Stance
The set position of the feet and body a player adopts before or during a skill, providing balance and readiness to move or strike.
Definition
A stance is how a player sets their feet, weight, and posture as a platform for the next action. A balanced athletic stance — feet about shoulder-width, knees flexed, weight forward on the balls of the feet — recurs across sports as a ready position. Specific stances are named and specialised: the orthodox and southpaw boxing stances, open, closed, and square batting stances, the golf address, and the open, semi-open, closed, and neutral tennis stances for groundstrokes.
Stance choice trades stability against mobility and shapes which shots are available: an open stance in tennis aids quick topspin and recovery on the forehand, while a neutral or closed stance favours weight transfer through the ball. Because it precedes the movement, a poor stance limits every action that follows, so it is a first building block in technique.
Meaning by sport
This term is used differently across sports:
- Tennis
- Open, semi-open, closed, or neutral foot alignment for groundstrokes, trading power for recovery.
- Boxing
- Orthodox or southpaw foot-and-hand alignment for balance, defence, and punching.
- Baseball
- The batter's open, closed, or square set-up in the box.
Where you’ll hear “stance”
Sports that use this term:
Tennis
A singles or doubles racquet sport that blends agility, strategy and stamina on court.
Boxing
A striking combat sport built on footwork, timing and conditioning, practised from fitness drills to controlled sparring.
Golf
A precision target sport played across an outdoor course, blending skill, strategy and a long walk in the open air.
Baseball
A bat-and-ball team sport where two sides alternate between batting and fielding to score runs.
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
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Skills
- BalanceThe skill of keeping the body stable and controlled while still or moving.
- Net playThe skill of controlling points close to the net with volleys and touch shots.
- ServingThe skill of putting the ball or shuttle into play to start a point or rally.
- SettingThe volleyball skill of accurately placing the ball for a teammate to attack.
- Bike handlingThe skill of balancing, steering and controlling a bike confidently in different conditions.
Techniques
- Sprint StartThe explosive start of a sprint from a set, crouched position, driving forward low before gradually rising to full stride.
- Volleyball SetAn overhead pass using the fingertips of both hands to place the ball accurately for a teammate to attack.
- VolleyA shot played near the net by blocking the ball out of the air before it bounces, using a short, firm punch rather than a full swing.
Skills Academy
- Foundational skillsThe base skills almost every sport rests on — move, balance and control before anything else.
- Locomotor skillsMoving the body efficiently — running, sprinting, changing pace and getting into position.
- Racket-sport skillsThe core skills of racket sports — serving, returning, rallying and controlling the net.
Player roles
- All-RounderAn all-rounder is a versatile player who contributes across attack and defence rather than specialising in a single phase, position, or skill.
- CaptainThe captain is a team's on-field leader who communicates, makes in-game decisions and sets standards — a role any player can hold, not a fixed position.
- PlaymakerThe playmaker is a team's creative hub — the player who orchestrates attacks, controls the tempo and distributes the ball so teammates can score.
- Set-Piece SpecialistA player a team relies on to take or defend dead-ball restarts — free-kicks, corners, penalties, and serves — with practiced accuracy and composure.
Decision making
- Reading an opponentPicking up an opponent's cues — stance, weight, positioning and habits — to sense what they are likely to do and decide how to respond.
- AnticipationForming an expectation of what is likely to happen next, and starting to prepare for it before it does.
- Positioning choicesDeciding where to place yourself — often before the ball arrives — to cover space, stay ready to act and shape what an opponent can do.
Sport categories
- Winter SportsSeasonal sports on snow and ice that combine skill, balance and endurance in the outdoors.
- Mind & BodyPractices that pair movement with breathing and focus, supporting mobility, balance and mental wellbeing.
- Water SportsSports in and on the water. Kind to the joints while working the whole body, from swimming lengths to open water.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-08-04
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