Squish the bug is a bad hitting cue I hear everyday by coaches that come in with their teams and by parents that bring their sons and daughters in to hit in our batting cages. Parents pick it up from hitting instructors, coaches and other parents then start telling their kids and other kids. Squish the bug according to the high school instruction manual is when you pivot your back foot like squishing a bug and stay on the ball of your foot so you won't let the bug get out from under your foot. The bad thing is squish the bug is a terrible hitting cue because it holds your power back. The very best hitters in baseball and fastpitch softball do not squish the bug.
Above is one of my students hitting a shot off the wall and 1 of the best hitters of all time, Tony Gwynn. Both are at impact and they are not squishing the bug, their back foot is actually off the ground. Three years ago my student was being taught to squish the bug, swing down, stay back and use fast hands by all of his coaches. He could barely hit the ball out of the infield. He was hitting so bad he was ready to quit baseball just because of bad instruction (I hear this way too often). He came in and worked hard on learning how the very best hitters in Major League Baseball actually swing the bat, the opposite of what he was being taught. As a 12 yr old he became the most powerful hitter in St. Albans Little League history by hitting a record 22 home runs and his batting average was over .750, all this and he weighed only 90 pounds. He even added 5 home runs in 3 all star games. He is now one of the best hitters in the state at 14 years old because he is swinging the bat like the best hitters in baseball.
This applies to both baseball and fastpitch softball hitters. Squish the bug will make you swing with your arms, the opposite of what you want to do. When you learn how to use your body like the very best hitters in Major League Baseball and Team USA Fastpitch Softball you will add power, consistency and better timing into your swing.
Anyone that would like to learn to swing with their body correctly so you can add much more force and consistency into your hitting call Mike Sedberry at 304-722-6393 for more information.
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