Kids Pitching Machine

The Personal Pitcher: An Ideal Youth Pitching Machine

for kids and little leaguers

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Lightweight Batting Cage Netting

made for

Mini Polyball Pitching Machine Use

Made with small holes that will contain the mini polyball.

Can be cut to desired size with sissors

Indoors: can be hung with inexpensive hardware that you can get at the corner hardware store: hooks, ties or even nailed.

Outdoors: can be fastened or tied to a post or tree etc…

Is not permanent - can be taken down after use.

Will not disrupt or take up most of the backyard which you may wish to use for other activities

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for more info

Good hitting doesn't come naturally, it must be learned. Once the kids are beyond T-ball and old enough for coach pitch, or live pitch baseball, it is time to practice hitting a pitched baseball.

There are a number of ways to train a hitter to improve (see below), live pitching is probably the best - if you can get someone to throw regular batting practice. If that is not possible, then a pitching machine is the next best thing

Four ways to improve hitting

Let’s look at four methods used to develop hitting:

Hitting off a tee

Tee work is best for golfers who actually drive the ball from a tee in real competition. Baseball requires hitting a moving ball, which you don’t get from tee hitting.

Soft toss

Good for warm up - but doesn’t allow timing development like pitched batting practice.

Live pitching

This is the best option - BUT it is not always practical. It is hard to get dad out there everyday to pitch, and his arm will not hold up to daily pitching either.

Machine pitching

Machine pitching allow the hitter to hit moving / pitched balls which will help improve both timing and eye hand coordination. A pitching machine will enable the hitter to hit everyday without the need of a personal batting practice pitcher. The machine becomes the hitter’s “Personal Pitcher”.

The best type of batting practice is hitting pitched balls

Develop timing and eye hand coordination by hitting pitched balls. There is a time and a place for soft toss and tee hitting, if you have limited space. The Personal Pitcher (on the slowest pitch speed) doesn’t require a large hitting area. About 15 feet from the machine to the batter will work for the pitching, and younger aged hitters will not hit the balls very far - perhaps 40 - 60 feet (about 90 - 100 feet for stronger, older high school players)

Baseball or Wiffle® ball Machine?

While all pitching machines require adult supervision, a Wiffle® ball pitching machine is considered by most to be a much safer alternative to a full size baseball pitching machine. The plastic balls are a great training tool for younger players who are sometimes afraid of a pitched baseball. The Personal Pitcher removes the fear of being hit by the ball, and allows the youngster to concentrate solely on batting.

In addition to safety, the polyball machines are far less expensive than their baseball or softball machine counterparts, and do not require (as a rule) a full batting cage to contain the batted balls. See all Polyball Pitching Machines

Portability

The Personal Pitcher runs on a 4 hour rechargeable battery which allows it to be transported to the schoolyard or vacant lot

Polyball (plastic) pitching machine advantages:

Uses safer plastic balls (note)

Can be used at home in the backyard or at the schoolyard

Four pitch speeds

Easy to use

Portable

The Standard Personal Pitcher

Younger ages will not need to hit curves, sliders or change ups etc.. - just straight pitches. The Standard Personal Pitcher throw straight pitches at four selectable pitch speeds. It is a good starter machine and it is cheaper than the Personal Pitcher Pro model which pitches curves and sliders as well as fastballs at four different speeds. See Personal Pitcher Models Compared.

The Personal Pitcher Pro

As the child progresses, he/she will be confronted with curve balls in games. A machine that can pitch a curve ball is necessary for practice at this point. A good machine to learn to "hang in there" on the curve ball is a polyball machine. The plastic balls are much safer than a regulation baseball or softball. Learn proper pitch identification and reaction with the plastic ball pitching machine.

Train at home in the backyard

The limited flight of the polyball, makes it good for backyard hitting. Dad can work with the hitter after work - at home, without the need to travel to the schoolyard or local commercial batting cage.

If the backyard is smaller, a section of lightweight netting can be hung up to catch the batted balls and keep them in the yard.