Everything you need to know to get the best baseball videos of your kids during games
Recording good videos of you kid during baseball games is not just about capturing proud moments to post on Facebook. The videos allow you to really see what he’s doing mechanically, both right and wrong, so they can make adjustments.
If your kid is anything like mine, he also needs to be shown on video the mistakes he’s making before he corrects them.
So check out our recommendations for video cameras and smart phone accessories and the best places on a baseball field to shoot video.
Don’t Distract Your Kid and Hurt His Performance by Taking Baseball Videos
Just like the “do no harm” medical credo, make sure you’re not doing anything to sabotage your kid’s baseball performance. My son is often distracted when he’s hitting in a game and spots me pressed to the batting cage shooting video of him. Other kids are seemingly immune to that.
If there’s even a chance that you’re going to mess your kid up during a game by videoing him, take your phone to the the outfield where he can’t see you or have another parent shoot the video for you.
In our zeal to make our kids get better, we don’t want to wind up messing them up.
The Smart Phone Accessory You Should Buy to Video Baseball
The DJI Mimo is a super cool contraption to video your kids playing baseball. Yes, it looks a little weird. Yes, you’ll resemble a tourist in Times Square. And yes, you’ll stick out as a little overzealous. But this thing is awesome at turning your phone into a workable video camera for great videos.
The way it works is it uses your phone’s camera and gives you the ability to lock in on your kid, like Tom Cruise locking in on an opposing jet in a Top Gun movie, and then you just have to keep the gizmo pointed in your kid’s general direction (even with a shaky hand) and you’ll get a virtually perfect video. The app then lets you easily edit down videos, so, for example, you can isolate one swing in a two-minute at bat.
It’s not cheap, with a $159 price tag on Amazon, but it’s a lot cheaper than a standalone video camera. And (using baseball dad logic) if the videos help your kid learn what he’s doing wrong, then you won’t need as many pricey private lessons to correct the issues, and the product will in fact be saving you money!
The One Camera You Should Buy to Take Basebal Videos of Your Kid
Most people take baseball videos on their phone, but if you want to up your video game you can buy a camera. Just know that when you start taking videos with a special camera instead of your phone, the other parents will start looking at you a little differently. It’s not like you’ll turn into a pariah, but you’ll be seen as the dad who’s even more obsessed than the other obsessed dads.
Runner Up: GoPro Hero8
The GoPro Hero8 is an excellent choice for shooting baseball videos. It’s small and lightweight, easy to stick in your shorts pocket, and it’s got great battery life (about 60-70 minutes of actual recording time). The 4K video gives you crystal clear shots, and the HyperSmooth stabilization works as advertised for steady clips.
The GoPro is so compact that you can actually wear it to games, though I wouldn’t recommend that.
Winner: Cannon PowerShot SX730
The Cannon PowerShot SX730 is about $100 more than the GoPro, but it’s worth it. The zoom on this camera is phenomenal (better than most SLR telephoto lenses). And when you think about it, the zoom function is what you’re really looking for when buying a camera for shooting baseball videos. As long as you have great zoom capabilities, you can shoot from any place on the field.
In addition to the powerful zoom, this camera takes crisp images. The Bluetooth function also works great. So you can send video to your kid’s hitting coach during the game, and potentially get feedback before the next at bat.
The Cannon PowerShot SX730 is also compact with good battery life.
The Best Places on a Baseball Field to Video Your Kid
Some places on the field are objectively better than others for shooting baseball videos. Any hitting coach will tell you a good clip of your kid shows both:
- The batter’s mechanics -and-
- The pitcher’s release and path of the ball, so as to assess the batter’s timing (for example, where the ball is when the batter’s foot comes down)
With that in mind, consider shooting from the following places.
To the Side of the Cage
This is a prime spot to shoot video (and watch the game), and you’ll commonly see dads congregating in this area. This view gives you a great look at your kid’s mechanics as well as the pitcher’s release. It’s easy to forget that you need to get the pitcher in the shot, so be sure to shoot from an angle that captures both the batter and pitcher.
