How To Buy A Pitching Machine
Pitching machines are powerful and versatile training tools for all ages and levels of play. Experienced baseball and softball players use these machines to refine their swing technique and to practice hitting high-velocity and trick pitches. Developing players benefit from the ball's predictable course, which allows them to work on mechanics under consistent conditions and alleviates fear of errant balls.
Backyard
Different machines are suitable for different types of recreation and home training.
Tossing machines:
· Lightweight and compact
· Tosses balls at regular intervals and a fixed speed
· A consistent, convenient tool to improve hand-eye coordination and practice batting drills.
Pitching Machines
· Full-sized with a range of pitching options
· A single-motor, one-wheel machine may suffice for new players and casual home practice.
· If you're a dedicated player, a two-wheel, dual motor machine with features that match your personal training needs is well worth the investment.
Youth League
Pitching machines are popular in youth leagues because they deliver safe, reliable pitches. This helps young players develop skills with consistency and without fear of being hit by an errant pitch.
· A single-motor machine capable of pitching at 60 mph or more is usually sufficient.
· Choose a complete machine that is either portable or compatible with a movable cart for transport.
· Look for a lightweight model that is easy to set up, and offers the features you will need in a typical practice.
High School, Collegiate, and Professional
At this level, pitching machines should deliver fast pitches and a variety of pitch types.
· Two-wheel, dual-motor machines are most appropriate.
· Choose a machine with many pitching options (left, right, curve, fastballs, etc.) and a maximum speed of 90 mph or more.
· Keep portability in mind if you'll need to set it up in a new place for each practice or training session.
Softball
Pitching machines used for softball should come equipped with options specific to the sport. It's helpful to acquaint yourself with the pitching machine features that are intended for softball play.
· A softball pitching machine should be built to release underhand throws.
· Look for a machine that will accommodate fast and slowpitch play, as well as risers and drops, depending on your skill level.
· Some machines are convertible, using a differently shaped chute for baseball and softball.
Features
Wheels
· Most pitching machines function with one or two spinning wheels that project the ball upon contact.
· Pitch types, such as curve balls, are affected by variations in wheel speed.
· Handedness (right and left) is determined by spin direction.
Swivel
· The head turns on a horizontal plane within a specified number of degrees.
· Allows you to pitch within a range of space, rather than to a fixed spot every time
Vertical Pivot
· The pitching machine head rocks front to back, changing the angle of the pitch.
· Simulates fly balls, ground balls, and pop ups.
Peripherals
· Feeder:
* A feeder holds a quantity of balls and lets them into the machine one at a time.
* Feeders are usually purchased separately from the machine.
· Make sure you buy a machine that is feeder-compatible if you plan to use it without human help.
· Power Source:
* Most pitching machines operate on 220V/1000 watts in Europe.
· This means that you can plug them into a power source if available, or power them using a generator.
· Balls:
· Covee/Diamond Dimple balls are recommended for all pitching machines. These balls are made especially for pitching machines. They do not break the bats. You should NOT use regular baseballs or softballs, as they are too hard to be used in pitching machines.
