Just curious to who still uses soft toss machines to practice hitting on, after they reach HS level.
Also, any HS coaches use a soft toss machine as one of the hitting stations at practice?
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That is what they have team mates for.
You really are pushing those soft toss machines!
Maybe you can add some information on soft toss to the discussion groups vs trying to push the machines.
Of all your post, only one was not about these soft toss machines! If you want to sell these, contact the site owner MN-Mom for an ad!
You really are pushing those soft toss machines!
Maybe you can add some information on soft toss to the discussion groups vs trying to push the machines.
Of all your post, only one was not about these soft toss machines! If you want to sell these, contact the site owner MN-Mom for an ad!
I'm not saying this to be rude but why would you need a machine to help you "soft toss"? I think I could find other ways to spend my money.
quote:Originally posted by Homerun04:
That is what they have team mates for.
You really are pushing those soft toss machines!
Maybe you can add some information on soft toss to the discussion groups vs trying to push the machines.
Of all your post, only one was not about these soft toss machines! If you want to sell these, contact the site owner MN-Mom for an ad!
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You're right, I probably am pushing these too much on here. I was thinking of purchasing ad space, but first wanted to get some feedback on this product from coaches/kids/parents on the highschool level. Our local high school coach really liked it and the kids thought it was neat, but I wanted to
reach out to more HS teams/players and get their opinion. I'm not well enough to travel much, so the next best thing is the internet.
I know this product works for kids under HS level, because I personally know of coaches that have purchased it to use in their practices, and Parents that have bought it for their kids to practice at home.
I'm curious to know how many HS kids really work on batting practice on their own, using soft toss machines or tees.(when they don't have team mates around)
Apparently, not many kids on this board do, according to the amount of views and replies.
quote:Originally posted by dawgduck:
I'm not saying this to be rude but why would you need a machine to help you "soft toss"? I think I could find other ways to spend my money.
If a team is short on coaches, then kids could hit by them selves on a soft toss machine, before live pitching.
And, if you're home and wanted to hit some balls, and no one around to toss to you, then why not a soft toss machine? Everyone knows the more swing reps you get in every day, the better hitter you'll become.
If kids would take time to go out in the back yard and hit off a soft toss machine everyday, then it would be worth the money....to most baseball parents.
G.G.
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bbdad,
I use soft-toss machines - but only to launch medium sized balls of Mozzerella up into the air - about 3 feet - and onto my dinner plate.
I havent quite mastered it yet - and the kitchen is a mess - but in another 2 weeks - I will be catching those babies in my mouth like an otter catching fish.
I use soft-toss machines - but only to launch medium sized balls of Mozzerella up into the air - about 3 feet - and onto my dinner plate.
I havent quite mastered it yet - and the kitchen is a mess - but in another 2 weeks - I will be catching those babies in my mouth like an otter catching fish.
A soft toss machine is the biggest waste of time and money ever conceived in my opinion. In the era of limited budgets and having to raise money for every single dime you spend I would rather spend that money on baseballs than a machine to toss balls up in the air to hit.
Maybe this is wrong but when I run a practice I got hitting stations set up all over the place. We got short cages going, normal cage going, golf ball sized whiffles going, thunderstick going, tees working on swing plane using a chair as negative reinforcement and soft toss all at the same time. I will put them in groups of around 3 each and have them rotate through each stage. Now based on that I don't have enough coaches to work on each group singularly so what we do is set them down and teach each drill to them. Then we stress how important it is to do the right thing all the time. We put younger players with older players to help them coach the younger guys. So that being the case we have the players make the toss on soft toss. We do a from behind soft toss to work on opposite field, a from the side working on middle and slightly in front aiming at the front hip to work inside pitches. The guys have to do this and make good tosses or we are going to not be prepared. It took a couple of years to get it the way we want it but we did get it there.
Now if you want to make the case of a kid wanting to work by himself and needs the machine to work then I will again say it's a waste of time and money. If a kid wants to work by himself then he needs to get a tee and hit off it. He will get good cuts that way.
