Baseball Batting Technique Discarded! Have you ever heard of squashing the bug?

Sometimes in sport, as in life, we do things and we don’t really know why. Our techniques and responses have been ingrained in us for so long that we simply accept that this is the way to do it. There are countless examples of this in the great game of baseball.

To test my theory that we do things automatically without analyzing the ‘why’, I went out to visit batting cages and baseball practices to see the coaches and players in action. My goal? To identify and counter old hitting techniques that most believe are successful “if only the player did it right.” My findings may surprise you and ultimately help your player significantly improve his batting average.

Since then, I have helped baseball coaches, parents, and hitters overcome misconceptions about how to hit a baseball and how to challenge old training techniques that actually do more harm than good. In total, we have eliminated seven misconceptions from the park. Here is one of the most popular:

Have you ever heard of swatting the bug in baseball? This phrase refers to the pivot of the back foot as the hitter swings the bat. In this case, the back foot “rotates” on the ball of the foot, like we do when swatting at an insect.

This is what the result will be:

• a long stroke
• Weight transfer inhibited
• Hands may not come forward to make contact.
• Unnecessary to push with the legs

This is what should happen during the pivot:

• The back foot curls over the rear toe as the hips rotate toward the pitch.

This is what the result will be:

• Provides a shorter stroke
• Weight transfer will occur.
• The hands will be allowed to make contact with the ball in front.

Try these proven techniques today to improve your swing and overall confidence in the game.