-
Balls
-
Gloves
- Bats
- Shoes
- Batting Gloves
- Protective
- Bags
- Various
-
Clothing
-
Team Uniforms
-
Dutch Clubs0
- HCAW0
- ABF0
- Adegeest0
- Alcmaria Victrix0
- All-In0
- Almere '900
- Alphians0
- AMVJ0
- Animals0
- Arnhem Rhinos0
- Athletics0
- Attack0
- Badhoevedorp Badgers0
- Batters Putte0
- Beagles0
- Bears0
- Bedrocks0
- Biento0
- Birds Zoetermeer0
- Blokes0
- Blue Birds0
- Blue Devils0
- Blue Hawks0
- Blue Hitters0
- Blue Socks0
- Blue Stars0
- Boosters0
- Braves0
- BSM0
- Bullfighters0
- Caps Hoogeveen0
- Cardinals Oss0
- Caribe0
- Catch0
- Centrals0
- Cheetahs0
- Condors0
- Cromtigers0
- Cubs0
- Diamonds0
- Domstad Dodgers0
- Double Stars0
- Drachten0
- Ducks0
- DVH Amstelveen0
- Eagles Deventer0
- Euro Stars0
- Falcons0
- Flags0
- Flying Petrels0
- GHSV Gemert0
- Giants Hengelo0
- Green Hearts0
- Grizzlies0
- Gryphons0
- Harriers0
- Hawks0
- Hazenkamp0
- Herons0
- HGC0
- Hickory0
- High Tech Hitters0
- Hitmanics0
- Holy0
- Houten Dragons0
- Hurricanes0
- Islanders0
- Jeka0
- Kickers0
- Kinheim0
- Knickerbockers0
- Knights0
- Koedijk0
- Maastricht0
- Matchmakers0
- Mokum Hawks0
- Moorfielders0
- Mulo0
- Mustangs Venlo0
- Neptunus0
- North Stars Amsterdam0
- Northern Stars0
- Nuenen0
- O.V.V.O.0
- Odiz Frogs0
- Olympia Haarlem0
- One Canon0
- Onze Gezellen0
- Orioles0
- Panters0
- Parkstad0
- Phoenix0
- Pioneers Assen0
- Pioniers Hoofddorp0
- Pirates0
- Playball Academy0
- PSV0
- Quick Amersfoort0
- Quick Amsterdam0
- R.C.H. Heemstede0
- Radboud Rangers0
- Rangers Schagen0
- Rascals0
- Red Caps0
- Red Lions0
- Red Sox Uden0
- Robur '580
- ROEF!0
- Rooswijk0
- Rowdies0
- Saints0
- Schiedam0
- Scimitars0
- Seagulls Friesland0
- Seven Hills0
- Spaarnwoude0
- Sparks Haarlem0
- Spikes0
- Stags0
- Starlights0
- Storks0
- Sullivans Green Devils0
- Survivors0
- Terrasvogels0
- Tex Town Tigers0
- Thamen0
- Tilburg0
- Twins0
- Uitsmijters0
- Urbanus0
- UVV Utrecht0
- Vatos0
- Vennep Flyers0
- Volewijckers0
- Vrijbuiters0
- W.H.S.C.0
- Wassenaar0
- Wizards of Boz0
- Wombats0
- WSB Apeldoorn0
- Wyck Lions0
- Zuidvogels0
- Zwijndrecht0
-
Belgian Clubs0
- Afterburners0
- Antwerp Dockers0
- Bebops0
- Beveren Lions0
- Binche Guardians0
- Black Bears0
- Braine Black Rickers0
- Brugge Braves0
- Brussels Kangaroos0
- Chicaboo's0
- Crack's0
- Frontliners0
- Gent Knights0
- La Louvière Snarling Wolves0
- Limburg White Sox0
- Merchtem Cats0
- Mons Athletics0
- Mortsel Stars0
- NStars0
- Piranhas Oostende0
- Royal Greys0
- St. Johns0
- Sunville Tigers0
- Tongeren Sharks0
- Tournai Celtics0
-
British Clubs0
- Aberdeen Oilers0
- Birmingham Bulldogs0
- Bournemouth Bears0
- Bracknell0
- Braintree Rays0
- Brentwood Bucks/Stags0
- Broxtowe Beavers0
- Bucks0
- Carnegie0
- Double Sluggers0
- Edinburgh0
- Essex Arrows0
- Essex RedBacks0
- Exeter Spitfires0
- Guildford Mavericks0
- Hull Scorpions0
- Imperial London0
- Indians0
- Kent Mariners0
- King's College0
- Kings0
- Latin Boys0
- Leeds Cheekies0
- Leicester Royals0
- Liverpool Trojans0
- London0
- London Battitude0
- London Chromies0
- Manchester0
- Manchester Thunder0
- Mustangs0
