Are Pitching Machines Good For Batting Practice? Advantages and Disadvantages.

Last Updated on May 14, 2023

Are pitching machines good for batting practice? If I ask this, what will be your answer?

Do you prefer to practice batting with a pitching machine?

There are no questions that pitching machines facilitate a lot of benefits. You may be or not. However, baseball batters get advantages by practicing batting with pitching machines.

You can practice with automation with controlled pitching. This helps to develop your batting skills on different sides.

Yet, many players do not prefer to practice with machines. Even baseball players see it detrimental to careers, though youths benefit from the pitching machine.

However, what is my point of view in this case? I will explain both the benefits and limitations of using pitching machines for batting practice from my long baseball career and analysis experience.

So, let’s see what is to be found.

What Is A Pitching Machine?

A pitching machine is a device that pitches baseball to batters automatically for practice purposes. A pitching machine can pitch balls at different speeds and styles.

You will find most of the pitching machines with hand-feeding designs. However, there are also machines that feed automatically.

The pitching machine was first invented in 1897. A mathematics instructor named Charles Hinton designed the first pitching machine for the Princeton University baseball team. It was a “gunpowder-powered” machine.

However, the first machine caused some injuries to people. Charles Hinton had to quit the university for this reason.

After joining the University of Minnesota, he developed a machine successfully to pitch a ball. It could pitch balls at variable speeds with two rubber-coated steel fingers.

Later on, Paul Giovagnoli, the father of the modern pitching machine, invented the arm-type pitching machine in 1952.

See how a baseball pitching machine pitches baseball.

Benefits of Pitching Machines in Baseball

Okay, let’s start with the benefits of pitching machines. If you are a baseball batter, you must develop several batting skills. The different abilities include timing, batting mechanism, etc.

For this, you need a lot of practice. Because, you know, practice makes a man perfect.

However, you might not find pitchers always pitching balls to you. Also, if you are not a professional baseball player, you will not get an available pitcher for practice.

In this situation, the pitching machine is the solution to the problem. However, you will get numerous benefits from using pitching machines for batting practice.

So, are you thinking

Let’s see what benefits you will get.

Improvement Of Technique

Baseball hitting mechanics is one of the most significant parts of building a batter’s skill set in the sport. The body mechanics of the players determine how their bodies move as they strike the ball. Different players, however, use a variety of attitudes and stances following the same idea.

Each player must understand their personal preferences when it comes to building their swings and batting stance. You will notice that certain players are very adept at swinging. It naturally came to them.

On the other hand, some players have a natural ability to hit the ball. Some players are skilled at swinging the bat such that it covers the full playing area.

In this situation, a pitching machine may assist a hitter in determining his ideal location on the mound. You can put in a lot of practice time with a machine due to the fact that the machine does not get fatigued. You may, on the other hand, record a video of yourself while you are training with the machine.

The video analysis might assist you in identifying your weaknesses. You may improve your batting technique by participating in this form of exercise.

Developing Target Achieving

As a human person, a live coach or pitcher has the ability to pitch you continuously for a certain period. But they are not supposed to pitch the same throw in the same area multiple times.

The fact that pitching machines can pitch the same pitches over and over again is a key truth in their world. Machines can replicate the same motion indefinitely, allowing you to practice as often as you want.

You may use the machines to throw insider deliveries if you need to get some experience with them. If, on the other hand, you need outside deliveries, a pitching machine can also accommodate your needs.

To put it another way, pitching machines are the answer to your on-demand requirements. With pitching machines, you may spend a significant amount of time practicing a certain target. Because machines are very consistent when it comes to generating the same target over an extended period of time.

Live pitchers, on the other hand, do not regularly deliver the same pitches. It is thus impossible to ensure that every pitch thrown by a pitcher will be exactly the same as the last. On the baseball field, you will have to deal with a variety of difficulties.

But, a pitching machine can help you to bring a consistent practice environment that will help you to develop your particular target practices.

Timing Development

Timing is one of the most crucial abilities for a batter to master, second only to technique and goal setting in the game. It is necessary to employ a range of best pitches in order to achieve this.

Pitching machines have the ability to pitch both rapid and slower pitches based on your need. In this instance, you may work on your timing using equipment to improve your accuracy.

Comfort, on the other hand, is an important factor to consider for beginning players. It’s possible that he’ll feel uncomfortable in front of a live pitcher.

As a result, he may not be able to improve his timing skills. Machines will not be a source of distraction for the players in this situation.

