Turf Start (3-Point Combine)
Three-point stance start analysis for combine-style testing: set, first move, turf clearance and touchdown.
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 the start.
Side view, 90° to the lane (landscape). All turf-start metrics.
How high, and how it should sit
Framing
Full body in frame.
Hold the phone landscape.
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 12 ready
All the camera settings
Every setting shows where it came from.
- Camera height
- No height is given. Keep camera location the same each session.
- Our 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 full body in frame.
- Our guidance
- Frame rate
- 60+ fps. Minimum 60 fps at 1080p. Higher helps only if lighting stays clean. Slow motion works if you enter the recorded rate.
- From published guidance
- Resolution
- 1080p minimum
- From published guidance
- Orientation
- Hold the phone landscape.
- From published guidance
- Lens and zoom
- Use the 1x lens with no digital zoom. Avoid ultra-wide and fisheye lenses.
- From published guidance
- Lighting
- Bright light so the athlete and the turf markings stay sharp in every frame.
- From published guidance
- Stability
- Tripod. Handheld shake makes timing and angle values unreliable.
- From published guidance
- Calibration
- No calibration is needed for angles. Distances and speeds need a scale (see Calibration).
- From published guidance
Before you start
- Set in the 3-point stance with the down hand on the turf.
- Record 3-5 starts.
Cues for the athlete
Plain coaching cues, one thing at a time.
General
- Minimise the pause in set and fire one decisive launch action.
- Stack the down-side shoulder over the wrist.
- Tighten the rear leg.
- Drop the hips and drive the front knee over the toe.
- Project forward and keep the head down.
- Stay down through the first push.
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.