1. Where to put the phone
Behind the baseline, in the middle, a few metres back, as high as you can. From there both players and the whole court fit in the frame, and you see every shot from the same angle the TV broadcast uses.
- Height matters more than anything. From the ground, the far player is a few pixels tall and the net hides their feet. A fence post, a bench with a bag on it, or a tall tripod all beat the floor.
- Don't film from the side of the net. Players walk right past the lens at every change of ends, and you lose the depth of the court.
- Doubles works the same way. Keep all four players in frame; the far pair is the one that drops out first if the phone is too low.
- Check the club's rules about fixing things to the fence, and keep the phone clear of the court so nobody runs into it.
2. How to mount it
Fence mount
A clamp or bracket made for chain-link tennis fences is the easiest option at most clubs: it sits high, doesn't move, and takes seconds to put up. Several tennis brands sell them, and a general phone clamp with a fence attachment does the same job.
Tripod
Fine on courts with a solid back wall or glass. Pick one that extends to at least head height and weigh it down if it's windy.
What you already have
Zip ties or a strap around a fence post, or the phone propped on a bag on the bench, are better than nothing, as long as the phone can't slip mid-set.
3. Camera settings
- Use the normal Video mode, not Cinematic, Slo-mo or Time-lapse.
- 1080p at 30 fps is plenty for watching your match back. Apple's own estimate (Settings › Camera › Record Video) is about 60 MB a minute, so roughly 3.5 GB for an hour. 4K at 30 fps is close to three times that.
- Landscape fits the court best. Portrait works too if that's all your mount allows.
- Switch to 0.5× only if you need it to get the whole court in frame from a close fence. Otherwise 1× gives a sharper picture of the far player.
4. Battery, heat and storage
- Bring a power bank and a cable for anything over an hour, and start the match with a full battery.
- Keep the phone out of the sun. A towel or a cap over it helps, and taking off a thick case on hot days stops it from overheating and ending the recording.
- Turn on Do Not Disturb or Airplane mode so calls and notifications don't interrupt the recording.
- Check your free space before you start, using the numbers above.
5. Before the first point
- Record ten seconds and watch it back. Can you see both baselines and both players? Fix it now, not after the match.
- Tell your opponent you're filming, and offer to send them the video. Most players are happy to be filmed if they get the footage, and some leagues and junior events require everyone's consent.
6. After the match
A full recording is mostly walking, picking up balls and waiting, which is why so few people watch theirs. That's what RallyOnly is for: pick the video in the app and it finds every point on the iPhone, removes the time in between, and cuts a two-minute reel of your best rallies. Nothing is uploaded. Footage from a GoPro or another camera works too, once it's in your Photos library.
Written by the developer of RallyOnly, a club player who films their own matches this way.