No Tiredness

A human being must get exhausted after a certain amount of time engaged in physically demanding activities. As a result, you may not always be able to locate them accessible for batting practice.

Furthermore, they will be unable to pitch with the same endurance, same target, and same pace for an extended period of time.

Alternatively, the most advantageous aspect of the pitching machine is that it does not get fatigued at all. As a result, you may have them accessible whenever you need them. Machines may operate for as long as you need.

Strengthen The Confidence

When it comes to commencing batting practice, new players, particularly children, and teens, are not too confident.

As previously stated, a live human coach or pitcher may create difficulties throughout the breaking-in period for the new players. The dread of being struck by rapid pitches may also exist in their minds.

On the other hand, you may use pitching machines to boost your children’s self-esteem and boost their confidence. You can adjust the pitching speed on the machines.

Contacting bats with balls will naturally increase your children’s level of confidence, and you may vary the pace at which they contact the bats.

Limitations Pitching Machines

I have been playing baseball for a long time. As per my experience, I have been experiencing many facts about baseball batting practice. I have spent thousands of hours in the batting cage with pitching machines.

So, I can say there are a lot of advantages to using pitching machines; there is no doubt. But, there are also a few limitations to using pitching machines.

As a baseball player, I have pointed out the following limitations of using a pitching machine for batting practice.

Expulsion Of Rhythm

As a hitter, it is essential for me to grasp various pitchers throwing rhythms to be successful. We will be able to do this with a lot of practice.

Natural pitches from a live pitcher provide a hitter with endless opportunities for visual instruction to help them balance with the various rhythms. They will be able to control the speed and route of the balls in their possession.

In other words, as a hitter, practicing with live pitching improves the reflections.

Consider the example of the machine. The pitching machine pitches in a static rhythm, which is unchanging. While it is possible to alter the pace of the ball, every speed has its own static rhythm. As a result, you will not be able to further strengthen your measuring abilities.

You’re familiar with how and where balls appear. As a result, you get used to a static spot on the balls. Your striking approach’s rhythmic balance will be compromised as a result of this.

Release Point Is Not Natural

The majority of the time, pitching machines are built to be feeder friendly rather than batter friendly. It is possible to detect that the machine’s release point does not correspond to that of a live pitcher by inspecting the machine closely.

The balls are released from the highest point of a live pitcher by the machines. A live pitcher often tosses balls from the point of the knee to the mid-thigh of himself.

As a result, the machine improves the vision of a young batter at the expense of natural eyesight. Consequently, batters may always seek for the ball at an elevated release point in this situation. With this scenario in mind, the young hitters will be prepared for a release point when there are no subtle indications to look for.

Pace Is Not For Always

There is no question that the pitching machine is capable of producing high-velocity throwing on its own. When young hitters begin to practice with high-speed throwing, they quickly get acclimated to the new pace.

It seems to be advantageous for a hitter to be able to handle the balls at a rapid rate of speed. It will make it easier for you to deal with the quicker pitches. And you could be content with that outcome.

However, in real-life cage practice, I have seen adolescents who ask questions such as “why is the ball moving so slowly?” and “why can’t I hit the slow balls?”

A live pitcher or coach will not be able to generate the same speeds as the pitching machines. As a result, if you get used to such speed, they will interfere with your real-time gaming.

Final analysis: Constantly higher throwing speeds are not always beneficial.

Do MLB Players Use Pitching Machines?

Yes, really! Batters of all skill levels and experience can benefit from the use of pitching machines. Particularly particular they come particularly handy for training one’s hitting skills against pitches of varying speeds and varieties.

Pitching machines are basically just machines that make it look like someone is tossing a baseball.

And here’s the kicker: they’re capable enough to throw a wide variety of pitches, including fastballs, curveballs, sliders, and more. If you don’t know the difference learn from here What Is The Difference Between A Slider And A Curveball?

In addition, the machine’s pitch speed can be adjusted, allowing players to practice hitting against a variety of speeds.

In that case, why do MLB players use pitching machines in practice?

Since the machines can throw any type of pitch, players can practice hitting against pitchers they have never seen before. So, when they face a new pitcher in a game, they’ll be ready. And exactly as a real pitcher would do in a game, coaches may instruct the machine to mimic any pitch type at any location.

Still, there’s more to come! Batter pitching talents can be honed with the aid of pitching machines. Pitchers, for instance, can practice crucial aspects of their game, such as pitching with pinpoint accuracy and consistent velocity, on the machines.

