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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
- Video LengthBeginnerVideo length is how many seconds of footage you submit — long enough to include the full swing motion but short enough not to slow down analysis or introduce irrelevant frames.Analysis Concepts
- Video Quality GateBeginnerThe Video Quality Gate is the set of automatic checks on whether a clip can support a reliable read. It warns about problems, lowers confidence in the reads they affect, and asks for a re-film when no body could be tracked.Analysis Concepts
- Video Quality ScoreBeginnerA video quality score rates how well a clip supports analysis. In Motion Lab, the Capture Quality card shows it as a score out of 100, with a grade and what limited the read.Analysis Concepts
- VolleyBeginnerA volley is any shot hit out of the air before the ball bounces. In pickleball it must be struck while standing outside the kitchen — the non-volley zone — making footwork and position as important as stroke mechanics.Pickleball
- VolleyBeginnerA volley in padel is a shot struck before the ball bounces, usually from the net zone. It keeps pressure on, cuts off angles, and finishes points.Padel
- Volley Battle at the KitchenIntermediateA volley battle at the kitchen is a rapid, close-range trade of firm volleys at the non-volley zone line. It takes quick reflexes, not a full backswing.Pickleball
- Volley TechniqueIntermediateVolley technique is the mechanics of striking the ball before it bounces. It uses a short, firm punch action rather than a full groundstroke swing.Tennis
- WaggleBeginnerA waggle is a small, rhythmic movement of the club head before the swing — back and through the hitting area a few times. It relieves tension, previews the takeaway, and sets the swing in motion.Golf
- Walk RateIntermediateWalk rate (BB%) is the percentage of a hitter's plate appearances that end in a walk. An indicator of plate discipline, pitch recognition, and the ability to take advantage of a pitcher's wildness.Baseball
- Wall PlayBeginnerWall play means using the enclosure — letting a ball come off the back or side panel and playing it afterwards — which keeps rallies alive far longer than in tennis and makes positioning matter more than power.Padel
- Wall Rebound TimingIntermediateWall rebound timing is the shared rhythm behind every padel wall shot. Watch the ball leave the opponent's racquet, track it to the wall, then let it finish its rebound before you swing.Padel
- Warm-Up ProtocolBeginnerA warm-up protocol is a structured routine that prepares the body for full-effort swings. It raises tissue temperature, activates relevant muscle groups, and syncs the nervous system.Analysis Concepts
- Weak GripBeginnerA weak grip rotates both hands toward the target side of neutral, so fewer than 2 lead-hand knuckles show at address. It leaves the face open longer and is a common hidden cause of a slice.Golf
- Weak GrounderBeginnerA weak grounder is a ground ball with little exit speed. It stems from off-center contact, an off-balance swing, or contact too far out front or too deep.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Wearable Sensor (Golf)IntermediateA wearable sensor is a small device clipped to a glove, grip, or belt that measures swing data from its own motion. It is an alternative to video analysis.Golf
- Wedge GrindAdvancedWedge grind is how a wedge's sole is shaped and trimmed beyond its loft and bounce. It fine-tunes turf interaction for specific conditions and shot styles.Golf
- Weight ShiftIntermediateWeight shift is the deliberate transfer of body weight from the back foot during the load to the front foot during the swing, generating forward momentum that adds power at contact.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Weight TransferBeginnerWeight transfer is the movement of the body's center of pressure from the trail side (backswing) to the lead side (downswing). A complete transfer through impact is a fundamental source of power and consistency.Golf
- Weight TransferBeginnerWeight transfer in batting is the movement of the batter's bodyweight from back foot to front foot (or vice versa) as the stroke is executed, generating power and setting up correct balance through impact.Cricket
- Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA)AdvancedWeighted On-Base Average (wOBA) gives each hitting outcome a run value. It combines walks and hits into one rate that is scaled like on-base percentage.Baseball
- Western Forehand Grip TimingAdvancedWestern forehand grip timing is about the narrow contact-height window this grip demands. Contact too low or too high costs far more than with a neutral grip.Tennis
- Western GripAdvancedThe western grip rotates the hand fully under the handle (base knuckle on bevel 4–5). This enables extreme topspin on high balls while making low-ball and flat shots very difficult.Tennis
- What Is a Good Score for BeginnersBeginnerFor most new golfers, shooting 100–120 on a full 18-hole course is normal and respectable. Breaking 100 usually takes months to a couple of years of regular play.Golf
- WhiffBeginnerA whiff is a swing that misses the ball completely. Beginners do it most, usually from lifting the head or upper body, tension, or misjudging the ball's position.Golf
- Whiff (Air Shot)BeginnerA whiff, or air shot, is a full swing that completely misses the ball. It counts as a stroke under the rules. It is a normal, common experience for beginners rather than a sign of a serious problem.Golf
