Skip to main content
Sports Glossary
Learn the language of your game — answer-first definitions across every SwingVantage sport, each with a real example. Free to explore.
All sportsGolfTennisPickleballPadelBaseballSlow-Pitch SoftballFast-Pitch SoftballCricket Analysis Concepts
1191 terms
- In-to-OutIntermediateIn-to-out describes a clubhead travelling rightward across the target line as it meets the ball, for a right-hander. It is the delivery direction underneath draws, hooks and pushes.Golf
- Induced Vertical Break (IVB)ProInduced vertical break is the vertical movement a pitch achieves purely from spin, measured against a hypothetical spinless ball — isolating the Magnus effect from gravity.Baseball
- Infield DepthIntermediateInfield depth is how far the infielders play from home plate — "in" (shaded forward to cut off a run) or "back" (standard depth to maximize range on ground balls and line drives).Slow-Pitch Softball
- Innings Limit (Youth)BeginnerAn innings limit is a cap on the total number of innings a young pitcher is permitted or recommended to throw. The cap covers a season or year. It is intended to manage cumulative throwing workload beyond any single game's pitch count.Baseball
- Inside Pitch ApproachIntermediateThe inside pitch approach is the technique for hitting a ball on the inner third of the plate — pulling the hands in, getting the barrel through early, and driving the ball to the pull side.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Inside vs Outside PitchBeginnerAn inside pitch crosses the inner half of the plate, nearest the hitter; an outside pitch crosses the outer half, away from the hitter. Each requires a different contact point and field direction.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Inside-Out ForehandIntermediateAn inside-out forehand is played by running around a ball that arrives on the backhand side and redirecting it with the forehand to the opponent's backhand corner.Tennis
- Instant EstimateBeginnerAn Instant Estimate is a fast, rules-only read built from your answers, such as your sport, usual miss and level, without needing a video. It is labeled as a lower-confidence estimate.Analysis Concepts
- Interlocking GripBeginnerThe interlocking grip links the lead hand's index finger with the trail hand's pinky finger, weaving the two hands together — a popular choice for players with smaller or weaker hands, including many tour pro players.Golf
- Interpreted ValueIntermediateAn interpreted value is a judgment drawn from indirect evidence, like 'likely timing issue' or 'probable hip stall'. It is not a direct measurement, and SwingVantage labels it Inferred.Analysis Concepts
- Iron Contact PointIntermediateIron contact point is the specific spot on the clubface where the ball is struck. It determines ball speed, spin consistency, and the direction of any gear-effect curve, independent of swing path and face angle.Golf
- ISA League FormatBeginnerISA (Independent Softball Association) is a regional or specialty slow-pitch sanctioning body. Teams must check its own bat list and rules separately.Slow-Pitch Softball
- JudgmentIntermediateJudgment in cricket batting is the ability to quickly decide which deliveries to play and which to leave, choosing the right shot for each ball bowled.Cricket
- Jump (Stolen Base)IntermediateThe jump on a stolen base attempt is how quickly and decisively a runner breaks toward the next base on the pitcher's first movement — the single biggest predictor of stolen base success.Baseball
- Kick ServeAdvancedA kick serve mixes heavy topspin and sidespin. It clears the net safely, then kicks high and sideways, making it the standard high-level second serve.Tennis
- Kick ServeAdvancedA Kick Serve in padel is an underarm serve struck with topspin so that after bouncing in the service box it accelerates and kicks up or to the side. This makes the return more awkward than a flat serve.Padel
- Kick Serve Spin DirectionAdvancedKick serve spin direction is the tilted topspin-and-sidespin axis of a kick serve. For a right-handed server, it makes the ball jump up and to the server's right after the bounce, toward a right-handed returner's backhand.Tennis
- Kinematic ChainIntermediateThe kinematic chain is the order in which body segments, from the ground up, pass force and speed through a swing. Each segment hands its speed on to the next.Analysis Concepts
- Kinematic SequenceProThe kinematic sequence is the order in which body segments accelerate and decelerate during the downswing: pelvis → torso → lead arm → clubhead. Each segment slingshots the next for maximum speed.Golf
