- Apr 14, 2022
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35-37’ is actual pitching travel distance at 12u. 38-40 at 14u.
Pitching machines about Hitting
- Thread starter radness
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DD had more trouble with slower pitchers. No reason to amp the machine up. Set it to speed of a 'normal pitcher she will face.
DD faced a pitcher in 8U Rec. That tried out for the 12U national Team. We did not really try to practice at her speed. We worked on other ways to get some runs.
DD faced a pitcher in 8U Rec. That tried out for the 12U national Team. We did not really try to practice at her speed. We worked on other ways to get some runs.
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
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Your machine setting said 45 to 50 mph from 35 to 37 ft.
( which not everybody sets up their machine from the release point of a pitch)
Equates to stimulating~
Reaction time of ball shooting out of a machine without the mechanics of the pitcher.
So I commented, training quick reaction time!!
* especially with No body movement bringing release point closer.
( wasn't saying it's a bad thing, simply pointing out the quickness from the closeness that is involved in softball )
We usually move the machine out to where the average pitcher releases. 5-ish feet forward of the rubber. Normal stride length is about the same as the height of the pitcher so that's what we go with for MS. For HS it wouldn't change a whole lot. Maybe 5.5ft.
- Apr 14, 2022
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The idea is to match reaction time. Present the ball, then the mechanics of putting the ball in the machine. This allows the batter to load and anticipate similar to a pitcher.
On a side note softball is close most will say a 60mph pitch is equal to an 84 mph fastball. Instead it is a 90 mph fastball. 95 measured per mlb radar guns.
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
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Like how you are trying to get near live game timing...'similar' That might be the idea
*to match the reaction time of a pitched ball, but cannot mirror the exact timing of a pitcher's live pitching.
Live pitching is its own timing.
Machines can try to match pitch speed.
Very hard to be as fluid feeding a machine.
,...most people feeding machine are not putting into the physical explosive energy starting from 40' and striding each time with a windmill feeding machine at 35-37 set up closer.
That would be a closer simulation and still not the same cuz there's a machine in between.
From a batters perspective seeing the ball come out of the pitcher's hand can also tell us what pitch they are throwing.
Last edited:
- Dec 11, 2010
- 4,723
- 113
Longtime machine user here. I throw more through a screen at short distances but machine is good too. Have owned Jugs Jr., Hack Jr. and have a programable Hack now. It will be for sale on approximately Jan 4, 2024 when dd goes back to school for her last season!
To answer the original question: change the speed constantly.
I read somewhere that you should be within 5 mph either way of the competition you see the most. My goal was always to make that window as wide as possible.
Regarding the indicated speed- that depends, especially with a Jugs machine. First of all, while a Jugs machine is the most common p machine in softball use, it is the worst machine you can use especially with young hitters. It’s probably the big reason people hate machines. It pitches 12/6 backspin balls. Period. Even at slow speed, the trajectory is wrong. It is constantly moving On the floor. The rubber chair legs on the bottom of the legs wear out and the legs slide all over the place. (You can get rubber chair leg ends at any hardware store, they have the size you need. Change them every few months.) A Jugs machine is better than nothing but it isn’t better than a guy/gal behind a screen even just doing flips.
Several things affect indicated speed vs ball speed with a Jugs- tire pressure and condition of the pinch pad. The pinch pad is glued to the metal piece above the wheel. As it wears, your speed decreases. Tire pressure is another. I always ran tire pressure around 11# which is below recommended. It made the machine more accurate. It also slowed it down a little.
As far as release point- a pitcher strides about 3/4 of her height. Just like you want to change speeds, you want to change distances within reason. Hint: It’s easier to do this with where the hitter stands than it is moving the machine.
Worst thing you can do: only do this if you want to completely destroy the swing of every kid on your team, is crank the speed all the way up as high as it will go and let them hack at it. Don’t do it. It’s stupid. It doesn’t work. The only people who should see 70 mph machine balls are players that will play Alabama etc this year. Not kidding about that.
I didn’t read all the posts but someone always says “machines are bad”. No- improperly used machines are bad. And almost no one uses them well that hasn’t thought about it for literally months. Or years.
I asked dd what her team does with machines. She says they use them two ways 1) in season they prepare specifically for pitchers they will see. 2) they do stations during regular practice. Stations is usually two Hacks set rise/drop or east/west (they rotate that daily) one hack that is a bunt station and one Jugs set to be a high velocity rise ball. They see those so it is actually productive.
She also pointed out, correctly, that even at her level Hacks can be set up with such extreme movement that no one can hit it. It’s unproductive. Don’t do it.
Hope that helps.
To answer the original question: change the speed constantly.
I read somewhere that you should be within 5 mph either way of the competition you see the most. My goal was always to make that window as wide as possible.
Regarding the indicated speed- that depends, especially with a Jugs machine. First of all, while a Jugs machine is the most common p machine in softball use, it is the worst machine you can use especially with young hitters. It’s probably the big reason people hate machines. It pitches 12/6 backspin balls. Period. Even at slow speed, the trajectory is wrong. It is constantly moving On the floor. The rubber chair legs on the bottom of the legs wear out and the legs slide all over the place. (You can get rubber chair leg ends at any hardware store, they have the size you need. Change them every few months.) A Jugs machine is better than nothing but it isn’t better than a guy/gal behind a screen even just doing flips.
Several things affect indicated speed vs ball speed with a Jugs- tire pressure and condition of the pinch pad. The pinch pad is glued to the metal piece above the wheel. As it wears, your speed decreases. Tire pressure is another. I always ran tire pressure around 11# which is below recommended. It made the machine more accurate. It also slowed it down a little.
As far as release point- a pitcher strides about 3/4 of her height. Just like you want to change speeds, you want to change distances within reason. Hint: It’s easier to do this with where the hitter stands than it is moving the machine.
Worst thing you can do: only do this if you want to completely destroy the swing of every kid on your team, is crank the speed all the way up as high as it will go and let them hack at it. Don’t do it. It’s stupid. It doesn’t work. The only people who should see 70 mph machine balls are players that will play Alabama etc this year. Not kidding about that.
I didn’t read all the posts but someone always says “machines are bad”. No- improperly used machines are bad. And almost no one uses them well that hasn’t thought about it for literally months. Or years.
I asked dd what her team does with machines. She says they use them two ways 1) in season they prepare specifically for pitchers they will see. 2) they do stations during regular practice. Stations is usually two Hacks set rise/drop or east/west (they rotate that daily) one hack that is a bunt station and one Jugs set to be a high velocity rise ball. They see those so it is actually productive.
She also pointed out, correctly, that even at her level Hacks can be set up with such extreme movement that no one can hit it. It’s unproductive. Don’t do it.
Hope that helps.
Last edited:
- Oct 27, 2017
- 174
- 43
DD (14) hits off a Sports Tutor Homeplate / All Star simulator as often as possible 100-200 swings each session. Speed / pitch selection is set on random and varies between 50-60 mph (pretty accurate according to pocket radar).
I feel its has been a great help.
I feel its has been a great help.
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
- 7,270
- 113
Like that varying mph!
Consistent mph is good training and mixing it up is elevating the training!
