Posted by: Chris O'Leary (chris@chrisoleary.com) on Fri Feb 9 12:04:57 2007

"Is it bad to 'squish the bug' instead of trying to get on top of the toes as you finish with your back foot? When you squish the bug, it seems like you turn on your back foot instead of getting on top of the toes."

To answer the original question...

Yes.


"Do not try to get to that tippy toe on the back side. This will only promote poor balance to the front side along with a weak top hand. The back foot will naturally get to that tippy toe position for a millisecond as contact is made. This is not to be concentrated on or the whole timing of it is thrown off."

If you look at Albert Pujols (and many others), at the point of contact their are on the tips of their back toes and in many cases their back feet are entirely off the ground.

If a hitter isn't getting onto their toe, then they aren't swinging from their middle enough.

Also, a hitter is PULLED onto their back toe by the rotation of their hips. They don't PUSH off of their back foot to get onto their toe.