Pitching machines about Hitting

[uncdrew]

You got a lot of faster MS pitchers? We've never faced one throwing more than MAAAYBE 55. Aside from a catholic school at a tournament. 8th grader verified 61. We sent her 9 batters. She struck out 8 on 24 pitches, and one was thrown out on junk contact. And she was probably a 9th grader held back. That whole team looked like linebackers.

Sorry, I wasn't clear.

You said "Guess what my DD was pitching that day". My guess was 50.

 

[uncdrew]

I have seen kids hit well in games that could not hit off a machine. I don’t think I have ever seen a kid who can hit the machine well who doesn’t hit well in games. Take that for what you will.

The key to the machine is to make an adjustment (an important part of hitting). The front foot better be down and you better be in launch position bet the pitch comes out of the machine. You also also have to be pretty on top of the ball since the one wheeled machines throw pure backspin (essentially a rise).

I’m short - kids are usually late and under the machine when it’s cranked up.

If we go to tryouts and see a pitching machine on the field, we just turn around and head home.

Kidding of course, but my girls can't hit crap off a pitching machine.

... and yes, it always seems to be a one-wheel one and it really does throw rise balls. The amount of backspin on it is insane. I watch girl after girl swing under the ball and get no hits. I call the machine "The Demoralizer".

 

[PJR202]

Sorry, I wasn't clear.

You said "Guess what my DD was pitching that day". My guess was 50.

LOL. I hear a lot of high speed claims for these travel kids. Not that I don't believe them, but I'm sure around here we all have our own experience of what's "normal." It was our other pitcher though, and definitely pitching 50.

 

[Lance Steckler]

There was a team we played away last season in MS who we played tight to the end. They were basically right at our level. Slightly better defense, but we had the better pitcher. Neither team could consistently make contact after the #4 hitter.

They came to our place a month later and beat the absolute crap out of the ball. 16 hits. Legit, mostly line drives. It was brutal. The only other team that hit us like that had a bunch of corn-fed "7th graders."

So after the game I asked the coach where that display came from. He said "We had staight rain-outs for almost four weeks. So after that first week I put them in the gym and set the machine on 50, and that's about all we did until today."

So...I guess my answer, for MS, would be 50.

Our #1 pitcher, despite what she's been told, really only has one pitch, and she's very good at it. Fastball, right down the middle. I'll give you three guesses on the speed...


For HS, based on what I've seen around here, I'd set it between 55 and 60. I believe the machine is a great tool, and especially when you don't have a stable of pitchers to throw BP.

in league games around Cincinnati , a machine set at 55+ is faster than you will see all but maybe 10% of your season.

 

[CoachJD]

LOL. I hear a lot of high speed claims for these travel kids. Not that I don't believe them, but I'm sure around here we all have our own experience of what's "normal." It was our other pitcher though, and definitely pitching 50.

I know exactly what you mean. Consider that a lot of the parents invested enough to post on boards like this have kids who are high, high level players. They're playing in National tournaments and being recruited by D1 schools. They see the unicorns (and mistakenly think that's the norm).

What most of us see regularly is not that. I can watch B level travel teams around here and at 16u, if a pitcher is throwing 55 she's killing everyone. If you throw 50 with accuracy, and especially if you have a changeup, you're going to beat most teams.

 

[PJR202]

If you throw 50 with accuracy, and especially if you have a changeup, you're going to beat most teams.

That's the goal for my kid. I keep stuff reasonable. Last season it was 40+ over the plate, which she achieved. She hit 45 with pretty inefficient mechanics a couple months ago, simply by adding a stride. We're revamping things to internal rotation now and shooting for 50 with spots by March. A change-up would be a nice bonus. She's not throwing full pitches again yet until she fixes a couple posture and glove arm problems, but just in passing with her from the K position, that ball comes out of her hand with so much more velocity vs the amount of effort. Kinda blew me away. You've read our school program rebuilding journey. She's needed pretty badly.

 

[DiamondXP]

We use the Iron Mike Hitting machine, is all about timing. You must have the proper timing to know when to start your swing and when to shift your weight. This is achieved by watching the pitcher's arm and release of the ball. An arm-style pitching machine is the only type of pitching machine that gives you that same sense of timing. With each pitch you see the machine's arm wind up and release the ball. It is the realistic nature of the machine that allows you to practice the same fundamentals in the batting cages as you use on the field. It also will not throw consistent. It all depends on where the hand picks up the ball as to the throw. So your watching the arm and reading the pitch everytime. I find it highly effective. 14U we set it to pitch low 50s.

 

[Rolling Hard]

We use the Iron Mike Hitting machine, is all about timing. You must have the proper timing to know when to start your swing and when to shift your weight. This is achieved by watching the pitcher's arm and release of the ball. An arm-style pitching machine is the only type of pitching machine that gives you that same sense of timing. With each pitch you see the machine's arm wind up and release the ball. It is the realistic nature of the machine that allows you to practice the same fundamentals in the batting cages as you use on the field. It also will not throw consistent. It all depends on where the hand picks up the ball as to the throw. So your watching the arm and reading the pitch everytime. I find it highly effective. 14U we set it to pitch low 50s. View attachment 26555

I am not a big fan of Iron Mikes but that is one hell of a nice set up you got going there. DD says, "But Dad it soooo hot!" "OK, jump in the pool and back out here!"

 

[Gags]

Wow. I hope you were able to build that before lumber prices skyrocketed. You could turn that into a barn when she's done playing!

 

[DiamondXP]

Wow. I hope you were able to build that before lumber prices skyrocketed. You could turn that into a barn when she's done playing!

Not exactly, it took calling to get the cheapest price but still wasn't cheap. Neither was the turf or rock layers underneath. However to me it's worth it for the entire team to hit. I've seen drastic improvement when the the the extra BP in off the machine.