How to Film Your Throw for Analysis

The Throw Analysis tool is only as good as the video you feed it. It finds your joints in each frame with a pose model that runs inside your browser, so your video never gets uploaded. If it can't see you clearly, it says "can't analyze" instead of guessing, so a little care while filming pays off.

The five-minute setup

1. Prop the phone up. A bag, a cart, a water bottle against a tree, anything solid. A hand-held phone shakes, and camera shake looks like body movement to a computer. If the tool sees the background wobble, it will refuse. 2. Pick your angle. Camera at about chest height, roughly 15 to 20 feet away so you fit head to toe with room to spare. - Side-on (the camera 90 degrees to your throwing line) shows how far back you reach and how your weight moves toward the target. - Down the line (behind you, looking where the disc is headed) or from the front shows how your hips and shoulders turn. - Not sure? Film one of each. That's two clips, not a lifetime commitment. 3. Fit your whole body, the whole time. Feet to the top of your head, including the walk-up and finish. If a hand or foot leaves the frame, those measurements are skipped. You should fill at least a third of the frame's height; much smaller and the joints are a few pixels wide. 4. Film one throw, with room around it. Start recording a second or two before the throw so your backswing is on camera, and keep rolling about a second after release so the finish is visible. The tool analyzes the fastest hand movement it finds, so a clip with five throws gets confusing. 5. Use 60 fps if your phone offers it. The fast part of a throw lasts a handful of frames. At 30 fps one frame is 33 ms; at 60 fps it's 17 ms. Timing numbers (like who turns first, hips or shoulders) get a lot more trustworthy at 60.

Things that confuse the pose model

- Baggy or camouflage clothing that hides where your elbows and hips are. A fitted shirt helps. - Strong backlight or deep shade. Aim for even daylight, sun behind the camera. - Busy backgrounds and other people walking through the shot. - Tall grass hiding your feet. A cart or bag blocking your hips works the same way. - Digital zoom. Walk the phone closer instead; it keeps the picture sharp.

What you'll get back

The tool shows your skeleton on every frame so you can scrub through and see for yourself, then reports only what a 2D camera can measure: reach-back, weight shift, hip-versus-shoulder timing, elbow height, finish balance, head steadiness and tempo. Every number comes with the rule of thumb used, and every tip is tied to a number. It does not measure disc speed, spin, release angle or flight, and it can't judge your throw the way a coach standing next to you can.

Using the results

Treat them as a conversation starter, not a grade. Film three or four throws the same way and look for patterns; one swing can be a fluke. Change one thing at a time. If something is uncomfortable or painful, stop and check in with a qualified professional. For the fundamentals behind the tips, read the form checklist, forehand basics and hyzer, flat and anhyzer explained. Want a human eye? Join a local club and ask the best player there to watch your throw. Ready? Open Throw Analysis.