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
404 terms
- ServeBeginnerThe pickleball serve is an underhand stroke hit diagonally into the opposite service box, with contact below the waist and an upward arc. Under the two-bounce rule the striking side cannot follow it to the net, which makes depth and placement — not pace — the qualities that matter.Pickleball
- ServeBeginnerThe padel serve is an underarm delivery. The ball is bounced once and struck at or below waist height into the diagonal service box — making placement and net advancement far more important than pace.Padel
- Serve Motion LegalityBeginnerA serve is legal only if contact happens at or below waist height. The paddle head must also stay below the level of the serving wrist at the moment of contact.Pickleball
- Serve Rotation (Doubles)BeginnerIn doubles, a side keeps possession while each player takes a turn delivering, switching courts after every point won. This continues until both have faulted and possession passes to the opponents.Pickleball
- Serve RoutineBeginnerA serve routine is the consistent pre-serve sequence — bouncing the ball, breathing, positioning the feet — that helps players enter a calm, focused state before every delivery.Tennis
- Serve Toss PlacementBeginnerServe toss placement is where the ball is released relative to the body. It determines which serve types are physically possible to hit from that toss.Tennis
- Server Number (1 or 2)BeginnerThe server number identifies which of the two partners on a doubles team is currently serving. It is called out as the third number in the score: "4-3-2" means the team's second server is serving.Pickleball
- Service BoxBeginnerThe Service Box is the rectangular area diagonally opposite the server into which the underarm padel serve must land after one bounce — with pace blunted by the walls, placement beats power. This makes slice and kick serves especially effective.Padel
- Setup RoutineBeginnerA setup routine builds the address position in the same order every time: clubface, then feet, posture, and grip. Alignment and ball position stay identical on every shot.Golf
- Shanking the Ball (Tennis)BeginnerA shank happens when the ball hits near the racquet's throat or frame edge instead of the string bed. It flies off at an hard to predict, often sharp angle.Tennis
- Short Fielder (Rover)BeginnerThe short fielder, or rover, is slow-pitch softball's 10th defensive player. As a fourth outfielder or extra infielder, they fill gaps the arc creates.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Short GameBeginnerThe short game covers putting, chipping, pitching, and bunker play, on and around the green. It usually accounts for 60–65% of strokes in an average round.Golf
- Short GameBeginnerThe short game is fast-pitch's low-power, high-pressure attack: bunts, slaps, and push bunts. It moves runners and beats defenses with speed, not power.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Shuffle StepBeginnerA shuffle step is a sideways movement where the feet slide without crossing. It keeps the player balanced and facing the net during kitchen-line exchanges.Pickleball
- Side GlassBeginnerThe Side Glass is the lateral transparent wall running alongside each half of a padel court. This redirects angled shots back into play and creates unique rebound trajectories not seen in any other net-divided racket sport.Padel
- Side OutBeginnerA side out is the moment the serve passes from one team to the other. Under side-out scoring, it happens when the serving team has no server left in its rotation who has not yet faulted.Pickleball
- Side-by-Side FormationBeginnerSide-by-side formation is the standard doubles alignment where both partners stand level with each other — either at the kitchen line or the baseline — dividing court coverage left and right.Pickleball
- Sidestep / ShuffleBeginnerA sidestep or shuffle moves the player sideways while facing the net. The feet never cross, so the player stays balanced and ready to load for a groundstroke.Tennis
- Skeleton OverlayBeginnerA skeleton overlay draws your detected body joints, and the lines connecting them, over your video. It shows exactly what the system tracked.Analysis Concepts
- Skied DriveBeginnerA skied drive is struck high on the driver face and flies almost straight up, traveling a fraction of the usual distance. It can leave a telltale scuff mark near the crown.Golf
- Skill TreeBeginnerThe Skill Tree is a map of a sport's key technical skills. It shows which skills your sessions give evidence for, which are improving, and which come later at your level.Analysis Concepts
- Skulled ShotBeginnerA skulled shot is contact with the club's leading edge on the ball's equator or upper half. It sends a low, hot, unintended screamer across the green instead of a controlled chip or pitch.Golf
- SliceBeginnerA slice bleeds away to the right for a right-handed golfer, costing both distance and fairway. It is the most common miss in the game, and it comes from a face pointing right of the head's direction of travel.Golf
- SliceBeginnerIn tennis, a slice is a backspin shot hit high-to-low through the ball, for a low, skidding bounce. A golf slice, by contrast, is a curving mishit.Tennis
- 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
- Slingshot Wind-UpBeginnerThe slingshot wind-up is a simple fast-pitch delivery. The arm goes straight back to about shoulder height, then forward in one pass to release.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Slow-Motion ReviewBeginnerSlow-motion review is watching swing video at a fraction of real speed. It shows fast positions, especially near impact, that the eye misses at normal speed.Golf
- Small Ball StrategyBeginnerSmall ball strategy is a team offensive philosophy that prioritizes manufacturing single runs through bunts, steals, hit-and-runs, and sacrifice plays rather than waiting for extra-base hits.Fast-Pitch Softball
- Split StepBeginnerA split step is a small hop timed to the moment your opponent strikes the ball. It primes your legs to push off explosively in any direction.Tennis
