In this video we are using one drill to attack two different issues. We are going to be fixing the “stick and spin” or “squash the bug” as well as correcting body posture. We will demo how to use a PVC pipe and Swing Path Trainer to force your hitter to use their lower half properly as well correct their shoulder angle.
Utilizing Your Lower Body for Power
When players use the “squash the bug” technique with their swing, they are leaving a lot to be desired. They are losing power and speed as well as letting the ball get too deep. They are rotating their hips which is what you want, but they are not using any forward weight shift to help drive the ball. Without any forward weight shift, the ball wont travel very far (unless you are Aaron Judge). When performing the PVC drill as shown in the video, hitters are forced to utilize the forward weight transfer in the lower body to get the PVC pipe to the ball. This will allow for a greater release of kinetic energy resulting in increased bat speed and power.
Major League Posture
This drill will also force hitters to correct their posture. One of the biggest myths in baseball is that your shoulders should always be level at contact. But that has been proven to not be the case. When you look at any major league hitter, their shoulders are angled at contact. Not only are their shoulders angled, but the angle of their shoulders matches the angle of their bat. When using this PVC drill with a Swing Path Trainer, it will show you real quick if your posture is correct or not. When performing this drill, make sure the angle of the PVC pipe matches the angle of the board at all pitch locations.
Try this drill out and let us know what you think!
