Tips for Filming Pickleball (Phone & GoPro Setup)

Tips for Filming and Editing Pickleball Videos

Before getting into Pickleball I was filming and editing for international clients for over 12 years and before that I played tennis for over a decade as a top 3 junior so I’m uniquely positioned to share some gems in this post. I’m going to jam pack knowledge in here from the production side and leave you with more resources from my online courses for production, editing, and my gear kit. In this post you’re going to get some practical tips for basic filming with a gopro and getting more advanced with multiple camera angles and commentary.

The Gopro can be an effective way to start capturing your Pickleball videos. It is small, light, and can film amazing videos at multiple frame-rates for a long period of time especially with the improved batteries with Gopro 11 and above . Whether you’re looking to analyze your strokes or create engaging content or film unique angles here are some essential tips to get the most out of your GoPro while filming golf. It’s also a good way to start filming if you don’t have a dedicated videographer.

1. Use a High Tripod

Using a full size tripod will give you good angle. I like to set the pro on wide angle and place it behind the court or in one of the corner. When I’m traveling sometimes I use a mini manfrotto tripod as it’s lighter to carry.

You can also be creative an use different types of adaptors like the jaws clamp. I purchased this jaws clamp that can has strong teeth to grip to virtually most poles, fences, bag, or even pickleball nets. This mount cost was purchased from Amazon and cost less than $20. Here is a recent game filmed with this Gopro mount in 4K 60fps on wide angle view.

2. Optimal Settings for Pickleball Filming

Adjusting your GoPro settings can significantly impact the quality of your footage. Set the resolution to 4K or higher for crisp visuals. Use a frame rate of 60fps to capture smooth motion, especially during swings. Don’t forget to enable the Protune feature for greater control over exposure, color, and sharpness. Just keep in mind if you have high frame rates like 120fps you won’t get as clean footage if the lighting is a bit darker. My personal favourite preset is the 4K 60fps preset mode and sometimes I’ll change the fps to 120fps.

https://youtu.be/itaRI-rusoU

https://youtu.be/gJyGOYaxcNg

3. Angles and Perspectives

Experiment with different angles to add variety to your videos. Capture wide shots of the course to showcase its beauty, and close-ups of your swing for detailed analysis. Gopro 11 and higher have the hyperview wide mode which bigger camera’s aren’t capable of. You can also place the camera from a side angle or even in front of you (if you’re brave) to capture a frontal angle with a low tripod. In this video I shot from the side with a hyperview angle.

https://youtu.be/NRPUug-Vxgw

4. Lighting and Weather Considerations

Natural lighting plays a vital role in video quality. Shoot during the golden hours—early morning or late afternoon—for the best lighting conditions. Be mindful of shadows and glare, and adjust your GoPro’s exposure settings accordingly. If you’re filming on a cloudy day, use a higher ISO to compensate for the lower light levels. As a rule of thumb you can also film in the direction that the sun is shining.

5. Editing Your Footage

Post-production is where your footage comes to life. Use editing software to trim unnecessary parts, add slow-motion effects, and enhance colors. Incorporate background music and commentary to make your videos more engaging. Remember to keep your edits concise and focused on the key moments of your game. I like using Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing, but I sometimes use Final cut Pro as well.

6. **Extra Batteries

I find with 2 hours of play you might need 2 batteries full charged to get you through your session if you just leave the Gopro running from experience.

7. **Providing Commentary and voice over

Many of my friends and fellow pickleball players provide compliments on my pickleball commentary. I do this in post production on Adobe Premiere Pro. I connect a blue Yeti pro mic with a pop filter and i basically record a voice over direct into the video editor while watching the game. A little trick that I do after I record the voiceover is that I transcribe the game and provide captions after burned into the video. All these steps add production value. You can also auto-reframe your project for a vertical video aspect ratio in premiere pro. The advantage is that machine learning will follow the action and hopefully the ball.

8. Providing Live commentary with 2 mics and 2 angles

I decided to level up the content production value of our pickleball games bringing my old Canon 6D full frame SLR for angle 2 with my 24-105 f4 lens along with my Gopro on the jaw clamp for angle 1. This Canon SLR provides a nice cinematic look and is versatile enough to capture wide angle or tight video shots. You can also use this camera for amazing pickleball photos. I used the DJI Mini mic’s transmitter connected to the SLR. The DJI Mic Mini comes with 2 mics, which we mounted to our hats. This set up worked out well. In post production I had to manage footage from 2 angles in premiere pro and synch the audio.

dji mic mini pickleball — the dji mic mini connected to the Canon SLR for audio and video

Using a Drone

Drone footage can enhance pickleball videos giving an overview of the course and nice flyover views of the the court, but it requires skill, permission from the property, and a pilot (assuming you’re playing). It’s also very difficult to fly the drone and play effectively. If you are experienced you could let it hover above the tee box with the camera angled downwards towards the court and let it hover while you play.. The current flight times would allow you to do this for several games. I recommend filming at 4K 60fps. Drone footage is complimentary to primary camera footage from a gopro or a mirrorless camera.

Important Considerations for Drone Use:

Obtain permission from the facility before flying a drone.
Ensure the drone flight doesn’t disturb other players; only film within your group.
Modern drones like the DJI Mavic series offer reliability and extended flight times (20+ minutes), allowing for hovering shots.
Having a dedicated drone pilot/videographer is highly recommended when using a drone.

Filming with a Mirrorless/Hybrid Camera

If you want the maximize production value then you can step it to a Mirrorless Camera setup. Some of the advantages with this setup include: better picture quality, the advantage of a zoom lens to change the focal length, use of a wireless lav mic to capture audio. You definitely need a tripod or dedicated videographer for this type of setup. For the 2024-2025 season I used a Panasonic GH6 with a Sigma 18-35mm lens with the Viltrox Canon len’s adaptor. The rode wireless lav kit worked well to capture audio. I recommend bringing extra batteries and filming at UHD 4K 120 frames per second (fps) to capture smooth slow motion. It is hard to find focus so try to use a high aperture like F4 and above so most of the subjects are in focus.I’ll leave a sample video to see and my gear kit. I manage to multi-task filming and playing at the same time, but ideally it would be great to have a dedicated videographer or 2 for best results.

Maximize production value with a Mirrorless Camera setup, offering better image quality and the flexibility of a zoom lens. Capture high-quality audio using a wireless lav mic. Filming and transporting the setup while playing can be challenging, so consider renting a power cart or sharing it with others. A tripod is essential for stability.

https://youtu.be/soxU6XSvt70

Online Course for Filming Video with the Panasonic GH6

Online Course for Filming video with Gopro 9 – 11

Online Course for Video Editing with Premiere Pro & Final Cut Pro