Golf Gadget Review: The Sony Action Cam/V1 Golf App

What’s wrong with your golf swing?

(by Dave Wolfe) Do you ever ask yourself that question? I do all of the time. Most of the time it is not that formal. We’re talking more like “WTF has happened to my swing!”

For me, and maybe you too, there are just those rounds when the swing goes rogue. Whenever I try and figure out what has happened, I return to the laundry list of all of my past swing faults.

When I ask what’s wrong with the swing, my brain is happy to rattle off this list:

• swinging over the top
• early release
• poor weight shift
• tempo too quick
• tempo too slow
• attempting to procreate with a goat
• grip too weak
• grip too strong
• clubs need to be replaced

Any of those ring true for you too?

The main problem is that it could be any of those issues, in singles or bunches. How are you really supposed to know? I know that I often think that since it could be anything that my best move is to change everything. The better solution is to actually diagnose the problem, and then fix that as opposed to scrapping everything. But how do you know what’s wrong with your swing? That’s right, you find an expert.

Nothing can really replace the trained eye of your golf professional when it comes to fixing your swing. Your golf instructor has watched a lot of swings, some better than yours, some worse. He or she has volumes of observational experiences that can be drawn upon to diagnose and repair the state you have pushed your swing into. Knowledge aside, there is another advantage that your instructor has in the swing analysis, they can actually watch you swing while you cannot.

You think you know what is wrong with your swing, but your instructor can see what is wrong with your swing. I could say something trite like seeing is believing here, but I wont. However, there is a big difference between thinking you are flipping through impact again and seeing your hands flip. If only there was a way to see our swings from the perspectives of the instructors.

What’s that?

Devices exist that can actually record moving images? I wonder why nobody has ever used one of these video cameras for golf before…

Camera usage in golf instruction and practice has become more and more common as technology has improved. You may even be reading this article on a device that has an amazing video camera, but do you use that camera in your golf practice. Why or why not? Maybe you don’t like the available apps, either recording or analyzing. Is it too slow? Too complicated? Something else? You have the camera, but for some reason you do not to use it.

What we need is a camera that is simple to use, pairing easily with analysis software that helps us improve our swing.

Enter the Sony Action Cam

I had no idea that Sony had developed their own small, lightweight, sports-friendly camera until I read a press release about their partnership with V1 Golf. You have probably heard of Sony, but you may not be as familiar with V1 Golf. The V1 Golf Academy software has been around for a while, I used it last year in my lesson project with Kevin Estrella. V1 Golf has a huge database of swing videos from pros that can be set side-by-side with your swing. It’s easy to annotate the videos with lines and points to show quasi-important things like swing plane and posture.

The exciting thing to me about the Sony Action Cam press release was that this new camera was pairing with software already in use by numerous golf instructors and that versions of the V1 Golf software were also heading to an iOS or Android device near you. I read this immediately as video camera to take to the driving range, using it to gain third party perspective as I practiced. My excitement increased after reading that the Action Cam shot in full 1080p HD at regular speed, as well as in slow motion.

I have tried to use my phone’s camera on the range before, but the frame rate is never quite high enough to see when the wheels come off the bus in my swing. Bring on that slow motion and expanded frame rate.

 

Specs: Sony Action Cam

• Compact, rugged Wi-Fi® enabled HD video action camcorder
• High quality Full HD 1080p recording
• 4x Slow Motion video mode in HD
• SteadyShot® image stabilization reduces blur
• Ruggedized, waterproof housing with universal tripod mount included
• Ultra wide angle Carl Zeiss® Lens (170-degree FOV)
• Simply “Press-n-Go” with large start/stop button
• HDMI® output for easy file transfer
• Memory Stick Micro™ and Micro SD/SDHC compatible
• Exmor® R CMOS Sensor for superb low light performance
• Built-In stereo mic

Specs: V1 Golf App

• Capture, compare and improve your golf swing on your iPhone, iPad or Android device.
• Record and analyze your swing or compare it side-by-side to V1 Golf’s library of Tour Professionals.
• The V1 Golf app also includes a facility directory containing many PGA professionals who you can send a swing to and receive a professional swing analysis.
• V1 Golf includes a free personal online locker from V1 and features a suite of drawing tools, video trim and playback options, game improvement drills.

