The game of softball is constantly changing and evolving season to season. Modifications and technology improvements are being implemented to benefit certain areas of the game. Hitting today is in a completely different league than it was in the past due to new bat technology and hitting forms being taught. Our questions for this segment have been analyzed and answered by former baseball player and Hitting Expert Kyle Wormington.
At Fastpitch News, we have created a column called “Ask the Experts” which will explore commonly asked questions by curious parents, coaches, instructors, and players related to different areas of the game.
Wormington pitched for two years at Connors State Jr. College in Oklahoma and finished his collegiate career at Valparaiso in Indiana. Following college, Wormington pitched in the Independent Baseball League for the Evansville Otters. He currently manages the production of a new hitting product called The Backspin Tee, which is being used by roughly 25 MLB teams and a multitude of both college and club softball teams.
FPN: Should the “squish the bug” saying in regards to teaching young kids how to hit be squashed?
KW: The term “squish the bug” should absolutely be squashed, twisting the back foot and keeping the weight on the back leg limits a hitter’s ability to transfer their weight and therefore their energy into the ball.
FPN: How similar are baseball players and softball players swings? In your opinion should softball coaches show their players a baseball swing or a softball swing?
KW: Baseball and Softball swings are very similar. In my opinion, coaches should show players good swings, which would be both baseball players and softball players. Understanding good mechanics is not limited to one sport or the other, the physics behind good body movements show us that when swinging a bat the movements and body positions of the most efficient swings in baseball and softball are the same.
FPN: Does it really matter which bat players use? Or is hitting more about hand-eye coordination, strength, form, or a little of both?
KW: With today’s advances in bat technologies the bat can definitely have an effect, but hitting still comes down to timing and mechanics a $500 bat will not fix a $2 swing.
FPN: What hitting drill you do, do you find most beneficial for the players you coach and why?
KW: While many different hitting drills are effective I believe the most beneficial hitting drill is seeing live pitching or as close to live timing as possible.
Feature Image by: Dina Kwit, Chicago Bandits
