Hitting machine

It's pretty much all be covered already, but I will add to it...

The biggest issue is typically timing. When facing a pitcher with even reasonable speed, a batter must get their process started well before the ball is released in order to have the time to execute a good swing in time. Very often, people feeding pitching machines do not provide any pre-release timing mechanism for the hitter, which completely destroys the hitter's ability to execute a proper swing process and be on time.

Here's a helpful video Ken made last week
https://youtu.be/PfzkH4R10Rs


Here's another I thought wasn't too bad
https://youtu.be/W377sRVCR9o

Eric F said:

It's pretty much all be covered already, but I will add to it...

The biggest issue is typically timing. When facing a pitcher with even reasonable speed, a batter must get their process started well before the ball is released in order to have the time to execute a good swing in time. Very often, people feeding pitching machines do not provide any pre-release timing mechanism for the hitter, which completely destroys the hitter's ability to execute a proper swing process and be on time.

Click to expand...

Even when the feeder tries to provide some sort of timing mechanism, it doesn't always correlate with the reaction time that girls are used to with live pitching. DD's hitting coach is not a fan of the machine because of this. (He tells her to start everything too early when she's on the machine, and then make it earlier if she's still too late.)

Lightning said:

Even when the feeder tries to provide some sort of timing mechanism, it doesn't always correlate with the reaction time that girls are used to with live pitching. DD's hitting coach is not a fan of the machine because of this. (He tells her to start everything too early when she's on the machine, and then make it earlier if she's still too late.)

Click to expand...

I've had good success success with players and a machine like this...Hold a ball in the opening of the chute with my right hand. With a ball also in my left hand, extend my arm straight up, and hold there until the batter is ready. To feed, I bring my left hand straight down and bump the ball in the chute into the wheel. I have found that using a 2-ball method drastically minimizes feed errors and provides much more predictable launch timing. All the players I have worked with (my DD's teammates, 10U-14U) have had no problem with this method and their full swing process. Being consistent with the pre-launch timing is important.

coach james said:

Here's a helpful video Ken made last week
https://youtu.be/PfzkH4R10Rs


Here's another I thought wasn't too bad
https://youtu.be/W377sRVCR9o

Click to expand...

When we use a machine, which isn't too terribly often, but we do some, I've always used Ken's approach. Just show the ball, and bring it right to the chute. Be consistent and timing should work out.

Eric F said:

I've had good success success with players and a machine like this...Hold a ball in the opening of the chute with my right hand. With a ball also in my left hand, extend my arm straight up, and hold there until the batter is ready. To feed, I bring my left hand straight down and bump the ball in the chute into the wheel. I have found that using a 2-ball method drastically minimizes feed errors and provides much more predictable launch timing. All the players I have worked with (my DD's teammates, 10U-14U) have had no problem with this method and their full swing process. Being consistent with the pre-launch timing is important.

Click to expand...

this is how i do it also. two balls with an arm circle to bump second ball in. seems to work good with fewer miss feeds. when it does happen and their swing gets going to soon, that is my change up.

Hitting is 90% timing....
I like Ken's video where they illustrate the stupid wind mill before they drop into the shoot. Lol
Keep a smooth steady rhythm. Show it and drop it... No need for anything like fake windmills. Gotta give the batter a timing mechanism.

i have tried all kinds of "show it n feed it" and the kids always like the arm circle better, more like really hitting they say. call it stupid if you like, but the kids i coach like it.

Semi-random comments:

The windmill technique doesn’t really work with three wheel machines. It works fantastic with Jugs machines.

Usually the hitting instructors that diss machines the most are the ones that either have never put the effort into how to use them best or don’t want to spend the money to buy one and replace dimple balls regularly.

Dimple balls should have wear bars like tires, an expiration date and a built in thermometer, lol

There is definitely a learning curve to using any machine well and not everyone does it well. If it is used well, most hitters benefit from using it.

The most laughable criticism of machines is that they deliver a consistent pitch to the same location over and over. A) lol. B) Not most of the machines in various states of poor maintenance and totally “used up” dimple balls I have seen. C) Sounds like a benefit not a detriment most days, depending on what you want to work on.

People, machines are PART of the solution, not THE solution.

View attachment 12707
Rockwell Hardness tester used to test steel, aluminum and softball dimple balls for hardness. The military actually uses some older manufacture softball dimple balls as bunker buster projectiles. They are fired from a secretive device code named “SUPER SOFTBALL MACHINE” at speeds of approximately 70 miles per hour. It is believed that the Geneva Convention generally prohibits the use of these projectiles as weapons of mass bat destruction.



View attachment 12708

Actual photo of used dimple ball testing. These dimple balls were found in the bottom of a high school equipment shed and carbon dating approximates their manufacture date in the late 1700’s. They remained in use until a few weeks ago. These dimple balls were tested as being harder than tungsten carbide and were later melted down and used to create industrial cutting tools for cutting carbon steel.