Can you see why I was excited about this pairing? Here is a Wi-Fi enabled, HD slow motion capturing camera that would pair with my iOS or Android device, sending swing video to a tested analysis package. Though I am never all that excited to watch myself swing a club, I was very excited to see how this all played out.

 

The Action Cam in Action

You have waited long enough, so let’s get to some video. In this clip, I used the Action Cam to shoot some videos at the local driving range showing both the regular speed recording and the slow motion. The second video clip comes from a mat and net in my backyard, which is where many of my practice swings occur these days. This is where I really hoped that the Action Cam would shine, as one does not get a whole lot of ball flight feedback in the five feet before the ball hits the net. Feel free to talk crap about my swing in the comment section below if it makes you feel better about yourself…

How cool is that? All I had to do was set up the camera on the tripod and press the big red button to begin recording. Well there was one other addition.

There is really a must have option for one who plans on using the Action Cam for golf analysis: The Action Cam Camcorder Cradle with LCD. This option does add $99 to the overall price of the unit, but it makes framing of your video and playback significantly easier. This will become especially apparent when we get into some of the drawbacks in a moment.

While on the topic of accessories, the Sony Multipod is also an excellent addition to the mix. It does a great job of stabilizing the Action Cam and also fits easily into the golf bag. I also used my small Gorillapod to hold the camera, but the height and angle adjustability of the Multipod just made everything so much easier. If you decide not to go with the camcorder cradle, you will want to pick up the Skeleton Frame for the Action Cam. The cam itself does not have a tripod mount. Rather, the mounts are on the base of the cradles that the cam fits into. There is a tripod mount on the bottom of the waterproof housing that comes with the camera, but that housing restricts access to some of the buttons while in place. Save yourself the irritation of having to open and close the case to change settings by getting one of the other options.

V1 Golf App

The V1 Golf app is very similar in functionality to the full PC version of the program. There is a huge list of swing model videos that you can choose from. Here is a screen shot of a few of them. This shot is from the Android version of the app on the Sony Xperia S tablet, but the iOS has access to the same database.

You can literally spend hours looking at these swings, drawing lines to look all sorts of things such as at how the club stays on plane. I watched the Ben Crane driver swing video over and over, drawing lines to watch spine angle and so on. There is so much that you can learn about the golf swing without even loading your swing. Once your swing is in, you can compare your swing to that of any pro in a side by side like the one below, or just use the same line tools to really identify where your swing faults originate.

My half of the one below shows a swing where I extended just a bit early, like when dinosaurs roamed the earth early. Don’t let my bad swing overshadow how helpful the V1 Golf software can be though. As a teaching and learning tool, it’s excellent. I now know where to focus my efforts, whereas before I just guessed.

 

Great Camera with Great Analysis Software, But There Are Some Issues

I am very impressed with the video capabilities of the Sony Action Cam, as well as the analysis gained through V1 Golf app (ioS, Android),  but getting the two of them together is not anywhere near as seamless as the Wi-Fi connection makes it feel like it should be. There are some issues, potentially serious issues. Let me address my concerns:

Camera Hardware/Button/Menu Design

The Sony Action Cam is set up to run at the single push of the big button. If this camera is mounted on your bike’s handlebars, you press the button once and bomb down that hill, pressing the button again to stop it at the bottom. The simple system works for that kind of activity. However, when recording golf swings, I found that I wanted to access the menu to change settings on a far more frequent basis.

To do this, you must move through nested menus to find the right spot. It’s not difficult to find your way, but it’s not quick. Without the camcorder accessory, or an established Wi-Fi connection between your device and the camera, precisely aiming the camera can be difficult due to a lack of built-in screen. As mentioned previously, if you are using the waterproof case, it must be removed before you can access the buttons.