Pitchers can get a feel for real-game pressure by having their coaches run them through simulated scenarios.

It’s important to keep in mind that different MLB teams may have varying needs and hence have varying tastes when it comes to pitching machines.

Indoor use may be optimal for some machines, while outdoor use may be preferable for others. Some people can even hit softballs and other balls with their throws. The key is matching up the right players with the proper teams.

What Type of Pitching Machine DO I Need

It can be difficult to determine which of the various available pitching machines is best for your needs. The following are some things to think about while picking up a pitching machine:

Which pitches would you like to master? Machines now exist that can replicate the throwing motion of human throwers, allowing them to throw any pitch imaginable.

To what extent are you able to invest monetarily? Prices for pitching machines can vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

How frequently do you plan on utilizing the machine? A high-end model isn’t necessary if you’ll just use it rarely. But if you’re going to be using it frequently, it should be a sturdy machine.

After giving these things some thought, you’ll be ready to start looking at several models and comparing their features to pick the best pitching machine for you.

Feeling worried? Don’t worry. I have covered this for you. Here are my lists:

5 Best Baseball Pitching Machine

12 Best Softball Pitching Machine

Tips For Getting Better Results Using A Pitching Machine

So you see, there are benefits and limitations to practicing with pitching machines. However, most of the youths start their batting practice with a pitching machine.

So, you cannot avoid the importance of pitching machines for batting practices. Rather you can develop your batting practice by following a particular manner. I would rather say, you should choose the second one.

So, what should be your practice techniques so you can get better results from the pitching machines?

As a youth baseball coach and a former player, I can give you some tips. To properly use a pitching machine for better results, you can follow these.

• Try to set the speed of your pitching machine as per the speed of a regular baseball pitcher.
• If your pitching machine has a speed control panel, try to switch the speed of the machine randomly. Set the speed is slower, sometimes faster. If you have static speed control, change the speed at different levels for different pitches.
• You should move randomly in the batter’s box. If you can, do this with every pitch. This will help you to bring some variations with consistent pitching.
• Try to contact the bat with the ball where the ball is tougher to play.
• Keep practicing with slower pitching by setting the pitching machine speeds slower. Try to work more in slow pitches.

All these tips are for the pitching machine, which is producing consistent faster speed. But, there are pitching machines in the market that maintain inconsistency in pitching, for example, Bata 2 Pitching Machine. The plans for those machines will be different of course.

Pitching Machines Good or Bad: My Analysis

Okay, so if I were to ask you, what would you bring with you? Are pitching machines good for batting practice? Or bad?

If I suggest that pitching machines are beneficial or terrible for batting practice, I will be breaking the rules of ethics. Because you would already be aware that it has both advantages and disadvantages, as you would expect.

Although the pitching machines have their limits, you might make effective use of them by following the proper procedures. Pitching machines may help you improve your specific talents, like rapid pitches, by practicing on them.

On the other side, there is a variety of equipment available that provides a variety of batting practice options for players. Pitching machines may also be used to handle specific challenges that arise.

Consider the following scenario: you have a weakness on the outer edging. In this situation, you may arrange for the pitching machine to pitch on the outer edge of the pitching cage.

A pitching machine, on the other hand, is beneficial for beginners. They are more comfortable working with machines than they are with real pitchers. It helps them to feel more confident.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do Pitching Machines Ruin Bats?

It is true that pitching machines affect bats. It is because of the speed of the balls that the machine throws. You should not use expensive bats in the batting case with pitching machines for practice.

• Do MLB Players Use Pitching Machines For Batting Practice?

The pitching machines for baseball batting practice are a common tool. It is used in almost every level of baseball for practice. So, the answer is yes. MLB players use pitching machines for batting practice.

• Is Batting Practice A Good Exercise?

Practice batting pushes you to do physical exercise. It employs pressure on your shoulders and arms. An average weighted person can burn up to 300 calories by exercising batting for one hour. There is no doubt that batting practice is a good exercise.

Conclusion

If you are a newbie, I hope this post will help you to understand the fact “Are pitching machines good for batting practice?” However, pitching machines have both benefits and limitations.

I experienced both benefits and drawbacks when I practiced myself, even now when I am teaching baseball players.

So, if you can properly utilize the baseball pitching machine for abetting practices, it would bring a good result.

On the other hand, excessive use of machines and dependability on them will drive you into trouble in real gameplay.