Baseball, like any skill, takes lots and lots of practice to get better. Luckily, there are some great batting training and pitching training available. Here is a list of several baseball training devices.
Baseball Batting Training
Batting Tee
Ahh, the good old batting tee. It’s a classic. The same tee you used for tee ball is used by professional hitters. That’s how great of a training tool it is.
The basic function of a tee is to hold a baseball in the strike zone so the batter can practice his swing. Adjustable tees allow for the batter to practice hitting specific locations such as pulling inside pitches or going the other way with outside pitches.
The tee is a great tool for hitting because it can be used solo, without the need for a pitcher or pitching machine.
Pitching Machine
Speaking of pitching machines, there are some really nice ones on the market today. Jugs is the best selling pitching machine made today. The Jugs BP3 is their newest model. The Jugs BP3 can throw nine different pitches: fastball, changeup, RH and LH curve, RH and LH slider, RH and LH cutters, and splitter.
A pitching machine is great for team batting practice because it provides the batter with repeatable pitches. It’s much more accurate than any coach could ever pitch, and can throw thousands of pitches without getting tired.
Swingrail
Swing path trainers are an entire group of training devices. Swingrail is one of the best swing path trainers.
Swingrail is basically a loop and hook. The loop attached to your arm via a velcro armband. The hook is attached to your bat. Before each swing, you connect the hook to the loop. The hook and loop keep your bat in the correct swing plane until extension, when the hook releases from the loop and you finish your follow through like normal.
The purpose of the swing path trainer is to force yourself to use the correct swing path in order to feel what correct feels like. After you repeat the correct swing path so many times, it begins to become muscle memory. Soon you find yourself with the correct swing path even without using the aid.
SKLZ Hit-A-Way
SKLZ makes several different baseball hitting aids. The Hit-A-Way is my favorite. It looks similar to a tetherball pole, and functions almost the same way.
The Hit-A-Way is a tall pole, collapsible for easy transportation. Attached to the pole is a baseball with two cables attached, one connected to the top of the pole and one at the bottom. Once the Hit-A-Way is set up, the batter simply gives the ball a spin around the pole. Centripetal force makes the ball swing away from the pole while it unwinds, and positions the ball in perfect hitting position. The batter can adjust the ball and cables to work on high or low pitches, as well as inside or outside pitches. The SKLZ Hit-A-Way is easy to set up and is great for building hand-eye coordination.
All Fields Hitting Baseball Academy provides Baseball and Softball Coaching. Ask any questions by calling Aaron Fields at (248) 430-0588. Check out our baseball training Services page as we also offer private baseball training and baseball camps 21315 Bridge St., Southfield, MI 48033
