How do I film my child's skating for the best analysis?

Filming Tips for Skating Analysis

The best angle is from the side of the rink, roughly level with your child's hips—think of it as the "coach's view." This lets you see the full line of their body, knee bend, and edge quality all at once. Position yourself about 10-15 feet back so you're capturing their whole frame without too much empty ice around them.

A few practical tips: keep your phone or camera steady (a small tripod works wonders), avoid zooming in and out, and film in good lighting if possible—rink lighting can be tricky, but a well-lit side angle beats a dim close-up every time. Shoot the jump or element coming toward you first, then again going away, since different angles reveal different details about how they're using their core and edges.

The most helpful videos are just 20–30 seconds long: a few stroking passes, then the element you want to check. You don't need fancy slow-motion; regular phone video works great.

Your next step: Film your child during their next practice—even just one clean attempt of their current focus skill—and watch it back yourself once. You'll spot things in real time that you never notice live.

Want to see this in your child's skating? SkateMarks analyzes every jump with per-second AI coaching notes.