If your batting practice consists of your pitcher or a coach pitching to hitters, I’m going to change your life forever. Yes, there is a place for this type of practice session, but it is RARE. There’s no question that the more live pitches your hitters see, the better they’ll be able to adjust to different pitchers in a game. HOWEVER, your players need repetition, muscle memory, and enough strokes for the coach to determine faults in their stroke and take corrective action.
The drawbacks of your pitcher batting practice are numerous. Your pitcher probably only throws 50% to 60% of his pitches for strikes. That’s a LOT of downtime watching the pitcher throw and the catcher recover wild pitches. In a two-hour practice, each player can take ten swings. Barely enough to build fundamentals or develop muscle memory. You’re also dealing with a player getting hit by a pitch and therefore being scared of the ball. WHO NEEDS THAT?!?! And then there’s the little problem of all the other players getting completely bored as they stand around waiting and watching. And how about the psychological effect on your pitcher if hitters are hitting the ball? Great, now your launcher feels like a failure.
Well, how about we have a coach? It’s better than having your pitcher pitch but not by much. Coaches typically throw much slower than what players face in a game. The coach is relatively distracted from coaching the hitter because he is focused on trying to get the ball over home plate. How can you watch the hitter’s feet, hip movement, and arm movement if you’re concentrating on throwing a good pitch? And don’t be fooled into thinking the coach is throwing a lot of strikes. Honestly, he’s probably not as consistent as the pitcher.
Enter the Louisville Slugger pitching machine. This tool has revolutionized batting practice for the average team. Don’t be scared by the cost, it only costs about $150. If you don’t have the money, tell the parents that you are doing a collection and that everyone should contribute $15.00. It is absolutely the PERFECT batting practice tool. It’s spring loaded, so you won’t need electricity. It’s very lightweight so it’s easy to carry into the field and sets up in about 2 minutes. Throw balls of all sizes and you can control the speed from about 20 mph to about 45 mph. If there is any possible way, you MUST get your hands on this pitching machine.
How will a spring-loaded pitching machine help my team? You will easily triple the number of swings your hitters can take. You can have any parent operate the machine, which will free you up to stand close to the batter and watch and train. No more wild pitches or wasting time while the catcher gets the ball back. They are all strikes. This means your hitters will be hitting and your fielders will stay engaged and get more fielding practice. In case you took a look at this, let me reiterate these two points: THE COACH CAN FOCUS ON INSTRUCTING THE BATTER and THE BATTER GETS 3 TIMES AS MANY SWINGS.
“It’s easy to hit pitches that are slotted right down the middle.” I hear that a lot and let me just say that the argument doesn’t hold up with the Louisville Slugger Pitching Machine and here’s why: Ball Positioning. When you load the ball onto the launch lever, you can make the launch break in, out, down, or up. If true. Simply load the ball with the seams turned left or right for a snapping ball and turn the seams forward or backward for a high or low launch.
For advanced batting practice, you could be working on hitting all outside pitches or all inside pitches. Give it a try with your female pitcher or pitching coach and see how lucky you are! Chances are you’ll end up frustrated with whoever’s pitching and you won’t have gotten any of the practice you hoped for. But with the right pitching machine, you can consistently throw anywhere at the plate.
Still not convinced? I use the Louisville Slugger pitching machine to split up my team and play scrimmages. We can usually play an inning in 8-10 minutes. It’s a great way to end a practice. With about 30 minutes left in practice, just split up and play three or four quick innings. The girls love it.
Still need more? I’ve even adjusted the settings on the Louisville Slugger pitching machine to throw fly balls. By the way, this is a great practice drill for any parent to do. Set up the machine around home plate, adjust the settings accordingly, throw a couple, and go mark where the ball lands. Then, from where the ball lands, place a cone about 15′ to the front, back, left, and right. The player stands on the cone and when you throw the ball he runs to catch it, then he moves to another cone etc. This is excellent practice for moving toward the ball.
I LOVE this little pitching machine. It will greatly increase your team’s batting average. I have used the Louisville Slugger pitching machine with girls ages 7 to 14. It’s going to turn your hitters into BATTERS and turn your boring batting practice into a time of real achievement and fun.
Oh, did I mention this little rule? In Fastpitch Softball, whoever scores the most runs is the winner. He will increase the hitting skills of his softball team and he will definitely WIN MORE GAMES.