looking for pointers on my swing. Any advice helps.
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Ballisttic
Star Player
Nice shoes :thumb:
C_Dubya_Leyde
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Squish the bug
NDshotokan
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NDshotokan
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Squish the bug is a phrase used by baseball (and boxing) coaches that refers to rotating your hips and turning your back foot in a motion similar to "squishing a bug" under your back foot.
Paulypal
Addicted to Softballfans
The only time you should squish the bug is when your actually squishing a bug.
You want to get your weight OFF of your back leg when you swing, not keep it on your back leg. Squishing the bug was used to keep players from lunging, but that fix created another problem so no bug squishing.
Look at some videos of hitters. Many times their back foot actually comes off the ground in their swing.
One thing I see is - again having to do with your backfoot - is that your not rotating enough. A general rule is your belt buckle and your back foot laces should be facing the pitcher when your at contact. Neither is happening. If you freeze your swing on contact your back foot is facing the 3rdbasemen (lefty swing). This means your not rotating enough. You should come up on your toe at contact with your body basically square to the pitcher. This can vary some but in your case its extreme.
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All of your weight is on your back. (that's why you aren't smashing the bug)
From what I can see you weight is in your right pocket, You want it in your zipper. When you lift your left leg you are still standing up. If your weight was
in the center you would start to fall forward, not be standing on one leg. If you were a bird you would fall asleep.
You look like you are flirting with 200 lbs. That means you got 200 lbs. falling toward the ball even before you start to step into it.
All of your movement should be forward. ALL MOVES FORWARD. ALL MOVES FORWARD.
Practice in front of a mirror. Watch yourself fall forward, you don't need a bat to feel the movement, anyway with a bat in the house you
might break something.. (that's been done) See how that works Good Luck
From what I can see you weight is in your right pocket, You want it in your zipper. When you lift your left leg you are still standing up. If your weight was
in the center you would start to fall forward, not be standing on one leg. If you were a bird you would fall asleep.
You look like you are flirting with 200 lbs. That means you got 200 lbs. falling toward the ball even before you start to step into it.
All of your movement should be forward. ALL MOVES FORWARD. ALL MOVES FORWARD.
Practice in front of a mirror. Watch yourself fall forward, you don't need a bat to feel the movement, anyway with a bat in the house you
might break something.. (that's been done) See how that works Good Luck
slomaro
Addicted to Softballfans
Lol oh man that takes me back to being a kid remembering my dad telling me that
NDshotokan
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I still think squishing the bug can be a valuable training tool in softball. It's much harder to teach rotational power (hip rotation) than it is weight transfer. Besides, much more power is generated by the explosive rotation than by the weight transfer, (IMO anyway) as it affects other parts of the swing as well. Hips and hands is all you really need in a baseball/softball swing. Work on the basics and the rest will fall into place with practice.
thanks and i will try it out.
LET'S SEE SOME NEW VIDIOS.
So far your swing looks good and level, your head is on the ball, you are not swinging at the arc, that's good.
Swing at the ball not the arc.
It is just as important to watch a pitch you don't swing at as it is to watch the one you do. Watch it all the way to the ground, Good habit.
Your power center looks like it is across your chest, that's what might be taking your hips out of your swing.
We're going to get your uniform number changed to double zero, because when you come to bat the other team will say, "OH OH"
So far your swing looks good and level, your head is on the ball, you are not swinging at the arc, that's good.
Swing at the ball not the arc.
It is just as important to watch a pitch you don't swing at as it is to watch the one you do. Watch it all the way to the ground, Good habit.
Your power center looks like it is across your chest, that's what might be taking your hips out of your swing.
We're going to get your uniform number changed to double zero, because when you come to bat the other team will say, "OH OH"
kayakmaker
Average at best
Solid advice itt. I'll add that I believe hip rotation > weight transfer. You seem to transfer weight fine, but like others have said, get the hips open.
I've heard it described as trying to punch the ball with your back hip.
I've heard it described as trying to punch the ball with your back hip.
JRod21
Star Player
Id listen to this guy. He use to play in the big leagues, what he says id be practicing it everyday...just sayin.
Muscles220
Addicted to Softballfans
The guy saying "squish the bug" is referring to the fact that you are not fully rotating your hips. You're doing it some, but not as much as you should...squash the bug with your back foot. Also, you look loose even during the swing. Loose isn't the right word. Loose is good. But it's like your whole body is floating. When you plant your front foot it should lock onto the ground and your body should only move in one axis. Your upper body should be over your center of gravity and it should do nothing other than rotate. No forward or backward movement. You also have a pretty closed stance in the video. I prefer a neutral stance. A closed stance can choke of your rotation before it's finished. Lastly, you're swinging down more than I think is ideal. I think level to a slight uppercut is best. More uppercut for baseball, but a slight one can still be good in softball.
NDshotokan
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This is a fantastic analogy. Someone was quoting this to me last weekend and I was floored I hadn't thought of, or heard of it before.
One thing you can try during tee work is to "punch your hips" through your swing, but hold the hands back momentarily before completing your swing. It will be a disjointed swing and feel awkward, but will help your body understand what you should be feeling in your hips. So it'll be hips, pause, then hands; instead of hips/hands.
I'm sure your 10 times the hitter I am but I'm not sure I agree about there being no linear move in a softball swing. When I watch great hitters I usually see some. I also do not see them "squishing the bug" very often. Even baseball hitters that hit with power usually have their back foot off the ground at some point around contact. Watch helmer, his foot comes way off the ground and way forward. More than one way to skin a cat I suppose...
justwhippin
Addicted to Softballfans
Just because the back foot comes forward it does not mean his whole body moved forward or linear during the swing. Linear movement happens in the stride but after toe touch there should be no more forward movement of body mass. You rotate around your axis(spine) back hip going forward while front hip going back.... yes your back foot will come up or drag but that does not mean you moved linear forward during the swing. You can't rotate and move forward at the same time.... if you try you will block out hip rotation. Weight transfer during a swing is a result of a good swing not something thought about or forced
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