Ever wonder if your swimming technique is all it could be? Want a quick way to get some feedback, inexpensively? Go Swim’s Online Video Evaluation Service is here, and for only $25 per length. Click here to go directly to the service, or read more below.
The best way for us to evaluate your technique is to look at footage taken with an underwater camera. We will offer advice for those of you who wish to upload video taken with a standard above-water camera, but for best results we recommend an underwater camera so that we can see your technique from above and below the surface.
With so many inexpensive underwater video cameras available today, it’s time to consider adding one to your bag of training equipment. Here’s a short list of some of our favorite underwater video solutions:
Casio Exilim EX-G1 12.1 MP Slim-line Endurance Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Red)
Flip Video AWC2T Underwater Case for UltraHD and Ultra 2nd Generation camcorders (Clear)
Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)
Once you’ve acquired your underwater digital cam, follow the instructions below, or go directly to the link.
When you click on the link for the service, you’ll need to do a new log-in. Your standard Go Swim log-in won’t be valid and this is simply because we want to provide extra security for your identity and information. If you’re new to this service, click on the "Create New User" button.
If you’re a new user, set up your account and provide your regular information. This service is for swimmers and coaches. If you’re a coach, you’re welcome to use this system to evaluate your own swimmers, either for a fee, or free.
Once you’ve set up your account, you’ll have a choice of making your video public…or keeping it private, for your eyes only. If you’d like to have your swimming evaluated by everyone or anyone, choose the public option, but please know that your videos will be seen by all the people under the video tab. We’ll get into HOW to upload your video in the next screen.
To start uploading your video, click the "Upload" button in the grey bar at the top of the screen.
Browse your computer to find just the right video to share with us. Ideally the clip will show you from the side, swimming one length of the pool. The system will automatically convert your video and get it ready for the service.
Once your video is online, you need to find a coach. Click the "Coaches" button in the grey bar, and a list of all the current coaches will appear.
You’ll can read about the coach and, if their evaluations are public, you’ll be able to watch some of their advice.
Once you’ve selected a coach, locate your uploaded video and click the "Request Coaching" button. If you want to give extra information to the coach, enter it on this page. If the coach charges a fee, you can prepay for the session by selecting the "Prepaid coaching session" button.
When we get your request, we’ll mark up the video, add voice annotations, and give you some ideas of drills to watch. The system will automatically notify you when the eval is done and available to you.
We also have the option of presenting you a side-by-side video in the system. We’re busy populating the evaluator with video of high-level swimmers. While we can’t yet offer our Olympians, the swimmers used for comparison will be national-level athletes.
Go Swim is currently charging $25 per eval, and we consider an evaluation to be a critique of one length of your swimming (we can tell a lot in one length!). The clearer your video, the better your experience is going to be, so be selective about what you upload into the system. We’ve been performing video evaluations for many years, and will do our best to make your experience worthwhile; however, if the uploaded video is unclear, there is only so much we can do.
If you get stuck, go to any tab in the grey bar, and look to the right side of the page for the "Tutorial" button. That page is filled with videos that can help you with any problem you’re having. If you have additional questions, send Glenn an email.
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