Bucket dad at a facility.

ANNASDAD said:

I know you said 2 or 3 softies with various stripes, what about a spinner? We have a new PC who is very adamant about using a spinner! I know striped balls work, but a spinner don't lie! They sure can be a pain though! We've always used striped balls and avoided the spinner like the plague but I'm finally coming around and seeing the benefits of using one.

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I haven’t spent a lot of time with a spinner and should probably play around more to see if there is anything I’m missing. I don’t like the way they feel in the hand and they really limit grip options. I don’t care for the way I see most PC’s use the spinners. The drills just don’t translate well to real spins with a ball. They might be good for initially teaching people spin recognition, but it’s not that hard to teach pitchers, catchers, parents and coaches what good/bad spin looks like. It amazes me how many folks don’t know the difference.

I use a stool somewhat similiar to this one. I just throw it in our pitching bag along with a couple softballs, home plate, pocket radar, gloves, spinners, striped balls, super glue, risen bag, measuring tape, etc.. We also have a pitching mat but the indoor facility we go to allows us to leave it there. The pitching bag we have is actually a bat bag but its the shape of a duffle bag. The nice thing about this bag is it has a hole in the lid for a bat to go through, but I use this hole to put the legs of the stool through so it does not change the shape of the bag with the stool in there.

https://www.amazon.com/ChesnaTM-Out...&qid=1515010284&sr=8-15&keywords=hiking+stool

I do need to ask what the benefit is of the softies? Never had any. Thanks for the help.

eagle6 said:

I do need to ask what the benefit is of the softies? Never had any. Thanks for the help.

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Some facilities require them. Softies tend to be a little easier on the shins.

eagle6 said:

I do need to ask what the benefit is of the softies? Never had any. Thanks for the help.

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Softies are intended to lessien damage when indoors, no benefit that I know of.

We tried to use them at 8U, still to hard/ heavy. Went to tennis ball.

Depending were DD goes we will use them.

(IDK but if you throw softball on sidewalk it will come back to you, sofitie will just plop.)

Classof2020 said:

This is what I use. I like the height for giving low targets. The one I started with was about 10 years old to begin with, and it took about 3 years of missed drop balls before I had to replace that one. It was about $10 at Lowes.View attachment 12496

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That's great, but here's my question: After you're done sitting on a stool that low to the ground, how do you get up?

Ken B said:

I haven’t spent a lot of time with a spinner and should probably play around more to see if there is anything I’m missing. I don’t like the way they feel in the hand and they really limit grip options. I don’t care for the way I see most PC’s use the spinners. The drills just don’t translate well to real spins with a ball. They might be good for initially teaching people spin recognition, but it’s not that hard to teach pitchers, catchers, parents and coaches what good/bad spin looks like. It amazes me how many folks don’t know the difference.

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See, I completely agree with you and feel the same way, or did......this new PC is a sold out true believer in the spinner and has shown us the correct way to use it. We've just never been shown how to correctly use one and I always thought they were a pain to fool with. Old dog, new trick thing! As far as the grip issues you were talking about, she's tightened and cleaned up her spin on her rise, drop, and curve. No problem gripping it just like a ball.

I'll have to borrow one and play around.

eagle6 said:

had not thought about that. use the milk crates with my propane tanks for the grills, but hadn't thought about using them with a bucket. May see how that works as well.

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I have a buddy that built a soft pad on the top of his. LOL but true.

Tango said:

I have a buddy that built a soft pad on the top of his. LOL but true.

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Pad is a great idea. No matter what get off the bucket. Get low and focus on the bottom corners and below of the strike zone. In a couple of weeks you will notice a difference.