Some people — including some who instruct at the major league level — believe it is important that hitters be on the ball of their feet at the Point Of Contact. They explain that this is necessary for reasons of Balance, among other things. The problem is squashing or squishing the bug can create a number of problems and isn't even guaranteed to create any significant hip rotation.

Proponents of this idea use cues like...

• Squashing the bug
• Squash the bug
• Squishing the bug
• Squish the bug

However, none of those cues will guarantee Rotation and, too often, will inhibit it.

Squash or Squish The Bug

While it's easy to find pictures of hitters who appear to squash or squish the bug...

Albert Pujols

Adrian Beltre

...that's not what the best hitters look like into...

Albert Pujols

...or at the Point of Contact.

Albert Pujols

Joe Mauer

Matt Chapman

Actually.

Necessary Transitional Stage?

As the word has gotten out that Squishing the Bug at the Point Of Contact is a myth, one thing I have seen is people starting to advocate Squishing the Bug as a necessary transitional stage; as the best way to teach hitters how to rotate.

Albert Pujols

As I explain in Hitting Mechanics 101, coaches, parents, and hitters have to be aware of a number of gotcha's that can result from teaching Squishing the Bug, even as a transitional stage.

Albert Pujols

Hitting Mechanics 101 discusses a number of much more effective ways of teaching Rotation, which is one of the keys of the High-Level Swing.

Fixing Squishing the Bug

Squishing the Bug is a big enough issue that I have developed a number of drills that help fix Squishing the Bug and that are available as part of Hitting Mechanics 101.