- Split StepBeginnerA split step is a small, timed hop made just as the opponent contacts the ball. It loads both feet at once and allows instant movement in any direction.Pickleball
- Split StepBeginnerThe Split Step is a small two-footed hop taken just as the opponent strikes the ball, loading weight onto both feet at the same time so the player can push off right away in any direction.Padel
- Sportsmanship RuleBeginnerA sportsmanship rule is a formal league policy, unlike unwritten etiquette. It lets officials eject players, forfeit games, or suspend teams for bad conduct.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Square StanceBeginnerA square stance lines the feet, hips, and shoulders up parallel to the target line. It is the neutral reference alignment every open or closed stance is measured against.Golf
- StanceBeginnerYour stance is how you position your feet, weight, and body at address before the swing. It sets your balance, swing width, and low point.Golf
- Straight Ball FlightBeginnerA straight ball flight is a shot with essentially no sideways curve. The clubface angle and swing path match closely enough at impact that the spin axis stays close to horizontal.Golf
- Straight BatBeginnerPlaying with a straight bat means swinging the bat vertically, in line with the ball's path. It is the safest, most orthodox way to defend and drive full or good-length balls.Cricket
- Straight-Back BackswingBeginnerA straight-back backswing moves the racquet straight back on a flat path, with no loop. It favors simplicity and timing control over racquet-head speed.Tennis
- 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
- Strike Zone – Slow-PitchBeginnerThe slow-pitch strike zone (USA Softball) is the space over home plate between the batter's back shoulder and front knee. A strike is a legal, properly arced pitch that passes through that zone in flight. Mat-play leagues instead call strikes on pitches that land on the plate or strike mat.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Strong GripBeginnerA strong grip turns both hands more to the trail side than neutral, showing 3 or more knuckles at address. It makes the face easier to close and is a common slice fix.Golf
- StumpsBeginnerStumps are the three upright wooden posts — off stump, middle stump, and leg stump — that form each wicket in cricket, topped by two small bails that fall if the ball strikes them.Cricket
- Super OverBeginnerThe super over is a tie-breaking mechanism in limited-overs cricket — if scores are tied at the end of a match, each team bats one final over of six balls to determine the winner.Cricket
- Sweet SpotBeginnerThe sweet spot is the center of percussion on the clubface. A strike there transfers the most energy to the ball, with minimal vibration and maximum distance.Golf
- Sweet Spot Contact (Slow-Pitch)BeginnerSweet spot contact is meeting the ball at the bat's best vibration node, several inches from the barrel end. It transfers the most energy with the least sting.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Swing DecodeBeginnerSwing Decode is the contact read inside Motion Lab results. It focuses on the moment of contact and shows the path, plane and timing reads your clip supports.Analysis Concepts
- Swing ThoughtBeginnerA swing thought is one simple cue a golfer holds in mind just before or during a swing. Most coaches agree one clear thought, or none, beats several at once.Golf
- T20 FormatBeginnerT20 (Twenty20) cricket is the shortest mainstream format of the game — each side bats for a maximum of 20 overs — producing fast-paced, high-scoring matches usually completed in under three hours.Cricket
- Tag PlayBeginnerA tag play requires a fielder to touch a runner with the ball, or a glove securely holding it, while the runner is off base. Used when no force is in effect, it is common on run-downs, on runners trying for an extra base, and on any runner not forced to advance.Slow-Pitch Softball
- 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
- TakeawayBeginnerThe takeaway is the first movement of the club away from the ball. Where and how the club moves in the first 18–24 inches often sets the backswing's shape.Golf
- Tee HeightBeginnerTee height is how high the ball sits on the tee peg. For a driver, half the ball should sit above the top of the club at address to promote a positive attack angle and high launch.Golf
- TempoBeginnerTempo is the overall timing and rhythm of your swing — the ratio of how long the backswing takes versus the downswing. A smooth, repeatable tempo is what makes contact consistent.Golf
- TempoBeginnerTempo is the timing relationship between the two halves of a swing — the rhythm that separates efficient, repeatable mechanics from a rushed or laboured transition.Analysis Concepts
- Ten-Finger Grip (Baseball Grip)BeginnerThe ten-finger (baseball) grip places all ten fingers on the handle with no overlap or interlock. It is a common starting point for young children, beginners, and golfers with limited hand or wrist strength.Golf
- Test CricketBeginnerTest cricket is the oldest, longest, and most prestigious format of the sport — played over up to five days between two national teams, with each side receiving two innings and ten wickets to be dismissed.Cricket
- Thin ShotBeginnerA thin shot is when the club's leading edge catches the ball near its equator instead of below it. The opposite of a fat shot, it produces a low, skimming flight.Golf
- Three-PuttBeginnerA three-putt means taking three strokes to hole out after reaching the green. It usually starts with poor distance control on the first putt.Golf
- 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 Limit RuleBeginnerA time limit rule sets a maximum game duration, after which no new inning starts. In recreational slow pitch it is commonly 50 to 70 minutes, keeping league schedules on track across multiple fields and multiple games per night.Slow-Pitch Softball
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