Pitching Machines

[Guest]

I'm looking for a dual softball / baseball pitching machine for my 9 and 7 year olds.  9 year old is playing softball and this is first year we will have a machine.  I found a Jugs PS50 that will handle real balls - not the soft lite crap they sell - but only goes up to 50 mph.  Probably always going to be good for a tool, at least for several more years.  But it's $600 at Dick's.

That seems to be best bet right now.  Any other recs?

[Spur08 382]

Take your kids to batting cages and/or pitch to them for less than $600?

[GlenFromTheMailRoom 1613]

Always check ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/First-Pitch-Softball-and-Baseball-Relief-Pitching-Machine-Made-In-USA/311999362184?epid=2256378028&hash=item48a49c7488:g:c2sAAOSwoBlaX5dS

$399  + free shipping.

[Chewbacca 7788]

Buy a pitching screen,  50 baseballs/ softballs and a home depot bucket.  Set up 6-10 feet away and pitchto them,  sitting on the bucket.   Much better practice than a machine. 

[Bernard 879]

CSB: I went from the worst hitter in little league to one of the best in one off season. Friend’s dad drilled a hole through a baseball and inserted a rope. The “pitcher” would swing the ball around and around while I practiced hitting it. Without even knowing what was going on, I learned how to follow the ball’s flight with my eyes. All of a sudden I was a masher. 

Bernard

[dcbc 14565]

They used these at UT baseball camp back in the 80s.  We picked one up afterward and it still works over 30 years later.   They pitch whiffle balls.  Used to warm up before games in the driveway.

http://www.battingpractice.com/index.html

[Big D 249]

How about a homemade one?  Should be pretty easy to make by the looks of this one.  Plus I bet it will throw faster than a store bought one.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Spur08 said:

Take your kids to batting cages and/or pitch to them for less than $600?

I’ve gotta have a machine for my 3rd grade girls softball squad, and it could come in handy for my 1st grade son, as it can use softballs or baseballs. 

[freyguy 4306]

That young, get a tee and a net.  Teach them to hit down on the ball.  

[Jkwellborn 6783]

If you are looking for pitching machine stuff, check out Craigslist and Facebook. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

16 hours ago, Rex Kramer said:

I'm looking for a dual softball / baseball pitching machine for my 9 and 7 year olds.  9 year old is playing softball and this is first year we will have a machine.  I found a Jugs PS50 that will handle real balls - not the soft lite crap they sell - but only goes up to 50 mph.  Probably always going to be good for a tool, at least for several more years.  But it's $600 at Dick's.

That seems to be best bet right now.  Any other recs?

You want something that will crank up the speed a bIt more so they can use it as they get older. We have. 70-80 mph unit that our kids, and our neighbors kids grew with up Thru HS ball.

[Guest]

Well fuck me

[Guest]

On 5/5/2018 at 9:41 AM, Onboard 2.0 said:

You want something that will crank up the speed a bIt more so they can use it as they get older. We have. 70-80 mph unit that our kids, and our neighbors kids grew with up Thru HS ball.

So is a unit that tops out at 50 mph useful at all to train on for HS ball?  Like taking BP?  And I could always put it closer and get an L-screen if they need more speed, right?

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

5 hours ago, Rex Kramer said:

So is a unit that tops out at 50 mph useful at all to train on for HS ball?  Like taking BP?  And I could always put it closer and get an L-screen if they need more speed, right?

Yeah we did that as well at times if we really wanted to try and crank up bat speed.  I didn't like what it did to timing sometimes though.  I think it is useful as it helps you work on form.

[F250 28883]

A pitching machine is kind of a waste. I have a batting cage in the back of my property. You just need an L-screen, bucket of balls and a good tee.

Batting sessions should consist of tee work, soft toss and then some pitched BP. The entire session should be focused on mechanics which makes Tee work and soft toss important. Pitched BP shouldn't be fast pitches, 60 MPH at the most even at the H.S. level.