- Kinetic ChainProThe kinetic chain is the linked sequence of body segments, from the feet up to the club. Each segment passes energy to the next and amplifies it.Golf
- Kinetic ChainIntermediateThe kinetic chain passes force from the ground up: legs, hips, torso, shoulder, arm, racquet. Each segment speeds up the next, multiplying racquet-head speed.Tennis
- Kinetic Chain BreakdownIntermediateA kinetic chain breakdown is a skipped or broken link in the ground-up leg, hip, torso, and arm sequence. The arm then has to make power on its own.Tennis
- Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone)BeginnerThe kitchen is the 7-foot non-volley zone on each side of the net. You may not hit a volley (a ball out of the air) while standing in it or touching its line. You must let the ball bounce first.Pickleball
- Kitchen Line BattleIntermediateA kitchen line battle is the sustained exchange once both teams reach the non-volley zone line. Dinks, speed-ups, and volleys mix until one side forces an error or opening.Pickleball
- Kitchen Line PositionBeginnerKitchen line position refers to standing as close to the non-volley zone line as legally possible. This maximizes net coverage and offensive angle while minimizing the court area opponents can attack.Pickleball
- Knee FlexBeginnerKnee flex at address is the slight bend in the knees that creates an athletic, ready posture. It should feel springy and stable without restricting hip rotation.Golf
- Knock-Down ShotIntermediateA knock-down shot is an approach kept lower and more controlled than normal, usually with more club and a three-quarter swing. It fights wind or sharpens distance control.Golf
- Knuckle CurveAdvancedA knuckle curve is a curveball gripped with a bent finger pressed knuckle-first against the ball. It gives a tighter spin axis and a later, sharper break.Baseball
- Knuckleball – Fast-PitchAdvancedA fast-pitch knuckleball is thrown with minimal spin so air turbulence causes the ball to flutter erratically. This makes it nearly impossible to predict — for the hitter or the catcher.Fast-Pitch Softball
- LagAdvancedLag is the acute angle between the lead arm and the shaft in the downswing. This loaded position releases into club speed at impact when timed correctly.Golf
- Lag PuttingIntermediateLag putting is the deliberate strategy of putting distance control ahead of making a long putt. The aim is a short, stress-free second putt rather than an aggressive attack on the hole.Golf
- Landmark TrackingIntermediateLandmark tracking follows the position of each detected body keypoint across consecutive video frames. This creates a time-series trajectory for every joint that enables timing and velocity measurements.Analysis Concepts
- Late Contact (Slow-Pitch)IntermediateLate contact is meeting the ball behind the ideal contact point, near or behind the plate's back edge. It usually means weak opposite-field contact or a foul.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Late Contact (Tennis)IntermediateLate contact means the racquet meets the ball behind the ideal contact point, usually behind the front hip. It costs pace, direction control, and spin.Tennis
- Late CutAdvancedThe late cut is a delicate batting stroke played to a short, wide ball outside off stump. This uses soft wrists to deflect the ball very fine to third man after it has almost passed the batter.Cricket
- Late LoadIntermediateA late load is starting the weight shift and hand-back move later than the pitch's flight time allows. That leaves too little time for a full, balanced swing.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Late Split StepIntermediateA late split step lands after the opponent has struck the ball. The player is still airborne or resettling just when they need to push off toward the shot.Tennis
- Late Swing TriggerBeginnerA late swing trigger means starting the swing too long after release. It usually produces weak opposite-field contact or a miss on unexpected velocity.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Lateral ShiftAdvancedA lateral shift is a small move of the hips toward the target as the downswing starts. It moves the low point forward and works with hip rotation instead of replacing it.Golf
- Launch AngleIntermediateLaunch angle is the vertical angle, in degrees above horizontal, at which the ball leaves the face. Together with spin it determines how high and far the ball flies.Golf
