Swim Form Analysis
Stroke, start, turn and finish analysis from side, head-on, rear or overhead pool footage, with optional pool calibration for speed and distance.
How far has this tool been checked?
The measurements were checked against computer-drawn athletes whose true answers are known exactly. That shows the arithmetic and the event rules are right under clean, controlled conditions. It does not measure how well the body-tracking model sees real people (water, loose clothing, crouching, fast limbs) and has not been compared with a lab or a coach’s stopwatch. Treat the numbers as an aid, and use the confidence label beside each value.
Where the camera goes
Seen from above. Angles are measured round from the front of the athlete; 90° is square-on from the side. Reference line: direction of swimming.
Side view. Stroke cycles, speed and splits along the pool.
How high, and how it should sit
Framing
Keep one swimmer large enough to see and the whole target event in frame.
The 50–75% band is our own guidance. No published source gives a camera distance in metres, so use it as a starting point and adjust until the whole movement fits.
Ready to record?
Tick each item as you set it up. This is a reminder, not a lock.
0 of 14 ready
All the camera settings
Every setting shows where it came from.
- Camera height
- No height is given. Overhead means a fixed camera directly above the water; avoid oblique deck-high views and underwater floor-up footage.
- From published guidance
- Distance
- No published distance exists. Stand back far enough that the full movement (arm circle, stride, follow-through) stays in frame with room to spare. Use the 1x lens and move your feet, not the zoom. Keep the swimmer, wall, block and any calibration reference in frame.
- Our guidance
- Frame rate
- 30+ fps (recommended 60). 60 fps or higher when possible; 30 fps clips also work with less detail in quick moments.
- From published guidance
- Resolution
- 1080p recommended
- From published guidance
- Orientation
- Landscape or portrait both work.
- From published guidance
- Lens and zoom
- Do not pan, zoom or use digital stabilisation. Lock focus and exposure when the device allows.
- From published guidance
- Lighting
- No level is given. Keep glare, bubbles, lane ropes and other swimmers from hiding the joints.
- From published guidance
- Stability
- Tripod or fixed support, level with the horizon.
- From published guidance
- Calibration
- Optional. Side view: mark both ends of a known distance along the pool. Other views: mark four corners of a lane or pool rectangle in order and enter its length and width. Without it, absolute speed, distance and splits are not available.
- From published guidance
Before you start
- Choose what you are analysing: steady stroke, start, turn or finish.
- Record the whole event with the camera fixed.
Cues for the athlete
Plain coaching cues, one thing at a time.
No cues are published for this tool.
Why camera position matters
Research behind these rules.
2D angles are only trustworthy when the limb moves in the plane the camera sees. Camera-side joints are measured more accurately than far-side joints, and timing is only as fine as one frame.