Softball Xcelerator - Good Device?

[SoCalSoftballdad]

Saw this pitching tool advertised and wanted to get your thoughts. Seems the device would promote a locked elbow during the arm circle?

YouTube - ‪Softball Xelerator‬‏

 

[starsnuffer]

Don't like it. Bought one years ago before I knew better. It promotes locked arms and no arm whip. It can be useful for kids that bring the ball too far back behind them, but you can fix the same problem by keeping the ball in the glove on the backswing.

-W

 

[SBFAMILY]

Agree with starsnuffer and did the same thing years ago.

 

[redhack]

Bought one. Found only one use. Quick warm up of the arm. When DD is pressed for time, she swings it around 70-100 times with her elbow bent to warm up her arm. Only used it a dozen or so times, when she has less than 20 minutes to practice. Other than that it hangs on the wall of the garage.

I will admit I bought a few "practice tools" before I found this site.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Doing simple wall drills does the same thing and guess what??? It doesn't cost anything.

 

[joemcq51]

I was having issues with my DD when she was first starting out. I saw the ad for the xcelerator. I created something on my own. I took a ball and put it in a sock and tied a knot in it. She uses it occasionally for warming up. Grab the knot and do arm circles. The weight of the ball in the end of the sock accellerates and allows the arm to swing faster. Not the best tool, but effective

 

[halskinner]

Tried a few softball 'Gizmos' over the years. Didnt like any of them.

Only 4 things I found that helped things quite a bit; A fishing weight, a frisbee, a Hula-Hoop and a football. The other stuff was worthless to me and some of my students that tried them.

 

[coachdan]

Tried a few softball 'Gizmos' over the years. Didnt like any of them.

Only 4 things I found that helped things quite a bit; A fishing weight, a frisbee, a Hula-Hoop and a football. The other stuff was worthless to me and some of my students that tried them.

Hal can you tell us how you used the Fishing weight, Frisbee, and hula-hoop?

 

[halskinner]

Hal can you tell us how you used the Fishing weight, Frisbee, and hula-hoop?

Hula Hoop;

Have your pitcher stand with the stride leg ahead of the pivot leg. Stand behind her and hold the Hula hoop sitaight up and down at her ball hand side. Have her put her arm through the hula hoop and make her arm circle VERY slowly and keep her arm in contact with the hula hoop through the entire circle. Be sure they keep a small bend in the elbow as well.

Now, you will have to move the hula hoop in this process as it is a little too small of a circle, but keep that hula hoop straight up and down the entire time.

This simple drill will give them the 'Feel' of a straight up and down arm circle.

I always used a hula hoop to compare the circle the ball makes if it left a trail of smoke. If the hula hoop is tilted in at the top, it would also be tilted out at the bottom and that kills speed and accuracy.

If their Hula Hoop arm circle was tilted in at the top, this helped them fix that.

If their hula hoop arm circle was in too close to the body, we would do that drill and make sure the hula hoop was a couple inches away from the body.

At any point in a training session if anything was wrong with that hula hoop arm circle, I only had to say "What's wrong with your Hula Hoop?". They would stop and make an arm circle and most of the time, they could tell me what was off with it. During a game, a parent can yell "How's your hoola hoop?" and they would think about it and correct what might be littla off.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Only good training tool I use is the K-9 Xcelerator. It really helps my DD speed up her base running.