Are Pitching Machines making bad hitters?

[CoachJD]

I wasn't a big fan of the machine, but it actually helped us quite a bit this summer.

We don't have any pitchers who throw as hard as some we've faced, and our girls really were struggling with timing. Since many of them are new to the sport, they just didn't understand the concept of starting the swing before they saw the ball leave the pitcher's hand. Not just that, but when you have a couple at bats against a pitcher, seeing 10-15 pitches max, you don't have a ton of time to figure it out (again, new players who don't have years of experience to draw upon).

So when I set up the machine and cranked the speed up, every single one of them struggled for 5-10 pitches. Some would just stand there and watch a few go by. By the end of the practices, most of the girls were making solid contact. I won't pretend we rocked the fast pitchers in games after that, but there was improvement.

I don't think the machine is a better option than a live pitcher who can throw strikes, but it's a half-decent substitute.

EDIT: I should add that the person feeding the machine matters. My DW absolutely cannot do it. She'll hold the ball up, bring it to the hole, pause, do something else, go make a sandwich, and then the next pitch she'll forget to hold the ball up and just feed the machine with no warning. Doing that isn't gonna help anybody. Whoever feeds the machine needs to have a consistent "delivery." It won't be exactly the same as a live pitcher, but it doesn't need to be.

 

[santirx]

I wasn't a big fan of the machine, but it actually helped us quite a bit this summer.

We don't have any pitchers who throw as hard as some we've faced, and our girls really were struggling with timing. Since many of them are new to the sport, they just didn't understand the concept of starting the swing before they saw the ball leave the pitcher's hand. Not just that, but when you have a couple at bats against a pitcher, seeing 10-15 pitches max, you don't have a ton of time to figure it out (again, new players who don't have years of experience to draw upon).

So when I set up the machine and cranked the speed up, every single one of them struggled for 5-10 pitches. Some would just stand there and watch a few go by. By the end of the practices, most of the girls were making solid contact. I won't pretend we rocked the fast pitchers in games after that, but there was improvement.

I don't think the machine is a better option than a live pitcher who can throw strikes, but it's a half-decent substitute.

EDIT: I should add that the person feeding the machine matters. My DW absolutely cannot do it. She'll hold the ball up, bring it to the hole, pause, do something else, go make a sandwich, and then the next pitch she'll forget to hold the ball up and just feed the machine with no warning. Doing that isn't gonna help anybody. Whoever feeds the machine needs to have a consistent "delivery." It won't be exactly the same as a live pitcher, but it doesn't need to be.

Thank you. This is helpful.


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[santirx]

Your coaches are doing it wrong. You hold the ball in the chute with the left hand and use the right arm to simulate the pitching motion. When the arm comes down and thru the bottom of the circle you push the ball down the chute at the same time. That gives the hitter the semblance of a pitching motion without the pause while trying to put the ball into the chute.

Thank you. This is helpful. I'm planning on bringing my DD this weekend to a batting cage and practice this so that she can get the the timing. I'll try the left hand ball in machine while making motion with right. I'm also going to try some of the things recommended in the article.


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[Softball scholar]

When my DD was 13 she was on a team where the coach would pull out a batting machine in practice. My DD by far had the best batting stats on the team, but when they pulled the JUGs machine out she was the worst hitter off the machine on the team. She would wiff or occasionally foul one off. Some of the weaker hitters looked great on the machine, but when you got in the game they struggled. Just didn't make sense.

Now that she's 17, her high school team uses the Jugs machine, she's learned to start her motion early and to time the ball. But she admits to the time the ball she's slightly modifying her swing to get the early start. So I don't really have a favorable opinion on batting machines, they have a purpose. But I would rather work with her on a good front toss session.

 

[Chaz McNulty]

As mentioned, a pitching machine is not going to make you into a bad hitter. What it can do though, is give a coach at tryouts a very wrong impression.

