most powerful ways to understand what you’re actually doing, not just what you feel like you’re doing. This guide will walk you through exactly how to set up your phone, what camera settings to use, and what key positions to look for once you have the footage. We'll cover everything you need to turn that device in your pocket into a world-class swing analysis tool.

Why Video Your Golf Swing?

In golf, what is "feel" versus what is "real" can be two completely different things. You might feel like you're taking the club straight back, but the video can reveal a very inside or outside takeaway. You might feel like your head is still, but the replay could show a lot of movement. This gap between feeling and reality is where most swing flaws live and breed inconsistency.

Video doesn't lie. It provides cold, hard, objective feedback. It’s the ultimate mirror, allowing you to see your swing from the perspective of an outside observer. This is the first and most fundamental step to taking ownership of your game. You can't fix a problem you can't see, and video makes your strengths and weaknesses perfectly visible. It’s not about finding every little flaw, it’s about identifying the one or two biggest issues that are holding you back, and then using the video to track your progress as you work to improve them.

Equipment: Keep It Simple

The beauty of this process is that you already have the most important piece of equipment: your iPhone. Modern iPhone cameras are incredibly powerful, especially their slow-motion capabilities. To get the most out of it, however, you'll need one more thing: stability.

A Tripod or Stand is a Game-Changer

Holding your phone, leaning it against a range basket, or having a friend film you will produce shaky, inconsistent angles that are basically useless for true analysis. A small, inexpensive tripod or a specific golf phone holder is the best investment you can make for your game improvement.

• Alignment Stick Holders: These gadgets clip onto a standard alignment stick, which you probably already have in your bag. They let you easily plant the camera at any height and position.
• Flexible Tripods: Small tripods with bendable legs (like a Gorillapod) can be wrapped around parts of your golf bag or a driving range divider.
• No Tripod? No Problem (Almost): If you’re in a pinch, you can get creative. Prop your phone in one of your shoes, balance it on your water bottle, or wedge it into a divot mix container on your pushcart. The goal is to get a stable, repeatable angle, but a tripod makes this a thousand times easier.

Your iPhone Camera Settings for Golf

Before you hit record, take 30 seconds to optimize your camera settings. These small adjustments make a huge difference in the quality of your swing video.

1. Use the Slo-Mo Function

The golf swing is an incredibly fast and dynamic motion. Recording in standard video mode will result in a blurry mess during the most critical parts of the swing, like impact. Slow motion is the solution.

• How to find it: Open your Camera app and swipe over to the “SLO-MO” setting.
• Which frame rate? You’ll likely see options for 120 fps (frames per second) or 240 fps. Either one is fantastic. 240 fps gives you a slightly more detailed, smoother slow-motion replay, but it also creates larger file sizes. For most golfers, 1080p at 120 fps is the perfect balance of detail and file size.

2. Turn On the Grid

The grid overlay on your camera is your best friend for proper setup and alignment. It places lines on your screen that help you ensure the camera is level and aimed correctly. This is absolutely necessary for getting usable angles.

• How to enable it: Go to Settings > Camera > Composition and toggle on the Grid. When you next open your camera, you'll see faint lines dividing your screen into nine boxes. You'll thank yourself for doing this.

3. Lock Your Focus and Exposure

You don't want your phone's camera to "hunt" for focus or change brightness in the middle of your swing. You can easily prevent this by locking the focus and exposure.

• How to do it: Frame up your shot where you'll be standing. Then, tap and hold on the screen right where your body will be. A yellow box will appear with a yellow sun icon next to it. You will see an "AE/AF LOCK" banner at the top of the screen. This means your focus and exposure are now locked in place until you tap the screen again.

The Only Two Angles to Film

Consistency is everything. Don't just place your camera randomly. For effective swing analysis, golf coaches universally use two specific camera angles. You need to film your swing from both of these positions to get the full picture.

1. Down-the-Line (DTL)

The Down-the-Line view is for analyzing your swing plane, path, and club position throughout the swing. It's the "behind you" view.

