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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
404 terms
- High Defensive LobBeginnerA High Defensive Lob is an extreme-height version of the defensive lob — launched as high as the enclosure allows — primarily to buy maximum recovery time when defending under severe pressure.Padel
- High-Hands SetupBeginnerHigh hands in the stance or load position means the hands are set above the back shoulder. A launch position that gives the barrel a longer, downward-into-the-zone path to the ball.Baseball
- Hip HingeBeginnerThe hip hinge is bending forward from the hip joints, not the waist, to set the correct spine angle at address. It is the foundation of athletic posture in golf.Golf
- Home Run LimitBeginnerA home run limit is a per-game cap on how many over-the-fence hits a team may count as home runs. Additional fence-clearing hits are called back as outs or singles. The rule exists to keep games competitive when hot equipment makes fence shots routine.Slow-Pitch Softball
- HookBeginnerA hook bends hard right to left for a right-handed golfer, almost always further than intended. The cause is a face pointing well left of the club's path.Golf
- Hybrid ClubBeginnerA hybrid blends a fairway wood's wider sole and higher launch with an iron's shorter length and more upright lie. Long shots become easier to hit high and land softly than with a comparable long iron.Golf
- Illegal Bat ListBeginnerAn illegal bat list names bat models that a softball association has removed from legal play. Testing may show that a listed bat exceeds the allowed performance limit.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Illegal PitchBeginnerAn illegal pitch is any delivery that violates the rules. Most commonly, it is a pitch outside the legal arc window, a spin-thrown ball, or a release from an illegal position.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 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 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
- 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
- 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 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
- 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
- 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
- LoadBeginnerThe load is the small backward gathering of the hands and weight just before the swing starts. It coils the body to store energy that fires into the ball.Baseball
- LoadBeginnerThe load is the backward weight shift and hand coil that sets the hitter in a ready, wound-up position before initiating the swing. In slow pitch, the load must happen early and hold while the long-arcing ball descends.Slow-Pitch Softball
- LobBeginnerA lob is a high, deep shot over the opponents at the net that pushes them back. It is padel's most important defensive weapon for winning back a losing rally.Padel
- Lob DefenseBeginnerLob defense is using a high, deep shot over an approaching or net-positioned opponent. It buys time, resets the point, or forces a difficult overhead.Tennis
- Lost BallBeginnerA ball is officially lost if it isn't found within three minutes of the group beginning to search for it. Once that window closes, the golfer must take stroke-and-distance relief, replaying the shot from its original spot plus a one-stroke penalty.Golf
- Lunging (Batting)BeginnerLunging is a timing fault where a hitter commits weight and stride forward too early. It drains rotational power before the swing even begins.Baseball
- Mallet PutterBeginnerA mallet putter has a large, often geometric head weighted toward its edges for forgiveness. Many are face-balanced to suit a straighter stroke.Golf
- Match Play vs Stroke PlayBeginnerStroke play scores every shot across the whole round for a cumulative total. Match play scores hole by hole, awarding each hole to whoever takes fewer strokes on it. So a single bad hole only costs one point, not a pile of extra strokes.Golf
- Match Tiebreak (10-Point)BeginnerA match tiebreak (or "super tiebreak") is a first-to-10-points breaker, won by two clear points. It is played instead of a full third set in many doubles and some singles formats.Tennis
- Measured ValueBeginnerA measured value comes from a real sensor or instrument, like a launch monitor, radar gun, or wearable. It is not inferred or estimated from video or rules.Analysis Concepts
- Mercy RuleBeginnerThe mercy rule is the informal name for the run rule. The rule that ends a game early when the scoring gap becomes too large to be competitive, protecting player safety and league scheduling.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Mis-Hit CausesBeginnerMis-hits usually trace to four root causes: contact timing, footwork spacing, balance, or grip mismatch. Finding the one that repeats is the fastest fix.Tennis
- Mock / Demo DataBeginnerMock or demo data is example data used to show how a feature works, in demos, sample reports and previews. SwingVantage labels it Sample so it is not mistaken for real athlete data.Analysis Concepts
