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< Sept/Oct 2002
	Skills
Use Video as a Learning Tool Bob Foote

Tired of someone else pointing out your flaws? See them for yourself. Video footage will not only heighten awareness of your skills and developmental needs, but will match the mental image of your skill to reality. Listed below are some key points and tips to remember when using video for technique analysis.

u It’s best to have the sun shining over the shoulder of the person taking the video. Recognize that this is ideal and do the best you can.

u Keep specific technique problems in mind when you do video work, (e.g.. paddle splash, vertical paddle).

u Videotape at an angle that will best capture what you are looking for. If torso rotation on a forward stroke is your focus, shoot from a side view, with the paddler’s onside toward the camera. To check for a vertical paddle, video the boat coming right at the camera. Some drills or strokes may need to be shot from two different angles. (Draws, prys, etc., need to be shot from the onside view at 90 degrees to centerline and straight down the centerline.)

u When videotaping the forward stroke from the side, the most valuable footage is that which was taken directly in front of the camera (90 degrees).

u Fill the frame with the paddler, the paddle and as much of the boat as you need. Avoid filming from too far away or using too wide of a lens angle.

u By freeze-framing and using a dry-erase marker to draw on the TV screen, you can check for erect posture and a vertical paddle shaft on the forward stroke. With footage of the boat coming straight at the camera, freeze-frame at the start of the stroke, then draw lines down the centerline of the body and down the paddle shaft. See if the angles are vertical or not.

u Some video cameras have built-in viewing screens. This style of camera offers instant feedback and has proved quite valuable in rolling clinics.

—Bob Foote first achieved notoriety with his 1981 video, Canoeing the Grand Canyon, and has maintained a high profile designing canoes, accessories, teaching and writing about canoeing. For more tips, check out his Web site at www.bobfoote.com.