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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
- Timing the ArcBeginnerTiming the arc is tracking a slow-pitch delivery from release through its descent. The swing starts so the barrel arrives just as the ball reaches the zone.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Today — LaunchpadBeginnerToday is SwingVantage's daily screen. While you work on a fix, it shows your current focus, today's drill and your retest timing, so each session starts with clear direction.Analysis Concepts
- 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
- Topped BallBeginnerA topped ball is contact on the ball's upper half instead of at or near its center. It drives the ball sharply into the ground, however hard the swing.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Topped ShotBeginnerA topped shot is when the club hits the top half of the ball, above its equator. The ball dribbles along the ground with very little height or distance.Golf
- TopspinBeginnerTopspin is forward spin imparted by brushing up the back of the ball. It makes the ball dip down into the court and kick up high after the bounce.Tennis
- Total DistanceBeginnerTotal distance is how far the ball travels from impact until it stops. It is carry distance through the air plus roll after landing.Golf
- 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
- 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-Bounce RuleBeginnerThe two-bounce rule requires the ball to bounce once on each side before either team may volley. The serve must bounce on the return side. The return must bounce on the serving side, and only after those two bounces may either team hit a ball before it bounces.Pickleball
- Two-Hand FinishBeginnerA two-hand finish keeps both hands on the bat well past contact. Hitters and coaches favor it for control and consistent barrel direction through extension.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Two-Handed BackhandBeginnerA two-handed backhand places both hands on the grip, with the non-dominant hand providing additional stability, power, and disguise through contact.Tennis
- 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
- Under-the-Ball ContactBeginnerUnder-the-ball contact is the opposite of topping: the bat meets the ball's lower half. It launches steeply into a pop-up or weak fly instead of a line drive.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Underhand Serve RuleBeginnerEvery pickleball serve must be struck with an underhand, upward-swinging motion. Overhand or sidearm tennis-style serves are not allowed.Pickleball
- Understanding ParBeginnerPar is the number of strokes an accomplished golfer is expected to need to complete a hole, including two putts. Most holes are par 3, 4, or 5, based primarily on the hole's length.Golf
- Unforced ErrorBeginnerAn unforced error is a point lost to a player's own mistake. They had reasonable time and position for the shot and little pressure from the opponent.Tennis
- Unplayable LieBeginnerA golfer may declare their ball unplayable anywhere except a penalty area and take relief for one penalty stroke. Only the golfer makes that call.Golf
- USA Softball (ASA) League FormatBeginnerUSA Softball, formerly the Amateur Softball Association (ASA), publishes a softball rule book and approved-bat list. Leagues may adopt its rules for local and championship play.Slow-Pitch Softball
- USSSA League FormatBeginnerThe United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) runs slow-pitch leagues and tournaments. It uses its own bat rules, team levels, and tournament format.Slow-Pitch Softball
- Vibration DampenerBeginnerA vibration dampener is a small rubber or silicone device inserted at the bottom of the string bed to reduce the high-pitched "ping" vibration and change the sound of the racquet at contact.Tennis
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 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
- 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
- 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
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