Video & Brief Review of the New Pop Toss Tee

[FJRGerry]

I've had the Pop Toss tee (the purple model) a couple of weeks now and have hit a couple hundred of balls off it so far. I find it easy to use and find it does what is advertised when using 12" softballs - the balls pop straight up about four feet. I haven't tested it yet with foam balls, which when used with the top insert reversed, will add some spin to the balls and aid in hitting inside/outside pitches. The tee has a gold knob at the bottom, which allows changing the delay of the pop up. It is advertised as giving a 4 - 6 second delay, but I find it's more like 3 - 9 seconds. I've been keeping it at 9 seconds so I have a few seconds to setup and take a practice swing. All-in-all I give the tee a positive review - it's definitely fun and easy to use - and it does add a new dimension to hitting without requiring a second person to soft toss the balls. My only negative comment is the timing dial. I wish it was set with numbers and could click into each setting so I would know for certain the delay set.

My 13YO daughter has used it twice and is aclimating to it. Below is a video of her using it earlier today. I also bought a Tanner Tee which arrived today. There's a Youtube video of her using it as well. I'll add another post regarding it in the near future.

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For more information or to order one to go:
Home

If you do order one please use my sales code - GBOY - so I'm credited with the sale. Please note this isn't the intention of this post though.

Gerry

 

[kls_hittingacademy]

any chance you can show a video of her hitting an inside pitch with this tee?

 

[Mark H]

Can it be adjusted or used in such a manner that the contact point is in the zone? If so, can it be adjusted or used in such a manner the contact point would be low in the zone? Looking at this video, I don't think hitting balls that high is doing the hitter any favors.

 

[FJRGerry]

My understanding is that using foam balls with the reverse side you would place the tee around 6 feet or so in front of you and adjust it for inside/outside & high/low. I haven't tested yet since I don't have any foam balls. I'll be getting some in the near future though. As far as hitting the ball when it pops straight up, I think as one's reaction time improves you would be able to set yourself to hit balls as they popup, rather than waiting for them to drop - you could also wait a split second longer and hit them as they drop lower I imagine. I haven't tested this yet though. Obviously you risk hitting the tee if you attempt this and that may break it. Like a regular stand alone tee, you can set this tee inside and outside when using regular softballs to simulate inside & outside pitches. I'll see about taping doing so this weekend.

Mark, it appears my daughter is hitting the ball about chest high, which certainly is in the strike zone. There isn't a way to adjust this though - just depends on reaction time. I'll post again a month or so from now once she's more used to using it.
Gerry

 

[tom.guerry]

what's wrong with self toss ?

 

[BoardMember]

PASS...........

Hitting is about rhythm.......not about letting the blood pool in your legs.......

 

[FJRGerry]

BoardMember, not sure what you mean? Maybe the time between the ball popping up? It was set to the longest duration - about 9 seconds I estimate. It was set there since it's a new product for us. With this setting I typically stay neutral for about four seconds, maybe take a practice swing or two, then set up. I had explained this to my daughter, but she wasn't doing it. It can be set to as low as about 3 seconds though.

 

[RayR]

IMO, this product does not help to improve a hitter's mechanics. In this example, (I am not picking on the hitter) she drops her barrel, slots the elbow leading to bat drag. She has time to do this given the product she is using. No different then doing soft toss or working on a tee.

How in the world in this product going to improve this particular hitter's flaws?? Again, not picking on the hitter.

If anything it is another product that would reinforce these mechanics...

I'd pass or view it as a fun backyard product...

 

[Mark H]

I have to agree with MTS.

Also, most umps I've watched would not be calling this pitch location a strike. I want to see a kid who punishes the bottom of the zone pitches.

 

[FJRGerry]

MTS - I think the product is more geared towards helping with hand/eye coordination. Woudn't you agree hitting a moving target helps improving h/e coordination more than a stationary one? To me it's similar to a Jugs machine our travel team used that held a few balls and by battery power popped them up every few seconds. This product does the same but doesn't require any batteries.

Mark - I can't tell you how times I've seen umpires call strikes at the neck level! Maybe it's more with LL since they are volunteers, but even in the 50 games my daughter played in travel this year there were quite a few neck high strikes called - not consistently either.

I appreciate everyone's input so far - it's still something new for me and I haven't tested it yet to all it's advertised capabilities.