Start with permission and a safe spot
Check your club or court’s filming rules, and ask anyone who may appear in the video before you record. Keep the phone and its support outside the playing area, clear of your run-back space, neighbouring players and any route people use to enter the court.
A stable phone support makes framing easier. Avoid balancing a phone where it could fall or become a trip hazard. If there is no safe place behind the court, wait for a different court or session.
Place the phone behind you
Face the phone’s camera down the length of the court from behind the baseline. Aim it towards the area where you will play. ralyo’s planned setup uses this behind-the-player view, rather than a side-on view.
Leave enough space between you and the camera to keep your feet, head and racket in frame as you move. There is no single distance that works for every phone and court: use the framing check below instead of guessing a measurement.
Keep the phone steady and use a normal video mode. Make sure the lens is clean, the battery has enough charge and there is room to save the clip.
Keep the whole movement in frame
Record a short test in the position where you expect to hit. Move to each side and make a few comfortable practice swings. Then stop and watch it back.
Check that your whole body stays visible, including your feet, and that the racket does not disappear outside the picture at the top or sides of the swing. Include the court ahead of you so the clip has context. If something is cut off, move the phone farther back if it is safe, or adjust the frame and test again.
For ralyo’s first release, the plan is to analyse a short clip of one player. Keep that player clear in the foreground rather than filming several people sharing the same practice area.
Choose a view you can actually see
Look for even light and a clear picture. If bright sun makes you a silhouette, try a different safe camera position behind the court or another time of day. Check for a fence, a bag or another player blocking the view.
Watch the test clip on your phone. You should be able to follow the player and see the movement without squinting. A picture that looks too dark, blurred or distant to you may not provide enough useful evidence for feedback.
Record a short, ordinary practice
Film a few repetitions of the stroke you want to look at. Play naturally: the point is to see your usual tennis, rather than produce a perfect-looking shot for the camera.
Check the clip before packing up. Confirm that recording started, that the phone stayed in place, and that you remain in frame. A useful short clip is a better starting point than a long recording you cannot see clearly.
What happens next with ralyo?
ralyo is still in development. The first planned release will watch a short clip, identify one priority, show the supporting moment in your own video and give you a practice plan. It is being built for adult improvers on iPhone and Android.
The app’s final recording requirements will be published when they are ready. For now, this guide is a practical preparation checklist, rather than a guarantee that any particular video can be analysed. Join the launch list on our home page if you would like an invitation when ralyo is ready.