mike s
Pitcher's Dad
Looking for thoughts and advice on teaching batters how to foul-off bad pitches. Searched the threads and did not find any that specifically addressed this.
fouling off bad pitches
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redhotcoach
Out on good behavior
- May 8, 2009
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The Holy Spirit just came to me. I had a great answer, and voice said RHC you are being an a hole.
So I will just ask, why would you want batters to swing at bad pitches?
So I will just ask, why would you want batters to swing at bad pitches?
I've never heard of an elite hitter or coach discussing or practicing the art of purposefully fouling the ball off. I've been wrong a bunch, but I don't believe that hitters do this. They try to hit the ball fair regardless. The only exception I can see is a last-second desperate act to deal w/ a pitch that really fooled them. If you're good enough to foul balls off purposefully and routinely, then you're probably got a good chance of getting a hit on a potential third strike that doesn't happen to be in your favorite spot.
I assume he's talking about hitters who are 2 strikes down and receive a potential strike 3 that isn't to their liking.
mike s
Pitcher's Dad
Thank you Coogan, exactly what I was talking about. Searched the threads and did not find any discussion of this topic. So again, what have others here done to teach girls with two strikes on them, pitch close to the zone or a strike but not to their liking. If you are teaching them to foul the pitch off what drills, techniques do you teach. If you are not teaching them to foul them off what are you teaching them?
Hopefully this time people can resist just poking fun at me and address the actual question.
Respectfully, Mike S
Hopefully this time people can resist just poking fun at me and address the actual question.
Respectfully, Mike S
The facts as I see it are-If you have put yourself in a pitchers count, the odds are in the pitchers favor period, so I would start by stressing to m,y players how important it is to be in a hitters count. Having failed that, you have no choice to do your best to try to put a good swing on any close pitch, and let the ball fall where it may. Hopefully if its just outside the zone, and you try to take it where its pitched, it will be a double down the line, or foul, and vice versa for inside.
redhotcoach
Out on good behavior
- May 8, 2009
- 4,704
- 38
My thoughts:
With two strikes, the batters zone must grow, there will be no looking for YOUR pitch. Don't swing at bad pitches, but if it's close to the zone, hit it. I think the plan should always be hit it. Not foul off. My experience (I have to be the world record 1 season men's fp foul ball holder in my 1st season), the plan is to hit the ball, the result of a foul ball is from an OH CRAP! late swing.
So do practice 2 strike hitting. Do front toss, with a screen, close to the batter, throwing aroung the edge of the zone, but with the batter's goal of hitting a single, not foul off.
With two strikes, the batters zone must grow, there will be no looking for YOUR pitch. Don't swing at bad pitches, but if it's close to the zone, hit it. I think the plan should always be hit it. Not foul off. My experience (I have to be the world record 1 season men's fp foul ball holder in my 1st season), the plan is to hit the ball, the result of a foul ball is from an OH CRAP! late swing.
So do practice 2 strike hitting. Do front toss, with a screen, close to the batter, throwing aroung the edge of the zone, but with the batter's goal of hitting a single, not foul off.
I am very interested in this question too. With 2 strikes on the hitter and she is looking at a pitch that looks outside but ump calls it a strike you always hear a coach say to "battle it off". We even hear TV analyst saying "she is doing a good job fouling pitches off to get a good pitch. I always tell my DD to not leave it in the hands of the ump because you will lose every time. We do work on having 2 strikes in the cages.
DD first heard it from her very first coach, her and everyone else every time they got 2 strikes... "ok you got 2 strikes... you got to protect, anything close".... its the same as a suicide bunt... You got to get it, and keep the ump out of it.
