Choose a safe view before choosing camera settings
Ask the facility and anyone who might be identifiable whether recording is permitted. Avoid filming children or other players without the necessary permission. Put a stable phone support outside the court movement path and away from gates or walkways. Stop play to adjust it. Do not have a partner stand in a landing path or hold a camera where a player or ball could strike them.
For a first view, use a position that shows the complete server from setup to recovery. A rear or side view reveals different visible information; neither is a universal correct angle. This is an original filming checklist, not a validated biomechanics protocol. If a coach needs a particular view, ask first and keep safety constraints above the request.
Set the frame wide enough for the extended racket and the highest part of the toss, with room for the feet and landing. A landscape test can make this easier, but replay is the acceptance check. Do not add a fixed camera distance to imitate a professional setup on a court with different space.
Replay one test serve before recording a whole session
Check the phone’s video controls and storage. Apple documents ordinary and slow-motion recording; available resolutions and frame rates depend on the iPhone. More frames are not a substitute for visible action, adequate light or stable placement. This guide does not promise that every camera format will import into every app.
Record before preparation begins and continue through recovery. Replay the test and pause around the toss, apparent contact and landing. If the top of the racket disappears, move or widen the safe framing before continuing. If the ball is indistinct, label contact uncertain; do not invent an exact frame.
| Clip | Visible problem | Use or re-film? | Concrete next change |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Feet visible; toss and racket top leave frame | Re-film for whole-motion question | Widen safe framing; test again |
| B | Whole action visible; another player identifiable behind server | Resolve permission / choose clear background | Do not upload before consent is resolved |
| C | Whole action visible; contact ball blurred | Usable for sequence question, not exact contact measurement | Label contact uncertain |
| D | Whole action and recovery visible; permissions resolved | Candidate clip | Keep original and note view |
Clip D is a candidate, not evidence that technique is correct. Use one file name per take, for example “serve_side_take_D”. Keep the unedited original so a cropped window does not become the only record of the action.
Give the clip a question it can actually answer
Try “Is my toss still visible through the swing?” or “Which part of this sequence should I discuss with my coach?” State the view and what is hidden. A rear view can hide motion that a side view reveals; two different views of different attempts are not synchronized measurements of one serve.
Do not estimate serve speed from normal playback, describe a perspective-dependent line as a measured joint angle, or identify an injury from the clip. Ask a qualified coach about technique and a healthcare professional about pain. A filming worksheet cannot clear someone to keep playing through discomfort.
Keep file, view, observed issue, uncertainty and coaching question together. If a second take looks different, compare whether the filming conditions changed before attributing the difference to practice. Fewer filming defects make discussion clearer; they do not demonstrate performance improvement.
Select the whole serve first, then the app’s hit window
TennisBlink’s current listing supports recording or importing video. In a longer recording, select a 30-second section, then choose three seconds around the hit, and select Serve before analysis. Check that this short crop still contains the movement you want discussed. Keep the longer original for a coach; do not imply the three-second result evaluates the entire service motion.
The current listing offers five successful analyses free per installation. Premium includes up to 50 successful analyses per week; failed analyses do not use a credit, and weekly limits reset Monday at 00:00 UTC. These are October 13 US listing terms; confirm the current in-app plan before purchase.
You choose whether the selected video is sent to a third-party AI service. Review the current video-analysis privacy information and include only permissioned material. AI feedback can be incomplete or incorrect, and technique scores are coaching estimates. Reopen the clip alongside the feedback and take a concrete question to a coach.
If the method fits your task, explore TennisBlink’s listed features on an iPhone. Check current features and plans before downloading.
See TennisBlink for iOSDownload the free worksheet
Use the CSV in Numbers, Excel or a spreadsheet editor. Four fictional clip checks plus a blank row. No speed, joint-angle or clinical measurement. Replace them with your own observations. The CSV is separate from the app and no email is required.
Questions answered
Do I need the highest slow-motion setting?
No universal setting is required here. First verify visible whole action, stability and usable replay; available camera settings depend on the phone.
Why keep the original if the app uses a short crop?
The original preserves preparation and recovery that may fall outside the selected analysis window.
Can the video tell me my serve speed?
This checklist does not produce a calibrated speed measurement. Do not convert playback impressions into a claimed speed.
Continue with TennisBlink on iOS
Use the App Store listing to check compatibility, privacy information and current plan terms. A free download may offer paid features.
Download TennisBlink for iOSSources and product details
- Apple: record video with an iPhone cameraCamera modes and device-dependent settings; checked October 13, 2026. The serve checklist is our original method.
- TennisBlink on the App StoreCurrent US App Store product description; checked October 13, 2026.
Editorial method: primary guidance, a current Apple listing, an original worked example and an independent critique. No search ranking, install or outcome result is claimed.