How about a simple, easily portable pitching machine that will help young players learn to hit a smaller, moving ball - and it's well under $100!
A constant challenge for coaches, especially youth coaches, is how can they get their players to hit a moving ball, especially without the coach wearing his arm out.
This is a device I've used for a few years and it's still working great. I've used it in the winter practices inside our gyms as it pitches golf ball sized tight foam balls so there's no concern for it breaking anything.
One of the cool parts - it runs using an AC adapter (plug it into an outlet) or using 6 C batteries!
It's easy to setup and a drill station my 9U team could operate independently.
Bonus - use this with the Web Glove to improve catching performance, also!
SKLZ Lightning Bolt Baseball Pitching Machine
Product Description
The Lightning Bolt pitching machine is a lightweight, portable and fun training tool designed to improve contact at the plate. Through focusing on soft micro balls, batters work on the visual processing, concentration and hand-eye coordination that make hitters great. Adding a Quick Stick bat increases the challenge for even the most experienced ballplayer.
Features
Lightweight and portable–ideal for practicing hitting just about anywhere
Builds visual acuity and hitting accuracy
Automatically pitches soft practice balls 30 mph
5 second delay between pitches, to give solid repetition training
Angle adjusts for different pitching locations
Holds up to 26 balls at a time and includes 12 Bolt Balls
Powered by AC adapter or 6 C batteries (batteries not included)
The Lightning Bolt pitching machine is a lightweight, portable and fun training tool designed to improve contact at the plate. Through focusing on soft micro balls, batters work on the visual processing, concentration and hand-eye coordination that make hitters great. Adding a Quick Stick bat increases the challenge for even the most experienced ballplayer.
SKLZ Lightning Bolt Pitching Machine Pro
The SKLZ Lightning Bolt Pro pitching machine is a lightweight, portable, and fun training tool designed to improve contact at the plate. The machine forces hitters to intently focus on making contact with the soft micro training balls, thus developing the visual processing, concentration, and eye-hand coordination that makes hitters great. It holds 26 balls at a time and angle adjusts for different pitching locations. The five-second delay between pitches offers solid repetition training while the auto pitch feature tosses soft practice balls 25 feet at 30 miles per hour with realistic flight. Comes with 12 soft micro Bolt training balls. The shagger detaches for easy ball collection around the field or backyard.
Features:
Automatically pitches small soft practice balls 25 feet at 30 miles per hour with realistic flight
5 second delay between pitches, to give solid repetition training
Included Shagger holds up to 26 balls at a time
Runs on batteries (requires 6 size C batteries, not included) or with included AC adapter
Helps improve visual acuity and hitting accuracy
Angle adjusts for different pitching locations
Includes 12 soft micro Bolt Balls with a 5.125 inch circumference round 0.2 ounce weight
Automatically pitches soft practice balls at 30mph