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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
556 terms
- Hit and RunIntermediateIn a hit and run, the baserunner breaks for the next base on the pitch. The hitter makes contact to put the ball in play and protect the runner.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Hit-and-RunIntermediateA hit-and-run is a called play where the runner breaks with the pitch and the hitter must swing and make contact. Ideally a ground ball protects the runner.Baseball
- Hitch in the SwingIntermediateA hitch is an extra dip of the hands, down or back, after the load has started forward. It creates a second, unplanned load that costs time against velocity.Baseball
- Hitting Off the Back FootIntermediateHitting off the back foot means the weight stays planted on the back leg through contact. That makes an arm-only swing with little rotational power.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Hitting Off the Front FootIntermediateHitting off the front foot means the weight shifts fully forward before contact. With no back-side push left for the swing, contact is often early and weak.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Hitting Zone WidthIntermediateHitting zone width is how far the bat path stays flat or near-flat through the contact area. A wider zone allows solid contact even with imperfect timing.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Home-to-First TimeIntermediateHome-to-first time is the stopwatch time from contact at home plate to the batter touching first base. It is a standard speed benchmark in scouting and recruiting.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Hook ShotIntermediateThe hook shot is an attacking batting stroke played to a short-pitched, rising ball aimed at the body or head — the batter pivots and whips the ball to the leg side, often in front of square.Cricket
- Impact PositionIntermediateImpact position is the body and club configuration at the moment the clubface meets the ball. It is the one swing frame that most determines ball flight.Golf
- Improvement DeltaIntermediateAn improvement delta is the measured change in a metric from your baseline to your most recent measurement. It is the hard number behind "did I get better?"Analysis Concepts
- In-Between Hop (Slow-Pitch)IntermediateThe in-between hop is the awkward mid-bounce point of a grounder. Too high to scoop and too low to catch comfortably, it is the hardest hop to field cleanly.Slow-Pitch Softball
- In-SwingIntermediateIn-swing is conventional swing bowling where the ball curves in the air from off to leg (in towards the body of a right-handed batter), often targeting the stumps or pads.Cricket
- 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
- 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
- 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-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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 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
- 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
- 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 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
- 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
- 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 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
- 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-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
- Line Call EtiquetteIntermediateIn self-officiated play, the side of the court where the ball landed makes the call. Benefit of the doubt goes to the opponent on close or unsure calls, and calls are made immediately, not after the fact.Pickleball
- Line Drive RateIntermediateLine drive rate (LD%) is the share of batted balls that are line drives, usually hard-hit at a 0–25° launch angle. Liners have the highest expected batting average.Baseball
- Load Timing (Hitting)IntermediateLoad timing is when and how a hitter shifts weight back and coils the upper body. It syncs to the pitcher's delivery, not a fixed internal clock.Fast-Pitch Softball
- LobIntermediateA lob is a high, arcing shot meant to clear a net player's reach. On defense it buys time; on offense, a topspin lob near the baseline can win the point.Tennis
- LobIntermediateA lob is a high-arcing shot hit over the opponents' heads, forcing them off the kitchen line and back toward the baseline.Pickleball
- Lob to the GlassIntermediateA lob to the glass is a defensive or neutralizing lob aimed to die close to the back glass, not just land deep. The wall cramps the bounce and denies the net pair an easy overhead.Padel
- Lob Wedge ShotIntermediateA lob wedge shot uses the most-lofted club in the bag (58–64°) for a high, soft landing. It works best for carrying a hazard and stopping fast on a small target.Golf
- Local RuleIntermediateA local rule is a course- or competition-specific change adopted by the committee running play. It commonly covers embedded balls, temporary conditions like winter rules, or unique course features the standard Rules of Golf do not address.Golf
- Loft GappingIntermediateLoft gapping checks that neighboring clubs, especially wedges, are spaced in even loft and yardage steps, with no big distance gaps or overlaps.Golf
- Long Backswing Timing IssueIntermediateA long backswing timing issue is a backswing that takes longer than the ball allows. The forward swing is rushed or unfinished, however clean it looks.Tennis
- Long Toss ProgramIntermediateA long toss program is a planned throwing routine for arm strength and conditioning. Players gradually throw well past game distance, then work back down.Baseball
- Loop BackswingIntermediateA loop backswing takes the racquet back and up, then drops it down into the forward swing. The circular path builds racquet-head speed and rhythm.Tennis
- Loss of Balance on Stretch ShotsIntermediateLoss of balance on stretch shots is reaching past a stable base for a wide, low, or hard-hit ball. The center of mass falls away from the shot at contact.Tennis
- Loss of PostureIntermediateLoss of posture is any change in spine angle, knee flex, or forward bend from the address position during the swing. It shifts the swing's plane and low point away from where they were originally set.Golf
- Lower-Body SlideIntermediateA lower-body slide is excessive sideways movement of the hips toward the target in the downswing, without matching rotation. It pushes the swing's low point too far forward and leaves the upper body behind.Golf
- Manufacturing RunsIntermediateManufacturing runs is the execution of a sequence of small offensive actions — walks, bunts, steals, contact hits, and productive outs — that collectively score a run without requiring extra-base power.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Middle BallIntermediateA middle ball is a shot aimed directly between two opponents in doubles, designed to create confusion about who should take it and generate communication errors.Pickleball
- Middle Infield Bunt CoverageIntermediateMiddle infield bunt coverage is the shortstop and second baseman's job on a bunt. They cover second and third base and back up throws as others field it.Fast-Pitch Softball
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