Yes, plenty of hitters start that way, but it is not an absolute, which is how it was taught to me when I played. Here is an excellent article from Epstein discussing the in and outs of the raised elbow in the stance.
Hitting Articles
DD Getting Told To "Squish The Bug"
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Yes, plenty of hitters start that way, but it is not an absolute, which is how it was taught to me when I played. Here is an excellent article from Epstein discussing the in and outs of the raised elbow in the stance.
Hitting Articles
That is why we show the kids why Squish the bug is not a good cue. Wellphty is correct. If kids understand and can show a coach most will change. Those that won't , hopefully you can find someone else to play for. When we have coaches clinics you get these type of questions and we can demo so the coaches can feel , see ,and measure what we teach. Only problem with the elbow up, gets into the post above that the elbow gets ahead of the hands or behind them. Getting the elbow to slot becomes more of an issue with the elbow up. We like to tell them no higher than the hands.
The cue. Tommy Emanski's baseball world watch the DVD's from 15 years ago. This was a common cue coming from the baseball hitting guru's.
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
Hey ... there was a time Mike Candrea was promoting it.
There really are no magic cues. IMO, the best thing you can do is study the subject of weight shift and get it down yourself. Then come up with your own drills and cues that match your personality and way of teaching. The only way to find out what truely works is to get in the trenches and work with different players. I'm always trying different things. When I'm teaching, if the players look at me like I'm from another planet, or if I'm not getting the results I'm looking for two times through a drill, then I make an adjustment. I also elicit feedback from the players.
We had batting practice last night. Before practice I printed out in big bold letters these five quotes from Ted Williams. One quote per sheet.
"The most important move I can think of is the cocking of the hips."
"The way you bring your hips into the swing is directly proportionate to the power you generate."
"I never saw a good hitter that didn't have good hip-cock."
"Without hip action, you're strickly and arms and wrist hitter."
"Cocking hips is at the root of batting power."
I gave one quote each to five players. Briefly explained who Ted Williams was and how Katie Cochran studied "The Science of Hitting". Then I had each player take turns reading the quotes. Then I asked them what they thought the quotes meant. Then I demonstrated my view of what Ted was talking about. I did this because my experience is that most girls have been told by coaches and parents to "use their hips or turn their hips". Which was the answer I got from the girls when I asked them what they thought Ted meant. When I asked the girls what it means to use the hips, they of course couldn't explain it. "Use the hips" is a general term that isn't very descriptive. It certainly doesn't have anything in it that would make a player think of a weight shift.
So I took five minutes last night to begin the process of helping the girls relate the use of the hips to "weight shift". After doing my demonstration of how the hips work and relating the action of the hips to weight shift, I used the cue "coil - uncoil". I used the cue as I was doing the action myself. Now when I use the cue "coil-uncoil", the girls can relate it to the hip action being a "backward move followed by a forward countermove". The words I chose to use for my cue aren't that important. I could have picked any number of words to describe the action. In fact the next time we do batting, I'll ask the girls what words they want to use for a cue when working on the hip action. I'll use whatever words they can relate too, because the words themselves aren't important to me.
Push off with your big toe. Maybe we should call it "push-the-bug"?
obbay
Banned
depends on the kid, the circumstance, etc.
One thing that has helped some kids is to start from one leg with the front leg raised. Then stride into the pitch, transferring the weight to the front leg and off the back foot. Like they are taking a walk. sometimes the back foot may come completely off the ground.
doesn't work for everyone, but it does work for enough kids that I consider it valid.
R
RayR
Guest
Well,
I don't disagree with your last post at all but.....I am just really starting to eliminate "hips" from any instruction....
As with any habit you are trying to break you need to replace that habit (mental and physical) with something else....talking about the hips tend to have girls spin out and lock the front leg out early....or they spin the back leg.....
IMO, thinking about using the legs correctly and learning how they work differently but work towards the same goal will start replacing bad habits....
IE, the front femur should ER/open like in a throw....and the rear humerus/upper arm should react to that....
Back to the front leg.....if you IR/cock the thigh it is easier to ER/uncock it again like in a throw.....the back leg's job is to provide balance while this is happening....don't push....just balance the body as it wants to move forward....eventually the front leg will land and when the thigh ER's the rear leg and the hips will turn too...
When the front foot lands if the thigh is trying to ER the knee will start turning more to the pitcher and be in a position to bend and absorb the weight transfer...and even allow the hands to stay back longer on an off speed....
While the legs are doing their job, the hands are trying to position themselves so that the moment the front thigh rolls they can move the barrel to the oncoming pitch....sequence.....part of building in a delay/sequence is learning how to cock the wrists as the front foot is about to land.....this action puts the humerus is better postion to ER/slot as the front thigh opens.....
I admit I tend to get technical and like Well said sometimes you get the "look" from your player when you know you lost them....this method of teaching keeps them engaged and stresses only a few simple things (not so simple to do, though!)....
WRT the OP....this should get them to stop squishing the bug eventually as the focus starts to become the front leg to rear arm....the rear leg is for balance....
I don't disagree with your last post at all but.....I am just really starting to eliminate "hips" from any instruction....
As with any habit you are trying to break you need to replace that habit (mental and physical) with something else....talking about the hips tend to have girls spin out and lock the front leg out early....or they spin the back leg.....
IMO, thinking about using the legs correctly and learning how they work differently but work towards the same goal will start replacing bad habits....
IE, the front femur should ER/open like in a throw....and the rear humerus/upper arm should react to that....
Back to the front leg.....if you IR/cock the thigh it is easier to ER/uncock it again like in a throw.....the back leg's job is to provide balance while this is happening....don't push....just balance the body as it wants to move forward....eventually the front leg will land and when the thigh ER's the rear leg and the hips will turn too...
When the front foot lands if the thigh is trying to ER the knee will start turning more to the pitcher and be in a position to bend and absorb the weight transfer...and even allow the hands to stay back longer on an off speed....
While the legs are doing their job, the hands are trying to position themselves so that the moment the front thigh rolls they can move the barrel to the oncoming pitch....sequence.....part of building in a delay/sequence is learning how to cock the wrists as the front foot is about to land.....this action puts the humerus is better postion to ER/slot as the front thigh opens.....
I admit I tend to get technical and like Well said sometimes you get the "look" from your player when you know you lost them....this method of teaching keeps them engaged and stresses only a few simple things (not so simple to do, though!)....
WRT the OP....this should get them to stop squishing the bug eventually as the focus starts to become the front leg to rear arm....the rear leg is for balance....
R
RayR
Guest
I should add that the real power of the swing is not in the hips, but in the back....
Using both legs correctly and keeping the hands back will tap into that power....
Using both legs correctly and keeping the hands back will tap into that power....
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