No comments about Wilson Mens Poly Warp Knit Pinstripe Shorts.

No comments about New York Yankees - Logo Soft Lunch Box MLB Pro Baseball.

No comments about Carlos Beltran New York Mets Youth Name and Number Tee.

No comments about SKLZ Practice Balls (plastic, 12 Pack).

1 comments about Rawlings Team Pine Tar Applicator with Liquid Pine Tar.

1. A friend gave this to me as a gift since I use wood bats. I love it and other team mates ask to borrow it while on deck often. The leather rag case is a great way to apply the tar with out getting it all over yourself. The strap allows you to latch it onto a fence for easy application. An all around excellent product to use with your wood bats! Just wach that 18 inch mark though!!!

No comments about Mizuno Classic Maple Wood Bats - Model MZM62.

No comments about IonX Mens BaseLayer Shorts.

No comments about Cloudveil Men's Run Don't Walk Zipneck.

No comments about Phiten Titanium Necklace - Black.

2 comments about Jugs Lite-Flite Pitching Machine.

1. We wanted to get a decent home pitching machine that would pitch strikes fairly consistenly. After trying two other pitching machines, we finally decided to pay a little more and get the Jugs Lite Flite. It was definitely worth the extra $70. My eight and ten year olds love it. It will pitch the Jugs lite foam balls (baseballs or softballs). You don't have to worry about them getting hurt on an inside pitch b/c of the feel of the ball. We think this was money well spent. If you're deciding between this and other pitching machines that are under $350, I would go with this one for sure!



2. I bought this for my backyard to be used in a cage I have set up. I opted for this model for two main reasons. Cost and safety. It's one of the cheaper models from Jugs. Compared to the ones that throw hard baseballs or the hard dimpled pitching machine balls besides being cheaper it is also much safer for my 7 and 10 year old. I don't have to worry about them getting hit with the balls. There are cheaper options out there (mound monster, hitting streak) but this one feels like it is built to last as compared to some of the other pitching machines in the under $400 range. It is a good weight (35lbs) and feels very solid.
   
   It comes with two separate bags. One smaller bag for the legs and one for the head unit that throws the balls. The storage bags are quality and seem like they will last. It comes with only one sample Jugs ball of each of the types of balls it will throw. 2 different baseballs (1 poly and one spongy) and 2 different softballs (1 poly and one spongy) for a total of 4 balls. Expect to add some money for the cost of at least a couple dozen of Jugs balls.
   
   It was relatively quick to setup. With just a brief look at the instructions you kind of understand where everything goes and in about 10 minutes you are ready to go. While takedown/setup is relatively easy it is still not so easy that you want to do it everyday. Since its just in my backyard I prefer to just leave it setup and have a cover for it for rainy days as it is not supposed to get wet. I guess if you wanted to travel with it allow 10-15 minutes each for setup and takedown. You would also probably need the optional battery.
   
   You have to calibrate the pitches by moving the head unit around. It has knobs you can loosen to move the head unit up/down left /right. It may take a couple of pitches to get it throwing within the strike zone. Fastballs are pretty consistent within the strike zone. Since the balls are so light the wind does have an affect on the ball flight. One thing I don't really like is that when you want to change from fastballs to curveballs or sliders you have to recalibrate once again. The hitter also knows its coming when you throw a curve or slider. It's obvious you are going to throw a curve or slider since the head unit is tilted and you have to recalibrate it to throw a curve in the strike zone. It's kind of a pain to change the pitch types so for now we have mainly just stuck to changing speeds off of the fastball. While my 10 year old can calibrate it, its not easy to calibrate for younger kids. Now that he is familiar with it my 10 year old can probably use it with little supervision.
   
   One big plus is that my son doesn't complain about his hands hurting after hitting like he might after going to the cage and hitting the hard balls. Since these balls are soft there is no sting. He can swing a hundred times and his hands dont hurt at all. Because of the lack of fear of being hit it can also help the young hitter learn to bunt a fast pitched ball.
   
   
   Other criticisms include the use of only Jugs balls. At $20/dozen the balls are a little expensive but really not much more than other sponge ball options out there. I have only really used the lite flite sponge baseballs with it. I haven't tried the poly balls.
   
   Also, I wish it came with the optional auto feeder w/remote. You can't really practice alone with this machine. I might get it when it becomes available.
   
   It is listed @ 30-50mph. I find when it's a slower pitch at the recommended distances the pitch tends to end up much lower than the max fastball which tends to be higher. I have it setup approx 30 ft. away. Which gives me the ability to get a good range of speeds of pitches in the strike zone without calibrating it over and over. (The manual says @ 40 feet the max fastball speed is equivalent to a pitch @ approx 60-65 mph. At 35 feet it is 70-75 mph)
   
   I would definitely recommend it to those with younger children for safety reasons but I could see them using it through high school as well. I think the quality for an under $400 machine is very high. It is built well and serves its purpose. Would I get it if my kids were playing high school ball? While I can see it being used with high school age kids I'm not sure I would buy it. While it is a good machine I think I might have to spend a little more and get a Jugs one that throws real baseballs.