 

Wi-Fi Connection and Data Transfer Rates

If you are looking to see your last swing on the range, or wanting to show a swing to a student using the V1 Golf app, you are must navigate the menus, set up the camera to send via Wi-Fi, and then wait for the data transfer. Connecting to the camera requires that you move through the menu and put the camera into SEND mode. You cannot just watch the video you recorded without going through a full import to your device. This is one of the reasons that I view the Camcorder with LCD accessory as a MUST for this camera in a golf situation. The camcorder adds a PLAY button under the screen that allows you to watch the swing without importing it. The import speed is slow over the Wi-Fi, but remember these are large HD video files. I found that USB transfer from the cam to a computer was much more efficient, but defeats the whole purpose of pairing the camera to the portable device wireless connectivity.

The current Action Cam/V1 Golf system struggles with the frequency of recording and viewing needed for golf practice and instruction. A mountain biker may film ten runs in a day with the Action Cam, downloading them upon returning home after a day’s session.

On the other hand, a golfer, using the Action Cam, slices a drive on the range, and wants to know why immediately. It’s highly likely that they will want to watch the next swing’s video immediately after the next shot is hooked. For this system to be effective, it must be quick.

I played with the apps on my iPhone 4 and also on a Sony Xperia S tablet, and the swing-to-viewing time was far too long on either device for me to see one using them in real time for a multiple recorded swing practice session. Again, immediate viewing is only really possible with the camcorder accessory. Down the road, I believe that there will be a way to update the V1 Golf software, and perhaps the firmware in the Action Cam, so that the connection between device and camera will be more quick and seamless. I want the devices to connect automatically, without me needing to change the Wi-Fi network on the phone or physically changing the camera mode to send. I’d like to just select the video to upload.

Large videos also require trimming once they get into V1, also adding to the time needed prior to viewing. In spite of the lag time, I am very happy with the video and swing insight gained by using the Action Cam and the V1 Golf software. It just takes a prohibitively long time to see the swing on your wireless device.

So What Is My Recommendation?

This is a very difficult review to quantify. I really like the camera’s video output, and I see huge potential in it, but the wireless connection issues to the phone or tablet are really hard to overlook. I want the interaction to be faster.

Right now, it really seems like it would be faster to just take all of your videos, and then plug the camera in via USB. I think that the Action Cam hard connected via USB to a laptop running the V1 Golf software would be a killer combo, but that throws out any benefits that could be gained through wireless connectivity. You don’t get timely feedback if you upload a whole session of swings. I want to see the swing from five seconds ago.

I guess my buy or not recommendation also depends upon what you want to do with the camera. If this is to be the central focus of your golf instruction, the slow transfer time and resulting lag between the swing and viewing the swing, makes me say wait to see how the software develops. However, if you are looking to use the Action Cam on occasion for filming golf practice, but also for recording other events, then I think that you could be very happy with the Action Cam.

There are a ton of non-golf possibilities. You can even buy a harness to attach the Action Cam to your pet. Strap it on and set the Action Cam to Time Lapse mode for a day in the life of your dog video.  How fun would that be to watch? While it will take some software changes for the Action Cam to become a consistent part of my golf scheme, the V1 Golf App represents only a $5 investment.

Overall value really depends upon what you see yourself doing with the Action Cam. I can’t wait to see the videos it captures from my next mountain biking session, from my son’s head at his next diving lesson, from my snorkeling adventure in Hawaii next month, and so on.

The Action Cam’s price is actually very reasonable right now as Amazon has it on sale for a limited time at $218 ($50 off). It is also being offered in an Action Cam Golf Training Pack with a bunch of accessories at $398.  Once the sale ends, that bundle is probably the way to go.  However, if you are thinking about picking one up, I would jump on the sale price. I see huge potential and anticipate amazing videos from the Action Cam. My hope is that like any relationship, the pairing of the Action Cam and the V1 Golf software will get better and better. I really want this set-up to become an integral part of my practice set up. I’ll keep you posted.