Hitting Velo

[Rolling Hard]

So if your DD is going onto a tourney or showcase expecting to see 63 plus mph, how do you prepare her?
My only answer is the pitching machine. Turn it up to as fast as it will go and have her hit. I have seen many hitters that kill coach pitch but when velo gets up they tighten up and swing harder and are under the ball by a good 4 inches. I try to tell hitters to trust their swing. Don't tighten up and try to swing faster. Instead, time up the pitcher to YOUR swing. But they cant do it because they haven't practice it. The only way to practice 63 plus is in the cage. Feeding the machine with a good arm circle is important.
When I hear, "she really doesn't like hitting off a machine", it usually means she cant hit fast pitching.
Turn it up and start with bunting or even getting in the box , loading and just tracking the ball. Get use to seeing a ball travel at 65 plus mph.

 

[Westwind]

Agree. To a point.

The things to figure out are 1) When does a player hitting off a machine initiate her swing? Is it while the ball is being fed? Or is it during ball flight? 2) Is the player committing to swing at every pitch? In order to truly prepare, the decision to swing or not swing part still has to be part of the experience.

I think if you go at it with this kind of stuff in mind, you can effectively prepare.

I think this is why using both a machine *and simulated speed such as a coach throwing from 12-15’ away also helps. (I say that distance because I know I throw 30-35 mph).

People dog talk machines. It isn’t a problem with the equipment. It is a problem with using the equipment appropriately in a training environment.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

The problem I have with machines, especially single-wheel ones, is they're too consistent with their pitches. I am not a hitting expert, and I have not played competitive baseball in 30+ years, yet I can hit a 70 MPH Jugs machine with ease. It takes 3-4 pitches to get the timing down, but then I don't miss. Why is that? Because it's too easy to time.

Now, a Hack Attack is a different animal. Spinning in all different directions makes me look like a pig on rollerskates.

I also throw front toss all the time for my girls from 15-20 feet away. And while I'm not perfect, that makes it more of a challenge for them. I try to strike them out. Laying it down the middle every time does nothing for their plate discipline. The problem with front toss is when the person throwing the pitch can't replicate real speed. Then I can see the benefit of the machine. That's why live BP with team pitchers is the best, IMO.

 

[Cannonball]

I have posted video of my dd hitting with wood and I really believe in that. Her bat was a drop zero 33-inch 33 oz. I don't do the arm circle for feeding the machine. Instead, I placed the ball at a certain height above the feeding tube. I lower the ball trying to be as consistent as I can for when the ball enters the chute. The hitter begins their load as I start the ball downward. We seem to have a lot of luck with that. I put the machine at between 36 and 38 feet because the pitcher's release will be closer to the plate than the rubber.

I think that the concept of getting a rhythm is important to doing this.

 

[Rolling Hard]

I want hitters to have a yes, yes, yes approach. Or as Shawn said, ready, ready, ready, go or ready, ready, ready, no.
It could also be called pitching machine mentality approach. If you have a decent machine the hitter will be swinging at 99 percent of the pitches. That's how I want them against live pitching. Prepare to swing at every pitch. And avoid the "oh shirt, it's a strike swing."

 

[Cannonball]

The problem I have with machines, especially single-wheel ones, is they're too consistent with their pitches. I am not a hitting expert, and I have not played competitive baseball in 30+ years, yet I can hit a 70 MPH Jugs machine with ease. It takes 3-4 pitches to get the timing down, but then I don't miss. Why is that? Because it's too easy to time.

Now, a Hack Attack is a different animal. Spinning in all different directions makes me look like a pig on rollerskates.

I also throw front toss all the time for my girls from 15-20 feet away. And while I'm not perfect, that makes it more of a challenge for them. I try to strike them out. Laying it down the middle every time does nothing for their plate discipline. The problem with front toss is when the person throwing the pitch can't replicate real speed. Then I can see the benefit of the machine. That's why live BP with team pitchers is the best, IMO.

I like the single-wheel machine since they are consistent and I can set a speed where I can coach the swing. If you want a variety of locations on a single-wheel machine, mix the bucket of balls. Balls wear out at given rates and if you have a mixed bucket, you have pitches that vary locations. However, and this is important, beware, you might have to weed some balls out since you could hit your batters.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

I like the single-wheel machine since they are consistent and I can set a speed where I can coach the swing. If you want a variety of locations on a single-wheel machine, mix the bucket of balls. Balls wear out at given rates and if you have a mixed bucket, you have pitches that vary locations. However, and this is important, beware, you might have to weed some balls out since you could hit your batters.

I have a few different ones in my bucket. I find the older, dried out ones tend to sink more. And if they get damp, then you have a real adventure on your hands.

 

[Westwind]

Saw this tweet and thought of this thread. More long term than op intended but still good.

https://x.com/clongbaseball/status/1701956600859169048?s=61&t=7r0wHt3T9GjT3h0S0QPHOw

 

[DonnyS]

Bring in recently graduated college pitchers or get some men's fastpitch pitchers to throw BP.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Bring in recently graduated college pitchers or get some men's fastpitch pitchers to throw BP.

Wish it was that easy.