Maybe this is wrong but when I run a practice I got hitting stations set up all over the place. We got short cages going, normal cage going, golf ball sized whiffles going, thunderstick going, tees working on swing plane using a chair as negative reinforcement and soft toss all at the same time. I will put them in groups of around 3 each and have them rotate through each stage. Now based on that I don't have enough coaches to work on each group singularly so what we do is set them down and teach each drill to them. Then we stress how important it is to do the right thing all the time. We put younger players with older players to help them coach the younger guys. So that being the case we have the players make the toss on soft toss. We do a from behind soft toss to work on opposite field, a from the side working on middle and slightly in front aiming at the front hip to work inside pitches. The guys have to do this and make good tosses or we are going to not be prepared. It took a couple of years to get it the way we want it but we did get it there.
Now if you want to make the case of a kid wanting to work by himself and needs the machine to work then I will again say it's a waste of time and money. If a kid wants to work by himself then he needs to get a tee and hit off it. He will get good cuts that way.
quote:Originally posted by coach2709:
A soft toss machine is the biggest waste of time and money ever conceived in my opinion. In the era of limited budgets and having to raise money for every single dime you spend I would rather spend that money on baseballs than a machine to toss balls up in the air to hit.
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I totally respect your opinion, but a soft toss machine isn't neccessarily a waste of money, if a kid will spend time on it every day and their batting performance improves.
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Maybe this is wrong but when I run a practice I got hitting stations set up all over the place. We got short cages going, normal cage going, golf ball sized whiffles going, thunderstick going, tees working on swing plane using a chair as negative reinforcement and soft toss all at the same time. I will put them in groups of around 3 each and have them rotate through each stage. Now based on that I don't have enough coaches to work on each group singularly so what we do is set them down and teach each drill to them. Then we stress how important it is to do the right thing all the time. We put younger players with older players to help them coach the younger guys. So that being the case we have the players make the toss on soft toss. We do a from behind soft toss to work on opposite field, a from the side working on middle and slightly in front aiming at the front hip to work inside pitches. The guys have to do this and make good tosses or we are going to not be prepared. It took a couple of years to get it the way we want it but we did get it there.
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sounds like you have a great program going
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Now if you want to make the case of a kid wanting to work by himself and needs the machine to work then I will again say it's a waste of time and money. If a kid wants to work by himself then he needs to get a tee and hit off it. He will get good cuts that way.
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If your kids go through all your drills, and are taught the proper hitting techniques, then wouldn't it benifit them if they could go home and use these same techniques on a machine that tosses the ball in the air for them to hit? They can still get good cuts in, but they get to practice on a moving ball.
I can promise you this,(from feedback that I have received)a kid will enjoy hitting off the Ultimate Hitting Machine, more than they will enjoy hitting off a tee...... which will result in more swing reps a day.
(Need to add: this feedback was from ages of 8 - 13 year olds)
G.G.
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Why does everything have to be enjoyable? Why does everything we teach kids on a baseball field or classroom have to be fun? At some point you have to go to work and we as a society have turned work into a vulgar four letter word.
I'm not saying there isn't validity to the more fun something is the better for learning - there is some validity to it. I'm just saying that we have lost our way with it towards developing a work ethic.
Anyway - sorry for the tangent. I still say that getting this machine isn't worth it. Just better things to purchase.
I'm sorry but you aren't going to convert me.
I'm not saying there isn't validity to the more fun something is the better for learning - there is some validity to it. I'm just saying that we have lost our way with it towards developing a work ethic.
Anyway - sorry for the tangent. I still say that getting this machine isn't worth it. Just better things to purchase.
I'm sorry but you aren't going to convert me.
BBdad5,
You're not going to win this. Regardless if the product is useful or not, you've violated the spirit of this website, which is baseball parents discussing issues in a respectful, and learning manner. If you've spent any time on here at all, you know whatever question you have someone on here has been through it and has insight. You come across as a huckster, polite, but still a huckster trying to profit. As Homerun04 said, just buy an ad, you'll have tons more credibility as a paid supporter.
You're not going to win this. Regardless if the product is useful or not, you've violated the spirit of this website, which is baseball parents discussing issues in a respectful, and learning manner. If you've spent any time on here at all, you know whatever question you have someone on here has been through it and has insight. You come across as a huckster, polite, but still a huckster trying to profit. As Homerun04 said, just buy an ad, you'll have tons more credibility as a paid supporter.