If your kid is a righty, you’re going to want to shoot from the right field side of the cage to get a better view of your kid’s mechanics (as compared to shooting toward your kid’s back). Likewise, if your kid is a lefty, go to the left field side of the cage.
Unfortunately, this spot on a field isn’t always available to shoot from, because some fields:
- Close off the home plate area to spectators -and/or-
- Place a dark tarp around the batting cage that makes videoing impossible
Behind Home Plate
I have many friends who stake out this area for taking video. It’s easy to get both the pitcher and batter in your frame, and you can get a nice shot of the play. If your kid, for example, hits a shot to the outfield, you can easily follow the flight of the hit as well as your kid rounding the bases.
This spot is also perfect for focusing on your kid’s bat path. You really get to see whether the hitter is starting his swing by turning the nob of the bat up and staying inside the ball.
The downside of shooting video from behind the plate include:
- The umpire and catcher may block your view
- You don’t get a great shot of the batter’s hands and lead foot
Like with shooting from the side of the cage, this area is sometimes off limits for spectators and you can run into the dark-tarp-over-the-cage issue (see below picture). Also, some teams might object to your standing in the pitcher’s line of sight and bothering him.
Foul Lines
Setting up on foul lines is not so bad, as long as the gate is low enough to let you lean over it and take video. Obviously, the closer you are to the action the better. This is often the ideal place to take video of your kid pitching.
The Outfield
If you want to get the angle that televised baseball games show, then center field is for you. However, you need a camera with a great zoom function to achieve the shot (see our camera reviews above), and your phone’s camera is likely not going to cut it.
Also, when you shoot from the outfield, be aware that any slight movements of your hand when videoing may cause significant shakes in the clip.
Taking Baseball Videos on the Actual Field (When You’re Coaching)
I have to admit when coaching first or third base during rec games, I often slip my phone from my pocket and discreetly video my kid’s at bats. It’s really my favorite spot, because no one’s blocking my view, I’m close to the action, and it gives me a great angle to see what my son’s doing.
I realize though that this is obnoxious and I shouldn’t be doing it. It’s hard to focus on the whole team, and not just your kid, when you’re there on the field acting like a cameraman every time your son steps to the plate.
Don’t Let the Sun Ruin Your Baseball Videos
Ideally, it’ll be cloudy when you’re shooting videos of your kid, and the sun won’t be a factor. However, if it’s a bright sunny day, generally try to shoot with the sun to your back. If you can, try to find an angle where the sun is beaming directly on your kid.
Nothing is more annoying than taking what you think is great video only to go home and realize that your kid is lost in the shadows or that the sun is obscuring your shot.
Don’t Be the Creepy Dad at the Game by Shooting Excessive Baseball Videos
There’s a dad on our club team who’s shooting video literally nonstop during games. When his kid makes it on base, he keeps videoing the game until his kid gets thrown out on the bases, scores, or the inning’s over. Other parents are creeped out by him, thinking he’s shooting video of their kids. He is actually doing that, but just because his kid’s on base.
I actually was happy when this guy was on our team, because my son batted after his kid, and I could often get him to take video for me and not have to bother with it myself.
But, as a general rule, you don’t want to be the antisocial guy obsessed with taking video of kids. So limit videoing to only when your kid is at bat or pitching. And you don’t have to shoot every single at bat your kid has during a game. Video in moderation, and you’ll be better for it.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS ABOUT SHOOTING BASEBALL VIDEOS? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS.
For more content, see How to Get Your Kid Out of a Baseball Slump and Anger Management and Youth Baseball: How to Calm Down.
For posts about avoiding pitching injuries, see Why I Don’t Let My Son Pitch in Little League and Is the Circle Change Dangerous for Youth Pitchers?
For information about bats and batting aids, checks out 2021 USA Bats Reviews: Which One Should You Buy and The 4 Best Baseball Batting Aids (No. 3 is Free)
Great tips. I usually film at least 2 at bats per game (phone) I then slow down the video as much as possible so my son can see frame by frame his swing. Honestly this has help his swing so much ( better than any other aid or coaching). He has self correct many things just by watching himsleve in slow- mo.