Hitting is all about timing. Some kids have an easier time with the machine and some kids have a harder time. I've seen 'batting cage heroes' that couldn't bat their own weight against live pitching. I've also seen the opposite.

 

[Mocoso]

As mentioned, a pitching machine is not going to make you into a bad hitter. What it can do though, is give a coach at tryouts a very wrong impression.

Hitting is all about timing. Some kids have an easier time with the machine and some kids have a harder time. I've seen 'batting cage heroes' that couldn't bat their own weight against live pitching. I've also seen the opposite.

If a kid cant get the timing down on a machine its usually not the kid or the machines fault.. Ive seen it too and 99.9% of the time is the schmuck feeding the machine that is doing it totally wrong... you HAVE to try and simulate the motion a pitcher makes and TIME the release into the chute as closely as possible to when your right hand would release it ... as for the cage heroes that stuggle on live pitching yea that one shares more of the blame but one culprit is the "complacent coach" syndrome... by complacent I mean all they do is put the machine to throw the balls right down the middle (usually at a height ideal for their DD)..kid doesnt learn to hit anything other than that fast pitch down the middle and will never adjust for low/high/inside/outside....

As any tool you not only have to know how to use it but what to use it for... what do you want to work on that day: inside pitches, outside pitches, high pitches, low pitches... the only time I put the machine right down the middle is either to: "help with confidence boost and get kid whos down on themselves a boost in morale" or to purely work on speed (crank the machine way up)

 

[Ken Krause]

I'm with Riseball (and others). It's not the tool, it's the user.

That said, here's one way to adjust for a poor user. Instead of trying to hit out of a stance, have the hitter start in the "turned" position. Basically, turn your body to right before launch. Have the feeder feed the ball, and then just finish the swing. It will mostly be an arm swing, but it will give the hitter the feel for the timing of dropping the ball in the chute and seeing it come out.

I have made this suggestion to several hitters who were having trouble hitting off a machine. It worked for all of them. Sometimes you have to break things down a bit - especially when what's happening on the other end isn't realistic.

 

[santirx]

she's learned to start her motion early and to time the ball. But she admits to the time the ball she's slightly modifying her swing to get the early start.

I think what you mention here is key. Players modifying their swing slightly to accommodate the machine. For experienced/older players, that have developed muscle memory, they can afford to modify swing slightly. For someone that is still young, it could be an issue. IMHO.


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[santirx]

This isn't research and it is coming from someone that wants to sell you something.

I haven't found many players that can hit 50 MPH pitching but can't hit 50 MPH pitching machine. I have found players that struggle with the increased speed of pitching machines (and then say they can't hit pitching machines in general). The increased velocity of a pitching machine tends to point out flaws in the swing.

it's just a tool. As a coach I am always concerned with players that say, "I can't hit off a machine". If it is done properly there should be little difference over time.

Also, I want to clarify that although the article I'm linking in the post is stating the referenced subject as a statement, I'm stating it as a question.


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[santirx]

If a kid cant get the timing down on a machine its usually not the kid or the machines fault.. Ive seen it too and 99.9% of the time is the schmuck feeding the machine that is doing it totally wrong... you HAVE to try and simulate the motion a pitcher makes and TIME the release into the chute as closely as possible to when your right hand would release it ... as for the cage heroes that stuggle on live pitching yea that one shares more of the blame but one culprit is the "complacent coach" syndrome... by complacent I mean all they do is put the machine to throw the balls right down the middle (usually at a height ideal for their DD)..kid doesnt learn to hit anything other than that fast pitch down the middle and will never adjust for low/high/inside/outside....

As any tool you not only have to know how to use it but what to use it for... what do you want to work on that day: inside pitches, outside pitches, high pitches, low pitches... the only time I put the machine right down the middle is either to: "help with confidence boost and get kid whos down on themselves a boost in morale" or to purely work on speed (crank the machine way up)

This is a good point, about simulation of the pitch and timing. Sometimes the arm motion would happen very slow, but the machine is cranked up to the highest speed. All that contributes to timing issues.


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