Tuesday Tips to Tattoo the Ball – Hey, You Get to Bat Forever with Foul Balls
Foul balls are not a bad thing – hitting coaches must convince players of that.
Some of my common statements, when pitching batting practice are:
“Keep fouling them off, until he (game pitcher) makes a mistake.”
‘Good foul ball, pitcher’s pitch – you didn’t want to put that in play anyway”
“Way to get a piece, that keeps you alive for the next pitch.”
“If you keep getting a piece of it, you can bat forever.”
Foul balls (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The point is that foul balls are not a bad thing. Most ball players get upset when they foul balls off, at least in batting practice. When throwing batting practice I do not let them get down over foul balls. I try to explain that foul balls are hitters’ friends and that just getting a piece of the ball is a sign of a good swing. Additionally I tell hitters that any contact is better than the alternative, of no contact. Finally, along the same lines, I inform batters that fouling off pitches makes them a tough out, which is a good thing.
Finally, the goal is convincing players of that , as it still takes skill to even hit foul balls.