- Newton Brewers0
- Newton Spartans0
- Norwich Iceni0
- Nottingham Rebels0
- Oldham Northstars0
- Oxford0
- Pirates0
- Plymouth Mariners0
- Richmond0
- Romford Wasps0
- Sefton Sharks0
- Sheffield Bladerunners0
- Sheffield Bruins0
- Sidewinders0
- South London Pirates0
- Spam0
- St. Austell Claycutters0
- SWBL0
- Taunton Muskets0
- Tonbridge Bobcats0
- Torbay Barons0
- UEA0
- Weston Jets0
- Windsor Bears0
- Wolverhampton Wolves0
- Yeovil Whirlwinds0
-
German Clubs0
- Aichelberg Indians0
- Allershausen Fireballs0
- Augsburg Gators0
- Bad Homburg Hornets0
- Baldham Boars0
- Bargenstedt Beavers0
- Berlin Braves0
- Berlin Rangers0
- Buxtehude Hedgehogs0
- Dortmund Wanderers0
- Dreieich Vultures0
- Dresden Dukes0
- Frankfurt Lufthansa0
- Freiburg Knights0
- Fürth Pirates0
- Gammertingen Royals0
- Hagen Chipmunks0
- Hamburg Knights0
- Hamburg Marines0
- Hamburg Stealers0
- Hamburger Jungs0
- Hanau Blackwings0
- Hannover Regents0
- Hildesheim Crusaders0
- Jemgum Dykereeves0
- Karlsruhe Cougars0
- Krefeld Crows0
- Lübeck Lizards0
- Magdeburg Poor Pigs0
- Marl Slydogs0
- Mustangs Germany0
- Ricklingen Blue Eagles0
- Schweinfurt Giants0
- Schwerin Diamonds0
- Sehnde Devils0
- Stade Black Sox0
- Wiesbaden Flyers0
- Witten Kakerlakers0
- Wolfsburg Blackbirds0
- Wuppertal Hithunters0
-
French Clubs0
- Amiens Jackals0
- Annecy Spiders0
- Argancy Bootleggers0
- Badgers de besançon0
- BC Contois Cobras0
- BK Paris0
- Caixa Baixa0
- Chalon Vikings0
- Colombes Wildcats0
- Corsaires de Andernos0
- Cugnaux Dragons0
- Dinan Cyclones0
- Evry Pharaons0
- Eysines Raiders0
- Fenay Cyclones0
- Firehorses0
- Gambas0
- Honfleur Comets0
- Loire Lézards0
- Meyzieu Cards0
- Pessac Pantheres0
- Poitevin Poitiers0
- Ranelagh Paris0
- Red Castors0
- Rennes Redwings0
- Salamandres Le Havre0
- Stade Toulousain0
- Titans FR0
- Tomcat's de Tremblay 0
- Wallabies0
- Werewolves0
-
Irish Clubs0
- Luxembourgish Clubs0
-
Spanish Clubs0
-
Swedish Clubs0
-
Norwegian Clubs0
-
Austrian Clubs0
- Italian Clubs0
- Portuguese Clubs0
- Croatian Clubs0
-
Danish Clubs0
- Greek Clubs0
- Slovenian Clubs0
-
Finnish Clubs0
-
Swiss Clubs0
-
Dutch Clubs0
-
Fan Shop
- MLB Caps0
- MLB Calendars0
- MLB Jerseys0
- Jacks0
- Authentic On-Field Apparel0
- BRXLZ Lego 0
- MLB Fan Clothing0
- MLB Bags0
- Netherlands0
-
Products per Team0
- Arizona Diamondbacks0
- Atlanta Braves0
- Baltimore Orioles0
- Boston Red Sox0
- Chicago Cubs0
- Chicago White Sox0
- Cincinnati Red0
- Cleveland Indians0
- Colorado Rockies0
- Detroit Tigers0
- Houston Astros0
- Kansas City Royals0
- Los Angeles Angels0
- Los Angeles Dodgers0
- Miami Marlins0
- Milwaukee Brewers0
- Minnesota Twins0
- New York Mets0
- New York Yankees0
- Oakland Athletics0
- Philadelphia Phillies0
- Pittsburgh Pirates0
- San Diego Padres0
- San Francisco Giants0
- Seattle Mariners0
- St. Louis Cardinals0
- Tampa Bay Rays0
- Texas Rangers0
- Toronto Blue Jays0
- Washington Nationals0
- Towels0
- Candy0
- Design your own Pennant!0
- MLB Posters0
- Souvenirs/Gift ideas0
- Kids & Baby Items0
- MLB Baby & Kids0
- Training & Field
- Outlet
- Specials