Video Stroke Analysis - how many of you do it?

I currently coach a Masters swimming team in Colorado Springs. I have been video taping my swimmers for at least 10 years probably more. It has progressed from a VHS of underwater videos (front, side, and the four competitive turns) with a piece of paper telling them what to fix to a DVD of simultaneous underwater and above water (front, side, the four competitive turns, and everything in both normal speed and slow motion). I put comments on what they need to correct and how to correct it on the slow motion video. I use video editing software to sync the underwater and above water videos. With this the swimmers can see how lifting their head when they breathe in freestyle, lifting the head too high in butterfly, looking towards their feet on backstroke and other bad postures result in poor body position (hips sinking, feet sinking, etc.) I use the video editing software to create the slow motion video with the embedded comments. I film from either the end of the lane while they swim towards me or walk along the side of the pool while they swim a 50. I consider video very valuable. I have seen extreme motivation to improve their strokes after they get the DVD. I also loan them one of the many GoSwim or Richard Quick DVD's I have purchased so that they can see what correct strokes look like underwater. Many people have told me how much faster they are or how much easier it is to swim after they correct their strokes using the comments and the video. As the strokes change over the years I try to get everyone to move with the new techniques. This makes it fun for novices and the seasoned swimmers as they are always learning new things - this keeps it from becoming stale. The equipment I am now using are two HDPro 1080p Bullet Cams that I purchased on eBay. They record HD video on an SD card so it is very easy to transfer the videos on my PC to work on them. Some of the other bullet cams which are also waterproof do not give you a viewing screen to see what you are actually video taping. I try to do this once a year for each swimmer, but I usually don't get everyone (schedules, etc.) The filming usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes and we do it before the Saturday workout. I do this at no cost to the swimmer. I just enjoy coaching so much that this is pure fun for me to do this. It takes me about 1 hour of video editing and DVD authoring time to make the DVD. I basically have a template that I just insert the videos into. The smiles and thanks from the swimmers makes it worth the time and effort. I highly recommend coaches or even swimmers on a team look into doing this. I use clamps to mount the two bullet cams on a collapsible carbon fiber mono-pod. I mount the two viewing screens (on the mini Digital Video Recorders) on the top of the mono-pod where the camera usually mounts with a T-bracket from Home Depot so I can see them both easily. It is very portable and I have filmed some swimmers at meets. Usually the referees at the meet don't mind if I stick my cameras into the lane while they are racing. I think that if the coach can get into doing this it will make coaching more fun. I have improved my own swimming just by watching all the things that can be corrected, even in our fastest swimmers. I apologize for the long post - but I wanted to let people know what is possible.

I currently coach a Masters swimming team in Colorado Springs. I have been video taping my swimmers for at least 10 years probably more. It has progressed from a VHS of underwater videos (front, side, and the four competitive turns) with a piece of paper telling them what to fix to a DVD of simultaneous underwater and above water (front, side, the four competitive turns, and everything in both normal speed and slow motion). I put comments on what they need to correct and how to correct it on the slow motion video. I use video editing software to sync the underwater and above water videos. With this the swimmers can see how lifting their head when they breathe in freestyle, lifting the head too high in butterfly, looking towards their feet on backstroke and other bad postures result in poor body position (hips sinking, feet sinking, etc.) I use the video editing software to create the slow motion video with the embedded comments. I film from either the end of the lane while they swim towards me or walk along the side of the pool while they swim a 50. I consider video very valuable. I have seen extreme motivation to improve their strokes after they get the DVD. I also loan them one of the many GoSwim or Richard Quick DVD's I have purchased so that they can see what correct strokes look like underwater. Many people have told me how much faster they are or how much easier it is to swim after they correct their strokes using the comments and the video. As the strokes change over the years I try to get everyone to move with the new techniques. This makes it fun for novices and the seasoned swimmers as they are always learning new things - this keeps it from becoming stale. The equipment I am now using are two HDPro 1080p Bullet Cams that I purchased on eBay. They record HD video on an SD card so it is very easy to transfer the videos on my PC to work on them. Some of the other bullet cams which are also waterproof do not give you a viewing screen to see what you are actually video taping. I try to do this once a year for each swimmer, but I usually don't get everyone (schedules, etc.) The filming usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes and we do it before the Saturday workout. I do this at no cost to the swimmer. I just enjoy coaching so much that this is pure fun for me to do this. It takes me about 1 hour of video editing and DVD authoring time to make the DVD. I basically have a template that I just insert the videos into. The smiles and thanks from the swimmers makes it worth the time and effort. I highly recommend coaches or even swimmers on a team look into doing this. I use clamps to mount the two bullet cams on a collapsible carbon fiber mono-pod. I mount the two viewing screens (on the mini Digital Video Recorders) on the top of the mono-pod where the camera usually mounts with a T-bracket from Home Depot so I can see them both easily. It is very portable and I have filmed some swimmers at meets. Usually the referees at the meet don't mind if I stick my cameras into the lane while they are racing. I think that if the coach can get into doing this it will make coaching more fun. I have improved my own swimming just by watching all the things that can be corrected, even in our fastest swimmers. I apologize for the long post - but I wanted to let people know what is possible.