Baseball Pitching Machines
A pitching machine is the perfect companion for an baseball training. It can typically throw fastballs, breaking balls, flyballs, popups and the speed and range depend on the machine you buy but it differs from about 15 to 100 mph.
Not any machine can go that slow or quick and it all depends on your needs. Do you want it for in your backyard as a practice for you kids and for them to play or is it a machine used at a school or club for more proffesional use.
As the speed and range is adjustable you can use it for kids or adults. Using a macine like this will give anyone the practice to become a slugger on the field. As with anything you need practice to become perfect.
But you do need to look for the features specific for that machine you have set your eye on. Some pitching machines can throw only baseballs and others will be able to be used with 11″ and 12″ softballs, tennisballs or even only specific size just made for that brand of machine.
There are basicly two types of baseball pitching machines. The first is the “arm style” pitching machine. The other is the wheel based style. The arm style will use the arn to sling the ball at you. You can see the arm turning and can get ready just as it would be on the playing field. The wheel based style will use one or 2 wheels which spin and those will propel the ball at you. The wheel based style is more common and in most cases cheaper but the arm style has it advantage as it will be more natural.
There are some major brands selling baseball pitching machines which I describe below and on the various pages.
- Atec pitching machines
Atec makes pitching machines for the backyard but mostly they have high end machines that are used for semi and proffesional baseball clubs. The prices range from $99 for a Atec Jet to $3300 for a Casey Pro 3G
- Jugs pitching machine
The best known brand under the pitching machines would be Jugs. They make differnt styles of machines where the Jugs Lite-Flite and the wheel based machines would be the ones that you see the most - Zooka baseball pitching machine
Zooka is a new company that makes pitching machines mostly for youth players. The Zookas are becomming one of the most well loved machines used on the Small League field - Heater Pitching Machine
Heater offers several differnet high quality pitching machines. For instance the Mini Lite and Lite ball pitching machines, real baseball and softball machines, and combo pitching machines. - used pitching machine
An other option would be if you are on a budget to buy a second hand pitching machine. Most machines require low maintenance and can live a long time. You do need to make sure all parts are in a working order.