What angle should I film my running form from?
Film your running form from the side first, square on to your path with the phone at hip height, because the side view shows the things most runners need to fix: landing reach, knee bend, torso lean and arm swing.
Side view: start here
Phone beside your path, level with your hips, pointed straight across. You run past. This view shows:
- how far ahead of the hip the foot lands,
- how bent the knee is at contact and at midstance,
- how far the torso leans,
- the trailing knee in recovery,
- elbow angle and how far the arms swing back,
- head position,
- cadence.
That is six of the seven things most coaches look at. If you only ever film one angle, film this one.
Front view: for hips and knees
Phone on your path, hip height. You run toward it. Shows:
- whether one hip drops as the other leg swings through,
- whether the knees track over the feet or cave in,
- shoulder tilt,
- side-to-side sway,
- hands crossing the centre line.
It cannot show landing reach or lean. Use it when you are working on hip stability. See how to fix hip drop.
Behind view: like front, plus feet
Phone on your path behind you. Same as front, and it adds heel whip, where the heel flicks out during recovery, and crossover, where one foot lands across the midline. Slightly harder to frame because you run away and shrink.
Height matters more than people think
A phone on the ground looks up at you and makes everyone appear to lean back with high knees. A phone above shoulder height makes you look hunched. Hip height keeps the angles true.
Do not pan
Keep the phone still and let yourself run through the frame. Following the runner with the camera blurs the joints and changes the angle mid-clip.
How to do it in Caden
- Tap Run a new analysis and follow the framing guide for a side-on shot.
- Prop the phone at hip height, landscape, 6 to 8 metres away. Film 10 to 20 seconds.
- Caden analyses the side view only. For hip drop or knee tracking, film your own front or behind clip and check it by eye.
FAQ
Is side view or front view better for running form?
Side view first. It shows landing, knee, lean and arms. Front view is for hip drop and knee tracking.
Should the phone be in portrait or landscape?
Landscape. In portrait you leave the frame after one or two steps.
How far away should the camera be?
Six to eight metres for a side view outdoors. Close enough that you fill a third to a half of the frame height.