Mounting the iPad on a tripod
The right tripod position depends on the drill, but a few rules cover most of what you'll do.
Placement
Where to put the tripod:
- Behind the athlete looking the direction they're hitting/serving/passing. Showing the back of the player gives you a clear view of their footwork, hips, and approach.
- Or directly in front, slightly to the side. Useful for upper-body skills (platform on a pass, hand contact on a set) when you want the athlete to see their own posture.
- Avoid pointing it directly into a window or bright doorway — you'll lose contrast on the player.
Where not to put it:
- In the path of incoming balls. iPads are sturdier than you'd think, but a tripod knocked over mid-drill is the easiest way to interrupt practice.
- Right next to a speaker or coach who's talking constantly. (Audio doesn't matter, but the device's mic isn't being used and you might still feel weird about it.)
Height
A good starting point: mount the iPad at the chest height of the athletes you're filming.
Adjust from there based on what you want to see:
| You want to see... | Mount height |
|---|---|
| Approach + footwork + contact | Chest height |
| Upper body and contact only | Head height |
| Full body including ground contact | Hip height or lower, tilted up slightly |
If you have athletes of very different heights in the same drill, err lower. Cutting off feet matters more than cutting off the top of a head.
Orientation
Always landscape. RepRecap is built for landscape only. The iPad lock-rotation setting doesn't matter — the app stays in landscape regardless of how the iPad is held.
If your tablet mount can only do portrait, you need a different mount.
Distance from the athlete
For most drills, 8 to 15 feet is the right range:
- Closer than 6 feet — you'll lose the full body in the frame and the athlete will fill the screen too much for a useful self-review.
- More than 20 feet — the athlete becomes too small. Pinch-to-zoom on the iPad helps somewhat, but starting at the right distance is better than zooming.
Quick framing check
Before practice starts:
- Have someone stand where the athletes will be.
- Open RepRecap, look at the live feed.
- Can you see their feet AND their top? Are they centered? Can you see the relevant body parts for the drill?
That's the check. If yes, you're set. If no, adjust the tripod and re-check.
Power and cable management
If you'll be running RepRecap for more than ~30 minutes:
- Plug the iPad into a wall outlet near the tripod.
- Run the cable along the tripod leg with one or two zip ties so it doesn't dangle.
- Keep the cable out of the path of athletes.
Where to go next
- AirPlay to a TV — if you want athletes to see playback on a bigger screen.
- Recording and replay — start running the drill.
Last updated 2026-05-11