Personally, I've found the Zepp swing analyzer to be the most useful tool besides a tee when it comes to improving hitting.

 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

22 minutes ago, F250 said:

A pitching machine is kind of a waste. I have a batting cage in the back of my property. You just need an L-screen, bucket of balls and a good tee.

Batting sessions should consist of tee work, soft toss and then some pitched BP. The entire session should be focused on mechanics which makes Tee work and soft toss important. Pitched BP shouldn't be fast pitches, 60 MPH at the most even at the H.S. level.

Personally, I've found the Zepp swing analyzer to be the most useful tool besides a tee when it comes to improving hitting.

 

The pitching machine allows you to work without a partner, but the other points are all valid.

[Guest]

41 minutes ago, F250 said:

A pitching machine is kind of a waste. I have a batting cage in the back of my property. You just need an L-screen, bucket of balls and a good tee.

Batting sessions should consist of tee work, soft toss and then some pitched BP. The entire session should be focused on mechanics which makes Tee work and soft toss important. Pitched BP shouldn't be fast pitches, 60 MPH at the most even at the H.S. level.

Personally, I've found the Zepp swing analyzer to be the most useful tool besides a tee when it comes to improving hitting.

 

I don’t disagree with any of that. Again, this league is machine pitch and I can’t do anything about it. I suspect the girls will be helped by actually practicing with a machine. And if my boy uses it without me there, great. 

[F250 28883]

4 minutes ago, Rex Kramer said:

I don’t disagree with any of that. Again, this league is machine pitch and I can’t do anything about it. I suspect the girls will be helped by actually practicing with a machine. And if my boy uses it without me there, great. 

Ok, that makes sense. The only time I preferred using a machine was when I was coaching a machine pitch team but I insisted on using the same machine that was used for games.

[Guest]

Good tip. 

[kmac30 416]

They used these at UT baseball camp back in the 80s.  We picked one up afterward and it still works over 30 years later.   They pitch whiffle balls.  Used to warm up before games in the driveway.
http://www.battingpractice.com/index.html

This seems serious. I want one.

[beer 3227]

Thought this was going to be a discussion of sex toys

[dcbc 14565]

On 5/9/2018 at 2:25 PM, kmac30 said:

This seems serious. I want one.

They rule.  It operates under a more cuts the better.  Want it to go faster.  Move closer.

[JimmyHoffa 1188]

On 5/10/2018 at 7:25 PM, dcbc said:

They rule.  It operates under a more cuts the better.  Want it to go faster.  Move closer.

 

I think if it's the same model we used to have, throws some serious curve balls too. 

[Homercles 10206]

How about a homemade one?  Should be pretty easy to make by the looks of this one.  Plus I bet it will throw faster than a store bought one.

If you build it they will come?

[dcbc 14565]

4 hours ago, JimmyHoffa said:

 

I think if it's the same model we used to have, throws some serious curve balls too. 

Ours was a one speed with two wheels horizontally oriented.  If you wanted curve balls, you grabbed one of those plastic whiffle balls without holes in them.  The were usually out of round after one hit and were guaranteed to come straight at your head and drop like a stone at the last minute.   That was your curve ball.

/Walked up hill to school, both ways. 

[Jkwellborn 6783]

When I was in high school, we had a two wheeled machine that you could control the speed independently. The coach was a dick that like to set one wheel at 100 and the other at 80. Fuck that

[JimmyHoffa 1188]

13 hours ago, dcbc said:

Ours was a one speed with two wheels horizontally oriented.  If you wanted curve balls, you grabbed one of those plastic whiffle balls without holes in them.  The were usually out of round after one hit and were guaranteed to come straight at your head and drop like a stone at the last minute.   That was your curve ball.

/Walked up hill to school, both ways. 

We had one of those as well. The picture of the one in the link if it's the same one is vertical you could also rotate it to horizontal and it would throw perfect 12 to 6 curveballs. 

And don't even get me started on these fuckers: