Why Frame Rates Matter: Unlocking Precision in Video Analysis

If you're serious about sports analysis, you can't afford to overlook frame rates.

If you're a coach fine-tuning your athlete’s technique, understanding the importance of frame rates can make all the difference in your analysis, as well as your athlete’s journey. And if you're a player looking for that extra edge, understanding the importance of frame rates can make all the difference.

Let’s dive in.

Frame Rates 101: What You Need To Know

Essentially, frame rates determine how smoothly motion is captured on video - these make all the difference when it comes to video analysis for you and your athletes.

When we talk about frame rates, standard video runs at 30fps, but for sports, higher frame rates (60fps, 120fps, or more) can be a game-changer.

Why does this matter? 

Lower frame rates can lead to motion blur, making it tough to see key details. 

A higher frame rate means smoother playback and better slow-motion analysis—perfect for picking apart an athlete’s technique or reviewing a crucial play.

No matter what frame rate you use, you have to remember the importance of lighting - It needs to be natural, especially if you’re indoors. 

Make sure you’re not blending into the background or you won’t be able to analyze your technique properly.

In fact, this is true for all analysis. When you’re pinpointing micro movements, you need to ensure the subject and background aren’t confused for one another.

Understanding Different Frame Rates

Not all frame rates are created equal. 

Here’s a quick breakdown:

30 Frames Per Second

The standard for most video recording. Good for general sports footage but you will likely miss key details in high-speed action. For reference, the standard frame rate for movies is 24 fps.

Lower frame rates are best for capturing people speaking as it gives the subject a natural feel and allows for more detail to shine in each frame. 

60 Frames Per Second

A solid upgrade that reduces motion blur and makes slow-motion analysis smoother. Great for fast-paced sports like basketball, soccer, and tennis.

That said, if your phone can allow it, you’ll probably want to avoid using 60 fps for analysis and instead opt for 120 or 240.  

120 Frames Per Second

Now we're getting into serious analysis territory. This frame rate is excellent for breaking down sprint mechanics, golf swings, and any movement requiring extreme precision. Most modern smartphones have a 120 fps mode. 

240 Frames Per Second and Beyond

If you need to capture every micro-movement, this is your go-to. 240fps will give you the smallest amount of blur, making things like the position of the club face clear. This is what you need to have AI or other similar tools pick up your movement. You’ll notice however that once you go 120 or higher, file sizes can get really big really fast.

To avoid overcrowding of the storage, usually phones will lower the resolution (e.g. from 4k to 1080). If you’d like to store videos at 4k 240fps, you’ll likely need external storage or expanded cloud storage. 

Depending on your use case, CoachNow’s got you covered. You can shoot in-app at any of the above frame rates. 

In fact, when shooting a video with Skeleton tracking enabled, we HIGHLY recommend using 240fps to ensure accuracy of the model. While this may lower the resolution slightly, the additional frames give the AI much more data to work with.

If you are shooting video that you plan to analyze without AI, 120fps should be more than enough. 

The higher resolution will ensure more clarity of each individual frame and take up less storage space overall than videos filmed at high resolution at 240fps. 

The Impact of Frame Rates On Performance Breakdown

If you’re analyzing biomechanics, a higher frame rate is essential. 

Want to fine-tune a sprinter’s stride, break down a pitcher’s throw, or assess a gymnast’s landing? 

A high-frame-rate video lets you analyze every micro-movement so you can spot mistakes right away and make informed adjustments.

For high-speed sports like soccer, basketball, or tennis, key moments happen in milliseconds.

For precise analysis of micro-movements, 60fps should be the absolute minimum. Ideally you’ll want 120fps if its a video you’re analyzing without AI, and 240fps if you plan to use AI features like Skeleton Tracking and Angle Detection. 

Picking The Right Frame Rate For Your Needs

What’s your goal? 

If you’re just recording games for general review, 30fps is usually enough. 

A standard 30fps video will miss subtle but game-changing details—like the exact moment a player’s foot strikes the ball or whether a shooter released the ball before the buzzer. 

Again, I’d only use 30 fps when filming yourself or your athlete speaking. When you aren’t analyzing the video (e.g. when using features like CoachCam), you don’t need those added frames, so you might as well save that storage space. 

For example, if you film video recaps at the end of your sessions, 30fps is perfectly sufficient. Videos at that frame rate will give the subject a more natural appearance. 

But if you’re working on precision-based skills—like sprint mechanics, golf swings, or an athlete’s throwing motion—you’ll want to go higher. 

60fps, 120fps, or even more will capture vastly more detail you need to analyze and refine performance.

At the end of the day, the right frame rate can make or break your sports analysis. 

Whether you’re coaching or just looking to improve your understanding of the game, making sure you’re using the right fps will help you see—and improve—what truly matters.