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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.
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161 terms
- Sacrifice FlyBeginnerA sacrifice fly is a fly ball out, hit deep enough to the outfield. It allows a runner on third base to tag up and score after the catch. It does not count as an official at-bat and does not hurt the hitter's batting average.Baseball
- Scouting Report (Player)IntermediateA scouting report is a written evaluation of a player. It grades their tools, describes current skill and physical projection, and gives a future outlook.Baseball
- Seam-Shifted Wake (SSW)ProSeam-shifted wake (SSW) is an airflow effect where off-center seams disturb the air unevenly. It causes movement that spin rate or axis alone can't predict.Baseball
- Secondary LeadIntermediateThe secondary lead is the movement a baserunner takes as the pitch crosses the plate. A walking step or shuffle that adds momentum toward the next base the moment contact is made.Baseball
- Short HopIntermediateA short hop is a ball caught the instant it rises off the dirt. It is usually the most reliable point of the bounce, since the ball has had no room to deviate.Baseball
- Showcase EventIntermediateAt a showcase event, players all do the same drills and tests for college recruiters or pro scouts. It is separate from any regular game.Baseball
- Situational HittingIntermediateSituational hitting is matching a hitter's approach to the count, outs, and runners. Swing decisions, target, and aggressiveness change rather than staying fixed.Baseball
- SlideBeginnerA slide is the controlled fall a baserunner uses to reach a base beneath a tag, to kill momentum at the bag, or to avoid a collision with the fielder covering it.Baseball
- SliderIntermediateThe slider is a breaking ball with lateral movement and some downward tilt, faster than a curveball and usually sharper in its late break.Baseball
- Spin Rate (Pitching)AdvancedSpin rate is how fast the ball rotates in revolutions per minute (RPM) after leaving the hand — higher spin amplifies the Magnus effect and increases pitch movement.Baseball
- Splitter / ForkballAdvancedThe splitter is an off-speed pitch gripped with the fingers spread across the seams. This produces late diving action that generates weak contact or swings below the zone.Baseball
- Spray AngleIntermediateSpray angle is the horizontal direction the ball travels off the bat — pull side, up the middle, or opposite field — determined by when in the swing the barrel meets the ball.Baseball
- Squared-Up RateAdvancedSquared-up rate measures how close exit velocity comes to the theoretical max for that swing and pitch. It tracks contact precision, not raw bat speed.Baseball
- Squeeze Play (Bunt)AdvancedA squeeze play is a called bunt to score a runner from third. The runner goes on the pitch in a suicide squeeze, or once the bunt is down in a safety squeeze.Baseball
- Stride (Batting)BeginnerThe stride is the small forward step or toe-tap the hitter takes to trigger timing. It is a timing mechanism, not a source of power, and must be soft and directional.Baseball
- Strike ZoneBeginnerThe strike zone is the three-dimensional region over home plate, between the batter's knees and the midpoint of the torso, where a pitch must pass to be called a strike.Baseball
- Strikeout RateIntermediateStrikeout rate (K%) is the percentage of plate appearances that end in a strikeout — elevated K% reduces a hitter's value by eliminating batted-ball outcomes entirely.Baseball
- Swing LengthAdvancedSwing length is how far the barrel travels from the start of the swing to contact. A shorter path generally needs less time, at some cost to peak bat speed.Baseball
- Tag UpBeginnerTagging up means a baserunner returns to and touches their current base as a fly ball is caught, then takes off toward the next base — the legal method of advancing on a caught fly.Baseball
- Throwing MechanicsBeginnerThrowing mechanics are the sequence of arm and body movements that deliver the ball accurately and with arm-safe velocity. They apply at every position.Baseball
- Time to ContactAdvancedTime to contact is the split-second a swing takes from trigger to ball. It sets how late a hitter can afford to start swinging against a given velocity.Baseball
- Toe Tap Timing TriggerBeginnerA toe tap is a small lift and set of the front foot, used as a timing trigger instead of a stride. It gives a repeatable rhythm cue with a smaller moving part.Baseball
- Tools Grade Scale (20-80)AdvancedThe 20-80 scale is how scouts grade each of a player's tools. A 50 is Major League average, 80 is elite, and 20 is well below usable at the top level.Baseball
- Topspin Contact (Batting)IntermediateTopspin contact is when the barrel hits the ball above its center. That forward spin drives it down fast and is behind most weak rollover grounders.Baseball
- Travel BallBeginnerTravel ball is club youth baseball played outside local rec and school leagues. It usually means multi-city tournaments and higher-level, more selective play.Baseball
- Tunnel PointAdvancedThe tunnel point is the spot in a pitch's flight where two pitch types still share nearly the same path. It is roughly where the batter must decide to swing.Baseball
- Turn TwoBeginner"Turn two" is slang for completing a double play, two outs on one batted ball. Most often, a grounder is fed to a middle infielder who pivots and relays to first.Baseball
- Two-Seam Fastball / SinkerIntermediateThe two-seam fastball is gripped along two seams and usually moves arm-side and downward, inducing ground balls rather than strikeouts.Baseball
- Two-Strike ApproachIntermediateA two-strike approach is how a hitter adjusts with two strikes. They shorten the swing, cover more of the strike zone, and put contact ahead of power.Baseball
- Two-Strike Choke UpBeginnerChoking up with two strikes means sliding the hands up the handle from the knob. The shorter lever gives quicker, more controlled swings but costs some power.Baseball
- Two-Way PlayerBeginnerA two-way player both pitches and plays a position (or hits regularly) at a competitive level instead of specializing in one role.Baseball
- Uppercut SwingIntermediateAn uppercut swing is a bat path that rises too steeply, past the pitch's downward plane. It shrinks the contact window and produces pop-ups, not line drives.Baseball
- Video Breakdown SessionIntermediateA video breakdown session is a focused review of swing, pitching, or fielding video. It turns specific mechanical patterns into concrete practice priorities.Baseball
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 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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