Let’s talk about "machine pitch-able" balls

[Westwind]

What is your K/9? About 18? LOL

Lol! IDK, the first time they see it, it’s pretty rough. It gets better.

I am getting a couple swinging misses per bucket. Lots of balls that look like they would be foul. Maybe a third of the balls pitched are put into play, most of those are probably not hits against good competition.

With a “normal” machine set up I would say that most balls are driven pretty hard. Extreme example: Over Christmas break I saw a nice D2 hitter blast ball after ball to the same spot in the middle of the cage about 10’ above the Jugs machine. I think she hit around two buckets and if there were many mishits I don’t remember them. Would she benefit from changing speeds and spins?

The only way I can measure it right now with snow on the ground is a marked improvement when I throw them front toss where I am trying to spin the ball and change speeds. I see improvement there. Won’t really know until we are playing next spring.

 

[Westwind]

And you did! I’m exactly the same way, especially about things I’m passionate about!

We used those Trump SP balls for everything, cage work, tee work, front toss when me or the other coach would pitch, and for our machine, which honestly didn’t get a ton of use!

The machine I’m talking about was 100% for HS ball, I honestly can never remember one time where Anna used a machine in travel ball in 12U all the way through until she finished 18U, and I’m really thinking back!

Camps maybe? (Which usually really sucks because they usually have them set unnaturally high and some camp attendee is randomly shoving balls onto the chute.)

Maybe it’s because we are in a cold climate and spend Nov-April indoors but machines are a pretty big part of our reality.

Don‘t get me wrong, I love live arm training. I do it every practice or hitting session without fail. I really am starting to think that the things that made people skeptical of machine work are being overcome by better equipment.

 

[CoreSoftball20]

With dimple balls, some have hit the nail on the head. These things are dense and when they get used a lot and get old, they get hard. Its not all about the barrel either. When you hit a more dense/heavier ball the connection comes into play as well. More stress everywhere.
People don't use the best balls and def don't keep up with management of them. Best thing to do is say not to use them.

Now, I haven't seen all kinds of dimple balls, only ones I have seen at cages are heavier and hard. They are used for a reason, they take abuse and last thousands and thousand of hits. What does a real ball last before it breaks down?....haha. That should tell you something right there.

 

[Westwind]

Agree: and the dimple balls I have bought wouldn’t last on the concrete you typically see in these amusement style batting cages. The concrete, chain link and conveyers would eat them alive.

So one of my questions that no one has discussed: Does COR/Compression rating relate to bat wear or damage in a practice environment?

 

[CoreSoftball20]

Bats only live so long, if you are going to hit a hundred balls a day with them and then games and expect new bats to make it a long time, chances are its not going to even with real balls. But again, that's why you have warranties. Personally, none of my gamer bats ever come out for BP once they are hot. I always have bats to use to take swings with.

It always makes me laugh when I get a text after a bat breaks and people say, "this bat only lasted
3 months and it only had like 10 games on". Then you find out it had like 20000 BP hits on it and 10
games

 

[CoreSoftball20]

So one of my questions that no one has discussed: Does COR/Compression rating relate to bat wear or damage in a practice environment?

I sorta did

 

[Laphoneman]

There are different types of dimple pitching machine balls. There are the hard plastic type that I would not use my good bat with because they are so hard they rattel your teeth. And recently They have come out with the soft cover pitching machine balls that you can press in with your thumb. I use the soft cover and have never broken a bat with them. They do tear up easy on concrete. So put a carpet mat on the floor where the ball hits and you should be good.

 

[Westwind]

I sorta did

You did, but a chart and maybe some color coding was what I was hoping for!

 

[CoreSoftball20]

OMG...I don't even have a fancy phone...I cant do that kind of stuff

I would think it would be tough to put a blanket statement on something like only because of how some bats
will last 2 years and some 1 month, and then depends on hitter and all that. Maybe a slapper would get more bp
life from a bat with real balls and a power hitter will get less. I don't know, just thinking out loud....haha

 

[ANNASDAD]

You did, but a chart and maybe some color coding was what I was hoping for!

Where's @pattar when you need him?