Has anyone tried either of these products? Pro's and con's of each. I am trying to decide which one to purchase so I would appreciate some help.
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I have owned a swingaway for years. It is awkward to move to different locations ie. field to home but it is a great way to get lots of reps.
Solohitter is cheaper and lighter but I have not owned one.
I really can't give personal comparison to both as I have only owned the swingaway.
The swingaway is pricey but other than replacement ball kits it has performed well.
Seadog
The choices we make dictate the lives we lead.
Solohitter is cheaper and lighter but I have not owned one.
I really can't give personal comparison to both as I have only owned the swingaway.
The swingaway is pricey but other than replacement ball kits it has performed well.
Seadog
The choices we make dictate the lives we lead.
Does either really do anything that a tee can't do? 
swing away hands down.Two years outside in the weather and still going strong. my son (17yr) loves it. many many......... reps without picking up a ball ! very portable also.
Had a Swing Away for years and found that 05 son gets much better work off a tee. In fact, he was the one who quit using it a couple of years ago. IMHO, very easy to get sloppy using SwingAway and very easy to fall into bad bat path problems.
We have a Swingaway and the concept is wonderful. The problem with the tool is that the lines are too short, which makes the batter rush to get back to point A to start the next swing. IMO it causes a kid to develop poor mechanics by taking shortcuts. If you hit the ball real hard, it is hard to get it back in time at all.
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What are you talking about when you say the lines are too short?
It's simply a device that T's up the ball for you. A caddy if you will. A better T if you will.
And I see no way a better T will cause you to develop bad habits. I believe it's the player that develops those bad habits.
It's simply a device that T's up the ball for you. A caddy if you will. A better T if you will.
And I see no way a better T will cause you to develop bad habits. I believe it's the player that develops those bad habits.
There can be no denying the muscle development a swingaway can generate. I bought one 5 years ago for my '06 and my '09 has been using it since day one. The younger kid now has tremendous "pop" using a wood bat. IMO, both kids are much better long-cage tee hitters (a more advanced tool, I think) because of the thousands of cuts they've taken with their swingaway. BTW, if a hitter can't get their bat out of the way of the returning ball, they've got issues with strength or technique.
Swingaways are nothing but a self loading tee's.
If you develope bad habits with a swingaway look at the player not the tool.
A swingaway does not control swing patterns, direction, or tempo it just reloads the tee.
Seadog
The choices we make dictate the lives we lead.
If you develope bad habits with a swingaway look at the player not the tool.
A swingaway does not control swing patterns, direction, or tempo it just reloads the tee.
Seadog
The choices we make dictate the lives we lead.
both are probably great tools. i don't have either one for my team. i like tee work, soft toss, and front toss better. my view is you are keeping 2 people working instead of one. as an individual work out tool they are great.
quote:
A swingaway does not control swing patterns, direction, or tempo it just reloads the tee.
True enough...except when miss-hit, they have a tendency to yank the bat from your hands and beat you over the head with it! Sure got my kids' swing patterns under control...
IMO the thing makes you rush to get the bat back into launch position, which can cause problems with follow through.
I suppose that if the lines (that are attached to the ball) were longer, you'd have a longer time to get back to launch.
We have a net (hangs from hooks), a tee and a bucket of balls in the garage.
The boy can also throw weighted balls into it too.
PS- I got mine from a fishery supply house and it has a fairly heavy lead line at the bottom. This keeps it from flipping up and allowing the ball to fly into the wall. When I played golf, I used it for swatting balls into too. (Need a pretty tight weave though)
I suppose that if the lines (that are attached to the ball) were longer, you'd have a longer time to get back to launch.
We have a net (hangs from hooks), a tee and a bucket of balls in the garage.
The boy can also throw weighted balls into it too.
PS- I got mine from a fishery supply house and it has a fairly heavy lead line at the bottom. This keeps it from flipping up and allowing the ball to fly into the wall. When I played golf, I used it for swatting balls into too. (Need a pretty tight weave though)
I obviously am talking about a Hitaway and not a Swingaway, excuse my mistake. All the gimmick devices start to run together after a while. I agree to bad habits can be formed with a tee.
http://www.highviewheat.com/index.asp
http://www.kristensfastpitchworld.com/index.asp
http://www.highviewheat.com/index.asp
http://www.kristensfastpitchworld.com/index.asp
I know this post is old but I felt compelled to set the record straight. There is No Comparison between the SwingAway and Solo Hitter. The SwingAway Hands Down is the Very Best Hitting Training Machine in all baseball, nothing else comes close. The Solo Hitter on the surface may look to be a similar device but it is flimsey and not well constructed. The machine moves (drifts) and bounces arround. The ball will not reset unless manually stopped. On the other hand the SwingAway is ROCK SOLID, the ball actually does stop in less than 3 -seconds and the ball can placed any where in the strike zone, That is why it is in the majority of the MLB Stadiums. No matter what Solo Hitter claims they are not anywhere in the MLB. There are several SwingAway's at The Padres complex, Not the Solo Hitter and isnt that where Tony Gynn played. The price differential between the SwingAway and the Solo Hitter is not that great when you consider a SwingAway will last for years and the Solo Hitter will end up in your garbage in a few years. Dont make the same mistake I originall did, Buy the Swingaway.
I disagree. I believe the Solo Hitter is hands down the best product. It is lightweight, easily transportable, and allows for a lot of great reps.
When you hit a ball on the Solo hitter you can watch the trajectory toward the back of the net--to see if you've hit a line drive or not--something that is very hard to do on the Swing Away. And as far as the ball bouncing around, that's only for a second or two.. big deal.. and it's actually a PLUS because a hitter can choose to quickly reload and train his eye to hit a moving target.
When you hit a ball on the Solo hitter you can watch the trajectory toward the back of the net--to see if you've hit a line drive or not--something that is very hard to do on the Swing Away. And as far as the ball bouncing around, that's only for a second or two.. big deal.. and it's actually a PLUS because a hitter can choose to quickly reload and train his eye to hit a moving target.
The Solo hitter our team had didn't last very long. The Swing Away one dad brought to every practice is still going strong.
Our experience.
Our experience.
Our team purchased one of the swing away's last year. We bought the portable one that folded up and went in a carrying bag. It was great to take to tournament, especially ones that did not have batting cages. We could set it up outside the dugout and the players that were to hit later in the lineup, or a batter subbing in later in the game could go out and take some cuts and get warmed up. This one comes with a home plate that the verticle cord connects to and you can work on outside pitches, inside pitches, and those down the middle.
the only drawback was the weight. Talking with the company owner, they are continuing to look at improvements to make this better and better.
Contact me directly if you have additional, specific questions.
the only drawback was the weight. Talking with the company owner, they are continuing to look at improvements to make this better and better.
Contact me directly if you have additional, specific questions.
My two boys used the solo hitter almost daily for about seven years. But it didn't help much as they both ended up being pitchers. 