Do Pitching Machines Help Your Hitting?
John Marcus
One of the most widely asked questions of baseball and softball
coaches is: do pitching machines help your hitting. Although
having a pitching machine one hand does certainly give your
hitting game an extra boost, it is certainly not essential to
have a machine in order to be successful on the baseball
diamond. In most instances, coaches suggest that all baseball
or softball players should spend some time working with a
pitching machine, but not devote their entire hitting practice
to a machine.
The biggest complaint that both coaches and players have of
pitching machines is their consistency. Although consistency in
hitting and pitching is generally a good thing, pitching
machines can provide you with the same pitch each and every
time, often allowing the pitcher to relax since they
essentially know what is coming. In this case, pitching
machines can make a player become overconfident or cocky, which
can be detrimental when game time rolls around and a pitching
machine is replaced by a real, live pitcher. If you are
interested in using a pitching machine, consider a model that
will vary the speeds and pitches served to you so that you do
not fall into the pitching machine routine.
However, the problem of consistency is often overpowered by the
positive attribute of using a pitching machine. For example, a
pitching machine can help a baseball of softball player by
providing them with a way to practice their technique. Even
though they may not hit the ball, the technique of the swing
and follow through is crucial and easier to teach in using a
pitching machine than an actual pitcher. Choose a pitching
machine with several speeds so that a beginning player can
better practice his or her swing technique in addition to
keeping his or her eye on the ball without threat of being
injured from high speed pitches.
In the end, the choice of whether or not to use a pitching
machine in practice is left up to you. If you do elect to
include a pitching machine into your practice routine, be sure
to interchange it with time with an actual pitcher who performs
a variety of pitches, including balls so that you know what to
expect in game play. Typically, players who perform well in the
batting cages with pitching machines find their game is less
effective on the baseball diamond when they are pitted against
an actual pitcher. The reason tends to be because the
consistency of a batting machine tends to lure you into the
false security that each and every pitch will be perfect. For
this reason, you may not be skilled at deciphering with pitch
is good and should be swung at verses those pitches that should
be left to slide past without swinging.
About The Author: John Marcus specializes in Pitching Machines
http://www.1-pitching-machine.com and
http://www.pitching-machine-u.com
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