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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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322 terms
- 3D Swing AnalysisAdvanced3D swing analysis reconstructs the swing from motion capture or several cameras. Angles like hip rotation are then measured, not estimated from a flat image.Golf
- Address PositionBeginnerAddress position is a golfer's complete setup just before the swing starts: grip, stance, alignment, ball position, posture, and weight distribution.Golf
- Adjustable Driver HoselIntermediateAn adjustable driver hosel sits where the shaft meets the head. It lets a golfer change loft (usually ±1° to ±2°), and sometimes lie or face angle, without a new club.Golf
- Aim PointAdvancedAim point reads greens by feel instead of by eye. The feet sense the slope percentage, and that number becomes a finger-count aim spot near the hole.Golf
- AlignmentBeginnerAlignment is the direction the body and clubface are aimed at address. Poor alignment is one of the most common causes of off-target shots even with a good swing.Golf
- Analysis Confidence LevelIntermediateAnalysis confidence level is a stated measure of how reliable a video-derived swing observation is. It keeps a rough estimate from passing as a certain fact.Golf
- Analysis ParalysisIntermediateAnalysis paralysis is consciously monitoring too many mechanical details mid-swing. It interferes with the largely automatic motion of a well-practiced swing.Golf
- Approach ShotBeginnerAn approach shot is any shot hit toward the green to reach or set up the putting surface. It is usually a par 4's second shot, or a par 5's second or third.Golf
- Arm SwingIntermediateThe arm swing is the movement of the arms across and around the body during the golf swing. This must coordinate with body rotation to produce a consistent, powerful arc.Golf
- Ascending BlowIntermediateAn ascending blow is contact made while the clubhead is moving upward. It is the goal with a teed-up driver but usually unwanted for iron shots off the turf.Golf
- Attack AngleAdvancedAttack angle is the vertical direction the clubhead is moving at impact. Negative means hitting down on the ball; positive means hitting up.Golf
- BackswingBeginnerThe backswing is the movement of the club from address to the top position. It creates the width, shoulder turn, and wrist hinge needed for power on the way down.Golf
- Backswing-to-Downswing RatioIntermediateBackswing-to-downswing ratio is the frame-counted timing of a swing's two halves. Video tools use it to track tempo objectively across sessions, not by feel.Golf
- Ball CompressionIntermediateBall compression is how much the ball squashes against the clubface at impact. Clean, centered, descending strikes compress it well for a more penetrating flight.Golf
- Ball Flight LawsIntermediateThe ball flight laws are the impact variables that decide how a shot flies. They are face angle, swing path, attack angle, strike location, dynamic loft, and clubhead speed.Golf
- Ball PositionBeginnerBall position is where the ball sits in your stance: off the front foot for a driver, near the center for short irons. It directly controls the low point and attack angle.Golf
- Ball Position — DriverBeginnerDriver ball position sits forward in the stance, usually off the lead heel or slightly inside it. The club then meets the ball on the upswing, after the low point of the swing arc has already passed.Golf
- Ball Position — IronsBeginnerIron ball position moves back as clubs get shorter: just forward of center for long irons, near center for wedges. It supports a slightly descending strike.Golf
- Ball SpeedIntermediateBall speed is how fast the ball leaves the clubface, measured in miles per hour. It is the single biggest driver of carry distance.Golf
- Ball-First ContactIntermediateBall-first contact means the club strikes the ball before it reaches the ground. It is the fundamental requirement for a clean, compressed iron or wedge shot.Golf
- BallooningIntermediateBallooning is when a shot, usually with a driver, climbs steeply and stalls. Too much spin and too high a launch angle cost it distance.Golf
- Banana SliceBeginnerA banana slice is the exaggerated, wide left-to-right curve most associated with beginner and high-handicap golfers. It usually starts near or left of the target and bends hard right.Golf
- Baseline SwingIntermediateA baseline swing is a reference swing recorded before you start work on a specific change. It is the fixed point every later retest is measured against.Golf
- Beginner Slice FixBeginnerFor most beginners, a slice comes from a face open to an out-to-in path. The fastest fix is usually a stronger grip and swinging from the inside, not harder.Golf
- Bellied WedgeIntermediateA bellied wedge is a strike where the leading edge hits the ball around its middle. The shot comes out low and running: milder than a full skull, but still a mis-hit.Golf
- Best Ball vs Scramble FormatBeginnerIn best ball, each teammate plays their own ball through the hole, and the team counts the lowest individual score. In a scramble, everyone tees off, the team picks the best shot, and all players hit their next shot from that spot.Golf
- Birdie and Eagle ExplainedBeginnerA birdie is one stroke under par on a hole, and an eagle is two strokes under par. Both are celebrated results that most golfers, even good ones, make only sometimes.Golf
- Blade PutterBeginnerA blade putter has a slim, classic head with less perimeter weighting than a mallet, and it is more often toe-hang balanced. That design suits golfers with a natural arcing stroke who prefer feel and feedback.Golf
- Blade vs. Cavity BackIntermediateBlades (muscle backs) put mass behind the sweet spot for feel and workability. Cavity backs move mass to the perimeter for a bigger sweet spot and more forgiveness.Golf
- Bladed IronIntermediateA bladed iron is a severe thin strike where the leading edge, not the face, hits the ball. It comes off low, hard, and running, with almost no spin or control.Golf