What it Shows You:

• The Takeaway: Do you take the club back on plane, or does it whip too far inside or go too far outside?
• Position at the Top: Is the club pointing at the target (parallel), "across the line" (pointing right of target), or "laid off" (pointing left of target)?
• Transition and Downswing Path: Do you come "over the top," or do you shallow the club and attack the ball from the inside?

How to Set It Up Correctly:

1. Place an alignment stick (or another golf club) on the ground, pointing directly at your target. This is your target line.
2. Place a second alignment stick on the ground parallel to your target line, but pointing at your heels. This is the line your feet will be on.
3. Set up your tripod so the camera lens is between your waist and chest height.
4. Position the camera directly on your an imaginary line extending straight back from your hands at address. Not behind your feet, not behind the ball, but behind your hands.
5. Aim the camera so it's looking parallel to your target line. Use the horizontal grid line on your camera to line up perfectly with the alignment stick on the ground. Your hands and the clubhead should be in the center of the screen.

2. Face-On (FO)

The Face-On view is for analyzing your setup, weight shift, rotational movement, and impact dynamics. It's the "mirror" view.

What it Shows You:

• Setup and Posture: Is your ball position correct for the club you're using? Is your spine angle good? How is your stance width?
• Weight Transfer: Do you load properly into your trail side during the backswing? Do you shift your weight effectively to your lead side in the downswing? Or do you "sway" or "reverse pivot?"
• Impact Position:Are your hands ahead of the clubhead at impact, creating shaft lean? Is your head behind the ball?
• The Finish: Do you finish balanced on your front foot, facing the target?

How to Set It Up Correctly:

1. Using the same alignment stick for your target line, position your camera directly in front of you.
2. Set the camera lens to be at chest height.
3. Position the tripod so that it's perpendicular to your target line, right around the halfway point between the ball and your feet.
4. You want to center your body in the frame. Use one of the vertical grid lines on your camera to go straight up through the middle of your stance and the ball.

How to Analyze Your Swing Video

You have the perfect DTL and FO videos. Now what? You don't need to be a PGA professional to spot key checkpoints. Open the video in your Photos app and use your thumb to slowly slide or "scrub" through the swing a frame at a time.

Here are a few things to look for:

From the Down-the-Line View:

• Backswing Halfway Back: When the club is parallel to the ground, is it also parallel to your target line and covering your hands? Many amateurs are already way too far inside at this point.
• Top of the Swing: Look at where the shaft is pointing. Ideally, for most players, it should be pointing parallel to the target line.
• Downswing Transition: As you start down, does your club "shallows" or flattens, dropping behind you? This is a great move. Or does it lurch forward toward the ball, which is the classic "over the top" move?

From the Face-On View:

• Address: Check your ball position. For mid-irons, it should be near the center of your stance. For a driver, it should be off your lead heel.
• Weight Shift: Watch your head. In the backswing, a small, natural shift to the right (for a righty) is fine, but a major slide (sway) is a power leak. As you swing down, your lead hip should bump towards the target to initiate the downswing.
• Impact: Pause a frame just as the club hits the ball. Look for an "archer's bow" shape with your lead leg and body. Your hands should be in front of the ball, your weight should be on your front foot, and your head should be behind the ball.

Don’t get overwhelmed. Pick one thing that looks out of place - like a sway in the backswing or an over-the-top move - and make that your single focus for your next practice session.

Final Thoughts

Consistently filming your swing from the Down-the-Line and Face-On angles is the most direct path to improving your golf game. It removes the guesswork and gives you clear, undeniable feedback on where you need to focus your practice.

Once you see your swing on video, the next logical question is, “Okay, how do I fix that?” That’s where good advice becomes invaluable. After filming, we developed Caddie AI to be your personal golf coach. You could spot a flaw in your video, like your hands being behind the ball at impact, and then ask for simple drills or thoughts to fix it. Our tool can analyze your situation and give you the same strategic advice you’d get from an expert coach, right when you need it.