Posted by Dexter Francois
| Posted in
Mike Southern,
Playsport ZX3,
Product Reviews,
Swing Mechanics,
Video Instruction
| Posted on Friday, January 7, 2011
Merry late Christmas to me:-) I purchased the Kodak Playsport ZX3 Digital Camera a few days ago and I am so excited to use it. If you have been following this blog, you know that I have been working with Mike Southern on improving my swing. Everything that we have worked on has been basically based on our written word. Fortunate for me, Mike seems to be a master at deciphering what I am describing about my swing and giving me the proper instruction.
All that has changed now. I will now be able to film my swing so that he can analyze, criticize, and maybe, sometimes even agonize over the quality of my swing. I do not have a tripod yet but plan on buying one within the next few days. Then we can get down to work and make some big improvements during 2011.
I took the Playsport out for a test run today. It handles very well and is easy to use. Nothing complicated about this one, but the quality is excellent. It has a slow motion feature which will allow my swing to be broken down frame by frame. No more hiding behind these post. Everything will be exposed.
This camera is no bigger than most cell phones and fits easily in my pocket. I can take still pictures with as well, so I will be using it for everything. My fiancee likes to hike, so when I move to Arizona, the camera will help capture many memories.
The coolest feature of the Playsport is that you can film underwater to a depth of ten feet. I have not tried mine underwater yet but Youtube has a bunch of videos of people using their Playsport submerged in water. I look forward to using my camera the next time I go snorkeling. The picture is so clear, it makes the user look like a professional.
The following video is my test run from today. As soon as I buy a tripod, I will be sharing more videos. I am a little nervous about showing the world my swing, but hopefully you will be able to learn from my mistakes and improve your game as well. I believe that sometimes you have to stick your neck out to achieve greatness. I might embarrass myself but it will make me better. Have a great round and always hit your target.
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It sounds great, Dexter! Especially the slo-mo feature.
You do realize that Michael Breed did a book on how to use the Kodak for swing video, don't you? The book is called "The Picture-Perfect Golf Swing." Here's a link to the book at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Perfect-Golf-Swing-Complete-Analysis/dp/0743290275
But he also did several "Golf Fix" shows recently where he talked about the proper way to video your swing. You may be able to find some clips at Golf Channel's website if you look.
I think he said the best way to get a good video was to set your tripod so the camera lens is at waist height.
BTW, don't spend more than $25-35 for a tripod; anything more is overkill. If you shop around a bit, you may be able to get a good one for a lot less.
I did see that episode of the Golf Fix. You must have been reading my mind, because that was one of the books I had planned on picking up. See we are a good team.
My buddy Kyle, who I mentioned in the video, found his tripod for $4.00 at a thrift store. I'm making a trip to Goodwill or The Salvation Army:-D