Squishing the Bug......

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Feb 13, 2018
162
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I'm not an expert here.....As I am watching my high school girls they all rotate but their back foot never leaves the ground....just spins. I feel like they aren't engaging their lower half as much as they should be but they aren't hitting bad so I don't want to make them overthink things and make things go south for them. Are there any simple verbal cues or a drill I can give them to help them feel their weight transfer? Any tips are greatly appreciated!
 

fanboi22

on the journey
Nov 9, 2015
1,138
83
SE Wisconsin
I'm not an expert here.....As I am watching my high school girls they all rotate but their back foot never leaves the ground....just spins. I feel like they aren't engaging their lower half as much as they should be but they aren't hitting bad so I don't want to make them overthink things and make things go south for them. Are there any simple verbal cues or a drill I can give them to help them feel their weight transfer? Any tips are greatly appreciated!
Thru what i have learned on this site i would suggest using the rear foot as an 'anchor'. Meaning, do the opposite of squish the bug and just try to keep the rear heel down. Look at some old footage of Sierra Romero as an example. So i guess the cue is to keep rear foot planted and try not to lift, twist, or squish. The core will torque enough to pull it off the ground eventually, but this cue has helped my DD.
 
Aug 20, 2017
1,474
113
I'm not an expert here.....As I am watching my high school girls they all rotate but their back foot never leaves the ground....just spins. I feel like they aren't engaging their lower half as much as they should be but they aren't hitting bad so I don't want to make them overthink things and make things go south for them. Are there any simple verbal cues or a drill I can give them to help them feel their weight transfer? Any tips are greatly appreciated!
The forward move is either not occurring on time (late) or the weight is staying back during the forward move (most likely related to the load/gather). Check the position of the back knee at foot down. It’s most likely over the back foot.
Justin Stone Feet together stride drill on front toss will help them learn/feel the timing of the forward move. Teach them to be moving forward on time (pitch release). This forward move needs to be controlled, float forward, controlled by rear leg. Not fast and twitchy. When doing this drill tell them no backwards movement. Just float forward on time. Good luck!
 
Nov 16, 2017
406
63
The problem with squish the bug is it puts the focus of the batter on a part of the body that shouldn't be the focus. In doing so it creates a problem with players getting stuck on their back side( back leg). I understand what coaches are seeing and trying to do but intentions are not equal to outcomes. The best current players actually scissor, or the back foot works back and away. The reason for this is that the transfer from front to back is evident and also with a scissor action deceleration of the hips must occur. When one understands the kinetic chain the transfer of energy has to occur with deceleration of preexisting chain links. You can't create whip without an abrupt stop and energy transfer into the next chain link.

In all this mumbo jumbo I would have the player practice a scissor action. They may never actually scissor as a part of their swing and that is OK, however, it will help them understand the transfer that must occur from back to front without the negatives of "squish the bug" which could lead to a player getting stuck on their back side. If you scissor, you are not stuck on your back side.
 
Nov 8, 2018
774
63
I'm not an expert here.....As I am watching my high school girls they all rotate but their back foot never leaves the ground....just spins. I feel like they aren't engaging their lower half as much as they should be but they aren't hitting bad so I don't want to make them overthink things and make things go south for them. Are there any simple verbal cues or a drill I can give them to help them feel their weight transfer? Any tips are greatly appreciated!

Have them simulate throwing a frisbee with front hand.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jan 28, 2017
1,662
83
I know a few hitting coaches are really teaching to stay grounded and then your heel up and out towards the opposite dugout. Basically the Foot Doctors footwork for pitching on the drive foot.
 

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