- Motion LabBeginnerMotion Lab is where SwingVantage analyzes your swing video, right in your browser. It tracks your body, grades the clip and leads you to one thing to work on, with a 3D view you can rotate and scrub.Analysis Concepts
- MulliganBeginnerA mulligan is an informal "do-over": hitting a second ball after a poor shot without counting the first one. It has no basis in the actual rules of golf and is purely a casual, friendly-round convention.Golf
- Narrow StanceBeginnerA narrow stance puts the feet inside shoulder width, trading some stability for freer hip rotation. It suits shorter shots like chips, pitches, and short irons.Golf
- Net ControlBeginnerNet control means a pair holding the front of the court, padel's dominant attacking position. They volley down and smash, while the back pair can only defend and lob.Padel
- Net Score vs Gross ScoreBeginnerGross score is the actual number of strokes taken. Net score subtracts a player's course handicap from that total, letting golfers of different skill levels compete on a fair, adjusted basis.Golf
- Net ZoneBeginnerThe Net Zone, closest to the net, is padel's dominant attacking position. Players there can volley, smash, and pressure opponents without the glass being a factor.Padel
- Neutral GripBeginnerA neutral grip shows 2–2.5 lead-hand knuckles at address, with the trail palm facing the target. It is the "middle" grip position that squares the face without extra hand manipulation.Golf
- Neutral Rally BallBeginnerA neutral rally ball is a moderate-pace, high-margin shot hit deep and crosscourt. It keeps the rally going without risk or giving up the initiative.Tennis
- New BallBeginnerThe new ball is a freshly manufactured cricket ball at the start of an innings (or available after a set number of overs). This swings and seams most readily due to its hard, lacquered surface and prominent seam.Cricket
- No Man's LandBeginnerNo man's land is the area between the kitchen and the baseline. Players there are most exposed to attacks at their feet and have the least offensive leverage.Pickleball
- No-Ad Scoring (Deciding Point)BeginnerNo-ad scoring replaces deuce and advantage with a single deciding point at 40-40. So the next point played wins the game outright.Tennis
- No-BallBeginnerA no-ball is an illegal delivery in cricket. Most commonly when the bowler's front foot lands beyond the popping crease — resulting in one extra run and the delivery being re-bowled. The batter cannot be dismissed (except run out).Cricket
- Non-Volley Zone ViolationBeginnerA non-volley zone violation happens when a player volleys a ball while touching the kitchen or its line. Any part of their body, clothing, or paddle counts, including from momentum right after the volley.Pickleball
- One-and-One Count (Slow-Pitch)BeginnerThe one-and-one count is a common slow-pitch rule variation where every at-bat starts 1-1, not 0-0. It shortens at-bats to keep games moving.Slow-Pitch Softball
- One-Fix PlanBeginnerThe One-Fix Plan is SwingVantage's core methodology: identify the single highest-impact fault, build a focused practice plan around fixing only that fault, and confirm the fix with a structured retest before moving on.Analysis Concepts
- One-PuttBeginnerA one-putt is holing out with a single putt once on the green. It comes from a made long putt or, far more often, an approach or chip left close enough to be a near-automatic make.Golf
- Open StanceBeginnerAn open stance aligns the feet, hips, and shoulders left of the target line (for a right-hander). It is commonly used to hit a fade, or to help clear the hips through short-game and bunker shots.Golf
- Out of BoundsBeginnerOut of bounds (OB) is past the course boundary, usually marked by white stakes. A ball hit there is replayed from the original spot with a one-stroke penalty.Golf
- Out of Bounds CallBeginnerAn out-of-bounds call means a ball landed outside the court's sideline or baseline. Any part of the ball touching a boundary line counts as in, not out.Pickleball
- Outfield PlayBeginnerOutfield play refers to fielding beyond the inner ring near the boundary, where players must intercept, chase, slide, and throw powerfully to prevent boundaries and effect run-outs.Cricket
- Overlapping Grip (Vardon Grip)BeginnerThe overlapping (Vardon) grip rests the trail pinky between the lead hand's index and middle fingers. The pinky does not interlock or wrap fully around the handle.Golf
- Paddle Face AngleBeginnerPaddle face angle is the paddle's tilt at contact. Open (tilted back) sends the ball up, closed (tilted forward) sends it down, and flat sends it straight.Pickleball
- Paddle Ready PositionBeginnerPaddle ready position is the neutral, out-in-front paddle hold used between shots. The paddle face stays up and centered, so you can react equally fast to either side.Pickleball
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