- Block PracticeIntermediateBlock practice repeats the same shot with the same club to the same target. It builds new motor patterns fast but transfers less reliably to real rounds.Golf
- Blocked PushIntermediateA blocked push is a straight shot that starts and stays right of target, with almost no curve. The clubface matches an in-to-out path, but the whole delivery is aimed too far right.Golf
- BlockingAdvancedBlocking is when the arms and club fail to fully release through impact. The face is held open, so the ball flies straight right (for a right-hander) with no draw.Golf
- Bogey GolfBeginner"Bogey golf" describes shooting roughly one over par on every hole, around 90 for an 18-hole, par-72 course. It is a common and respectable benchmark for a solidly developing recreational golfer.Golf
- Bounce (Wedge)IntermediateBounce is the downward angle built into a wedge's sole that helps it glide through sand or turf instead of digging in. Higher bounce suits soft conditions and steep swings, while lower bounce suits firm turf and shallow swings.Golf
- Bowed WristAdvancedA bowed wrist at the top of the backswing means the lead wrist flexes toward the palm (like a bow), closing the clubface and storing power for a powerful, face-controlled delivery.Golf
- Breaking 100BeginnerBreaking 100 means finishing an 18-hole round in fewer than 100 total strokes. It depends far more on avoiding disaster holes than on hitting great shots.Golf
- Breaking 80IntermediateBreaking 80 means finishing 18 holes in fewer than 80 strokes. The milestone is usually associated with a single-digit handicap.Golf
- Breaking 90BeginnerBreaking 90 means finishing 18 holes in fewer than 90 strokes. It usually requires a reliable short game more than a longer drive.Golf
- Bump-and-RunBeginnerA bump-and-run is a low chip that lands on the green just past the fringe and rolls to the hole like a putt. It uses the fringe and green to deliver the ball.Golf
- Bunker ShotIntermediateA bunker shot is any stroke played from a sand hazard. The two families play nothing alike: greenside, where the club never touches the ball, and fairway, where clean ball-first contact is the whole objective.Golf
- Camera Angle GuidanceBeginnerCamera angle guidance shows where to film a swing from, usually down-the-line and face-on. The wrong angle can hide or distort what the analysis needs.Golf
- Camera-Based Launch MonitorIntermediateA camera-based launch monitor uses high-speed cameras to capture club and ball data in the split second around impact. It does not track the full flight.Golf
- Carry DistanceBeginnerCarry distance is how far the ball travels through the air before it first lands. It is different from total distance, which includes roll.Golf
- CastingIntermediateCasting is releasing the wrist angles too early in the downswing, like a fisherman throwing a line. It destroys lag, cuts speed, and adds loft at impact.Golf
- Casting from the TopIntermediateCasting from the top is when the wrists unload right at the start of the downswing. It happens at the very top, before the lower body has had a chance to lead.Golf
- Center of Gravity (Club)AdvancedA club's center of gravity is its balance point. Placing it low and back raises launch and cuts spin. Low and forward gives a lower, more penetrating flight.Golf
- Chicken WingIntermediateA chicken wing is the lead elbow folding outward through and after impact instead of extending. It usually compensates for an out-to-in path or a blocked, stuck downswing.Golf
- Chili-DipBeginnerA chili-dip is the most extreme version of a chunked chip, on a very short finesse shot. The club digs in so far behind the ball that the ball barely moves at all, sometimes just a few inches.Golf
- Chip-and-RunBeginnerA chip-and-run is a low, bouncing chip that gets on the green fast and rolls toward the hole. It is the safest choice when there is room between the ball and the green edge.Golf
- ChippingBeginnerChipping is a short shot played from just off the green. A small swing gets the ball rolling on the green quickly so it can run to the hole.Golf
- Chipping StanceBeginnerA good chipping stance narrows the feet, leans the shaft and weight slightly toward the target, and plays the ball back of center. It is built for crisp, ball-first contact, unlike the full-swing posture used for longer shots.Golf
- ChunkBeginnerA chunk (fat shot) is when the swing bottoms out too early and the club hits the ground before the ball. The short, low shot often loses most of its distance.Golf
- Chunked ChipBeginnerA chunked chip is fat contact on a short finesse shot near the green. The club hits the ground well before the ball, loses speed, and leaves the shot far short of the target.Golf
- Claw Grip (Putting)IntermediateIn the claw grip, the trail hand holds the putter handle like a pencil against the palm instead of wrapping around it. Separating the hands this way is a popular fix for excess trail-hand wrist action and the putting yips.Golf
- Closed StanceBeginnerA closed stance aligns the feet, hips, and shoulders right of the target line (for a right-hander). It is sometimes used deliberately to hit a draw, but is more often an unintentional cause of a push or hook.Golf
- Club FittingIntermediateClub fitting uses a launch monitor to match shaft, length, lie angle, loft, and head design to a golfer's swing. Stock clubs are built for an average golfer.Golf
- Club LengthIntermediateClub length is fitted to a golfer's height, arm length, and posture at address. A mismatched length changes lie angle at impact and forces compensations that can undermine consistency more than most golfers realize.Golf
- Club PathAdvancedClub path is the horizontal direction the clubhead is moving through impact, relative to the target line, in degrees. Positive is in-to-out (a draw bias); negative is out-to-in (a fade or slice bias).Golf
- Club SelectionBeginnerClub selection is picking the right club for each shot from real carry distance, lie, wind, elevation, and hazard placement. It is one of the biggest scoring decisions.Golf
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