Why Squishing Bug Batting Is Bad For Basic Baseball & Softball Swing | STOP Squashing Hitting Drills & Beginner Meaning
Discover why squishing the bug batting is bad for basic baseball and softball swing fundamentals. Learn STOP squashing hitting drills and a beginners meaning of the term.
WHY ‘Squishing The Bug’ Is So Dumb
This video is a definitive guide when it comes to WHY ‘squishing the bug’ is an inferior hitting mechanic. Right now, if you find yourself asking if people STILL teach this, then sadly, the answer is yes. I ran into one just the other day on the socials. Nothing but pseudo science and circular reasoning.
Here’s fair WARNING for the small few out there still teaching hitters to ‘squish the bug’. If after watching this video, you’re still not convinced, then you’re old. Consider what Henry Ford once said:
And while we’re at it, look at what Ayn Rand said:
SCIENCE-BASED TRAINING:
Improve your hitting strategy dramatically by applying human movement principles.
Learn not only how and what to train but also the science behind the methods.
In the above video, we discuss the:
- Science,
- Experimentation, and
- Application…
…validating WHY ‘squishing the bug’ is DUMB, and no hitter should ever have to go through something as horrifying as that.
Here are the resources mentioned in the video:
- FanGraphs post by Dan Farnsworth titled, “Breaking Down the Swing: Best Hitters of 2012”
- Washington Post post about Bryce Harper titled, “Bryce Harper: A Swing of Beauty”
- CLICK HERE for my ‘squish the bug’ swing experiment
Also, here’s a recent case study post I did on skipping the back foot titled, “How 175-LB 15yo Is Consistently Hitting The Ball 400-FT With…BBCOR & Wood“.
DON’T BE AN OLD HITTING FART!
With 28,000+ online bat speed program sales, my methods have transformed coaches, instructors, and parents just like you. I'm affiliated with esteemed organizations like ABCA, IYCA, and SABR, advocating for positive coaching. With 15+ years in corrective fitness and a Division One baseball background, my knowledge is unmatched.
Join our blog and unlock the secrets to successful hitting, elevate your performance, and ignite your passion. Welcome to the world of limitless possibilities at HittingPerformanceLab.com.
- Master Youth Baseball: Best Bats, Overload & Underload Training for Swing Weight & Power Precision - December 18, 2024
- Master Pro Pitch Recognition Drills: Improve Reaction Time, Swing Mechanics & Baseball Success Today - December 13, 2024
- Master Pitch Recognition & Swing Timing Fast: Visual Drills And Velocity Training to Transform Your Child - December 5, 2024
Great Job Joey. I know you want to right wrongs and perhaps do not want to take it too far… But not only is this method wrong but I’ll take it a step above being wrong. It’s f****** dangerous. I’m not a doctor perhaps any doctor out there can explain the details but slamming your hip joint with forced internal rotation WILL hurt you. Especially for women who I think (Assuming I know something have pelvis differences)…I remember reading softball players having these hip surgeries and they said it’s perhaps the force of the back hip internal rotating… the article missed the point because it’s not internal rotation. Its FORCED internal rotation like the stupid method described here for the most part…
Doing that forced internal rotation is not it. And for the ones who teach a team of Tballers because there young and it’s easier to get the younger ones especially a group of them to get there “Hip” into it… Your actually hurting them and teaching them poor human mechanics….
By the way, the lower half is just about silent in the swing. There are only some TRIGGERs but for the most part if you focusing on the lower half it’s because you don’t know what your doing or your posture is so messed up you have to compensate… So don’t do that just learn the right way and fix your posture…
If there are any doctors out there please explain a few details and put these people on notice that like Joey noted this is wrong but further they will hurt there kids… So this isn’t a mistake but once they understand the details dangerous to the kids health…
Nice Article Joey…I’m dealing with two coaches teaching the A to B thing… Short is best…It’s funny my son has a LONG swing according to them…Than I open my mouth… no he has THE SWING… no such thing as long or short… he has the swing and your shorting it with your method… Why go from the correct swing to a shorter one…
A shorter one doesn’t get on plane among other things and a longer one goes around it among other things… my sons swing gets on plane and swings basically measures and delivers… Hey I like that MEASURES & DELIVERS….
A short one doesn’t measure and a long one doesn’t deliver ( no body)….
~DM
Joey,
I disagree with your definition of “old.” “Old” isnt someone who teaches “squishing the bug.”
“Old” is someone who remembers the hitters from the past – Ruth (I dont remember him, lol),Williams, Mantle, Mays, Aaron, etc. – who didn’t “squish the bug,” guys who today’s hitters – Harper, Stanton, Altuve, Correa, Betts, Judge, Sanchez, etc. – have patterned themselves after.
Remember: “Old School is “New School.” 😉