What I Wish the Game Was Today
Energy. Teamwork. Accountability. Urgency. Joy. The AHD non-negotiables for playing like it matters.
READ ARTICLE →Backspin Blog — Free Instruction / The Early Days of AHD
From the 2015 archive
This is historical coaching writing originally published under Krush Athletics. The wording reflects its original period. For current guidance, use AHD lessons and SwingChecker.
Backside Release
Question: What does the back leg & foot do during the contact phase of the swing? 90% of coaches, players, etc, the answer would be pivot, squish the bug, rotate your hips, etc
This is actually a swing mechanic MYTH that has been passed down from generation to generation without teaching what does what does happen.
The back foot rolls up on the inner portion before rotating upward. The back knee moves towards the front calf creating the "L" in the back leg.
Releasing the back side
The back foot becomes almost weightless as it; rolls up on toe, slides forward or back, comes off the ground forward before planting for deceleration balance, etc... The one absolute is the it becomes close to weightless. This allows for full weight transfer along with several other elite, synchronized softball swing mechanics.
Batting Tip: An easy teaching que is to have the hitter roll up on their toe while swinging
If a hitter "pivots or squishes bug" on the back side; 1 They lose "linear" movement too soon 2 Their margin for solid contact decreases because the bat will be in on and off of pitch plain too soon 3 The swing mechanics start to break down immediately 4 The hitter becomes rotational too early 5 The hitter has lessened their chance for solid contact if fooled by off-speed pitch 6. Etc.
Hitting, like many other athletic skills (throwing anything, striking in boxing or MMA, hockey slap shot, etc) requires a full weight transfer to maximize power and execution. Hitters must transfer most, if not all their weight, forward against the front leg in order to maximize power and swing execution.
The back foot needs to be in a “non-weight bearing” position (off the ground, on the toe, dragging) as opposed to a weight bearing pivot or “squish the bug” position.
Hockey players and boxers “release their backsides” and get a “weightless” back side during impact or contact… a full weight transfer from back to against front.
Question:Why should the hitter “release the back-side” (get most if not all weight off back foot) as opposed to pivoting or “squishing the bug” and keep some weight on back foot?
Answer: This allows the hitter to get on and stay on pitch plain and create maximum force at contact… it unleashes the beast!
Quick answers
Should hitters squish the bug?
No. Elite hitters don’t pivot on a weighted back foot. The back foot rolls up on its inner edge and becomes nearly weightless as weight transfers forward.
What is backside release in hitting?
Getting most or all of the weight off the back foot at contact, on the toe or dragging, so the hitter transfers weight forward against the front leg, like a boxer or a hockey shot.
Backspin Blog — AHD’s Free Instruction Library
No subscription. No login. Keep learning, then take one priority into training.