- Whiff on Spin vs VelocityProWhiff on spin vs velocity splits a hitter's swing-and-miss rate by pitch type. It shows whether breaking and off-speed pitches or hard fastballs cause the misses.Baseball
- Whiff RateIntermediateWhiff rate is the percentage of swings that result in no contact at all — distinct from chase rate. This measures the decision to swing, whiff rate measures what happens once the swing is already committed.Baseball
- WicketBeginnerIn cricket, a wicket refers both to the set of three stumps and two bails at each end of the pitch, and to the act of dismissing a batter — "taking a wicket" means getting a batter out.Cricket
- WideBeginnerA wide is a delivery that passes outside the marked wide lines on the pitch — too far from the batter to be played normally — penalising the fielding team with one extra run and requiring the delivery to be re-bowled.Cricket
- Wide Serve (Deuce/Ad Court)IntermediateA wide serve is placed near the sideline of the service box. It pulls the returner off the court and opens the opposite side for the next shot.Tennis
- Wide StanceBeginnerA wide stance sets the feet noticeably beyond shoulder width. It adds stability for full-effort swings like the driver, but allows less hip rotation.Golf
- WindmillBeginnerThe windmill is fast-pitch's underhand delivery, with a full 360° arm circle before release. It creates the speed and pitch deception that define the game.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Windshield Wiper ForehandAdvancedThe windshield wiper forehand finishes with the racquet sweeping across the body like a car's wiper. The extra face rotation adds heavy topspin.Tennis
- Windup vs. StretchBeginnerThe windup and the stretch are the two legal pitching positions. The windup is mainly for empty bases and power; the shorter, quicker stretch helps hold runners.Baseball
- Winner (Shot Outcome)BeginnerA winner is a shot that ends the point outright. The opponent makes no contact, or only an unsuccessful attempt at contact.Tennis
- Working Ahead in the CountIntermediateWorking ahead means regularly reaching pitcher-friendly counts (0-1, 0-2, 1-2). She can then expand the zone and use her put-away pitch with far less risk.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Worm BurnerBeginnerA worm burner is a shot struck with so little loft at impact that it never really gets airborne. It skims along the ground for most or all of its distance.Golf
- Wrapping the BatIntermediateWrapping the bat is a load fault where the barrel rotates too far behind the head or back. That adds distance and time before the swing can even begin.Baseball
- Wrist FirmnessIntermediateWrist firmness is the degree to which the wrist is held stable — neither locked rigid nor loose and flipping — through contact, controlling the paddle face during fast exchanges.Pickleball
- Wrist HingeIntermediateWrist hinge is the upward cocking of the wrists in the backswing. It creates the angle between the lead arm and shaft, storing energy to release at impact.Golf
- Wrist Lay-BackAdvancedWrist lay-back is the cocked-back wrist that forms naturally as the racquet head lags the hand late in the swing. It stores energy released at contact.Tennis
- Wrist SnapAdvancedWrist Snap in padel is the rapid rotation of the forearm and wrist through impact used primarily in the vibora, bandeja, and aggressive topspin drives to generate additional pace and spin beyond what arm acceleration alone provides.Padel
- Wrist Snap – PitchingIntermediateThe wrist snap is the final burst of the wrist and fingers at release in the windmill delivery. It is the main source of both pitch velocity and spin.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Wrist Snap on ServeIntermediateWrist snap (pronation) on the serve is the forearm-rotation motion through contact that accelerates the racquet head and directs spin, the final link in the serving kinetic chain.Tennis
- X-FactorProThe X-factor is the measured angle between the shoulder and hip turn at the top of the backswing. A large X-factor — usually 40–55° — correlates with higher club speed among tour pro players.Golf
- Yardage GapsIntermediateYardage gaps are the distance differences between consecutive clubs in your bag. Even gaps (usually 10–15 yards per club) leave fewer distances that no club covers.Golf
- YipsIntermediateThe yips are involuntary twitches or spasms that disrupt the stroke, most often in putting or chipping. They are part neurological, part anxiety-driven, and affect golfers at every level.Golf
- YorkerIntermediateA yorker is a delivery bowled to pitch right at the batter's feet, under the swinging bat. It is one of the hardest balls to score off and a key death-overs weapon.Cricket
- Zone Contact RateAdvancedZone contact rate is the share of swings at in-zone pitches that make contact. It is a core measure of bat-to-ball skill on pitches a hitter should handle.Baseball
- Zone DisciplineIntermediateZone discipline is a hitter's ability to reliably swing at strikes and lay off balls. It must hold up against a fast release and pitches that move late.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Zone HittingIntermediateZone hitting means swinging only at pitches in the hitter's most dangerous part of the strike zone. It avoids the edges where the swing makes weak contact.Baseball
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