- Launch Angle (Batting)IntermediateLaunch angle in batting is the vertical angle the ball leaves the bat. Roughly 10–25° produces the hardest, most productive contact.Baseball
- Launch Angle (Slow-Pitch)IntermediateLaunch angle is the ball's vertical angle off the bat. Too low gives grounders, too high gives pop-ups, and a moderate range gives line drives and gap shots.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Launch MonitorIntermediateA launch monitor uses radar or camera sensors to measure ball and clubhead data at impact. It quantifies a shot instead of relying on how it looked.Golf
- LBW (Leg Before Wicket)BeginnerLBW is a mode of dismissal. Under specific conditions, the umpire can rule the batter leg before wicket. That applies if the ball would have hit the stumps but the batter's pad intercepts it first.Cricket
- Lead Arm BendIntermediateLead arm bend is too much folding of the lead elbow in the backswing. It shortens the swing's radius and reduces the width and stored power of a fully extended backswing.Golf
- Lead Off BaseBeginnerA lead off base is the distance a baserunner takes from the bag before the pitch — maximising lead distance reduces the distance to the next base while managing pickoff risk.Baseball
- Lead TimingIntermediateLead timing is when and how far a baserunner leaves the base in anticipation of a pitch being put in play or a steal attempt. This requires coordination with the pitcher's release point.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Lead WristIntermediateThe lead wrist is the wrist of the top hand (left for right-handers). Its position throughout the swing — especially at the top of the backswing and at impact — directly controls clubface angle and low point.Golf
- Left-Side Defense vs SlappersAdvancedLeft-side defense against slappers adjusts the shortstop's and third baseman's positioning and first-step reads. It covers both a slapped grounder and a bunt.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Leg Drive – PitchingIntermediateLeg drive is the pivot leg's forward force against the rubber, launching the pitcher toward home plate. It is the base the windmill arm circle rides on.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Leg Drive on GroundstrokesIntermediateLeg drive is the push off the ground that starts the kinetic chain on a groundstroke. It sends upward and rotational energy into the hips, torso, and arm.Tennis
- Leg KickIntermediateA leg kick lifts the front knee high during the load to build rhythm and stored energy. It is a bigger, riskier trigger than a toe tap or no-stride approach.Baseball
- Leg-CutterAdvancedThe leg-cutter is a pace bowling variation where the ball is cut off the middle and ring fingers to move towards the leg side off the pitch, acting like a slow leg-break.Cricket
- Leg-SpinIntermediateLeg-spin is spin bowling where a right-arm bowler spins the ball from leg to off: away from a right-handed batter, or left to right as that batter sees it. The bowler's wrist rotation provides the spin.Cricket
- Legal DeliveryBeginnerA legal delivery in slow-pitch softball is a pitch that is released underhand with a smooth, continuous motion and arrives within the required arc height — usually between 6 and 12 feet — over the plate.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Let (Serve Rule)BeginnerA let is called when a serve clips the net cord and still lands in the correct service box. The point is then replayed with no penalty to the server.Tennis
- Let Serve Rule (Pickleball)BeginnerA "let" traditionally means a serve that clips the net and lands in is replayed. Current pickleball rules eliminated that provision, so a serve that ticks the net and lands in the correct service court is simply live.Pickleball
- Letting the Ball GoBeginnerLetting the Ball Go means intentionally allowing a fast or deep ball to pass you and rebound off the back glass rather than volleying or striking it in the air. This turns a potential winner into a manageable rebound shot.Padel
- Lie AngleAdvancedLie angle is the angle between the shaft and the ground when the club is soled correctly. A lie angle that is too upright pulls shots left; too flat and they drift right (for a right-hander).Golf
- Lighting ConditionsBeginnerLighting conditions describe how evenly and brightly the subject is illuminated — poor lighting is one of the top causes of low-quality video and degraded pose estimation.Analysis Concepts
Available in other languages
See these terms in your own swing
SwingVantage analyzes your swing against these benchmarks — free to start.
Analyze My Swing Free