5 comments about Spalding 15175 Multi-Sport Return Throw System.

1. I bought this pitch back for my daughter so she could practic her pitching. It has served it's purpose well. It should stand the test of time from what I can tell. Although the target they give you with it is cheap and tears almost emmediately it is still pretty good and I would recommend to anyone not wanting to spend to much.



2. This is a very good product, but there were not enough of the bungee cords with it. It has held up very well, so far, and my grandson (7) enjoys it almost every day. It has helped him improve his throwing, and catching skills. I would recomend this, but make sure of all the parts!!!



3. I haven't used one of these ball returns since I was a kid, but I wanted my 7-year-old son to have an opportunity to practice like I use to. I was hesitant about ordering this, because surely it couldn't be as good as the one I use to have. Boy, was I wrong. This is a great ball return and is quite sturdy. Be prepared for the dreaded "some assembly required." The directions are far from good, and I eventually resorted to using the picture on the box for reference. But after it was assembled, it became fun to use and we look forward to many practice days ahead. I would highly recommend this.



4. I purchased this for my grandson who is 5-1/2 and loves playing T-ball. It has helped him learn to be ready when the ball comes back to him to catch and he can play by himself without having someone else throw the ball to him. It is very sturdy and easily assembled.



5. This product is exactly what I expected. My 8 year old son loves using it. It is definitely sturdy enough for a kid his age to use for praticing baseball. It gives him a target to aim throwing at and he also enjoys catching (or trying to catch) the return. As a result he has shown a greater interest in baseball.

3 comments about Major League Baseball Pitching Machine.

1. My kids were jumping-up-and-down excited to get this as they love baseball. Unfortunately, there is no way for them to play. Even on a flat surface the balls go in wildly varying directions, heights & distances. The motor is still revving up when the first ball is pitched, so it's always too low/short. The mechanism for loading fails every other time so that two balls are shot out at first (both too low/short). My 4 & 7 yr. olds go from swinging above their heads to getting hit in the hip, to golfing in one round of pitching. They love the concept of the machine, but only get one decent pitch out of the 6 (it already came missing 2 balls - somebody else must have smartly returned it before us). I'm hoping to find a different pitching machine that will make us all happy.



2. My son is 4 and already hitting them out of the park with this pitching machine. Loads of fun for the whole family. Have it set on a level surface in the back yard. I use a patio 12x12 tile.



3. Bought this for my 9 year old grandson and was afraid that it wouldn't work well enough for him and his 8 year old brother to use. I haven't had very good luck with toys lately and I thought a pitching machine for $29 was asking a lot. However, it worked just fine. I had purchased an extra set of balls so there would be enough for two rounds before the gathering up process. Seems the extra balls were a little heavier and fired better than the balls that came with the product, so the boys chose to use only the one set and pick-up after each round. (they have a lot more energy than I have) They had a great time practicing their batting and I got credit for getting an awesome gift.

5 comments about Derek Jeter Hurricane Batting Trainer.

1. We purchased this item for our son. Practicing with the hurricane batting trainer has improved his batting stance and his batting average. The 3 adjustable tension bands and the adjustable height make it easy to use at any age. The item was easy to put together and is easy to transport and store.



2. This product is an excellent way to increase your eye hand coordination and improve your swing. My eight year old son and I use the hurricane all the time, out in the yard, and in the garage. We have not experienced any trouble what so ever with the lowest height setting. This product is very durable, sturdy, and well made. It is a great way to spend time with you little leaguer or improve your own swing and have fun. We love it, and recommend it to everyone.



3. I have been very pleased with the results from using the Hurricane Batting Trainer. It has really helped my son to hit consistently with more power. When he uses the Hurricane he focuses more on hitting with more power and with a consistent swing. My son enjoys trying to see how many times he can hit the ball when it swings bck around so it's fun for him while at the same time helping him to develop into a better hitter.



4. I actually purchased two units, one for my kids and another for my nephews. I like the product in the sense of eye hand coordination and helping with proper swing etc. However one of my bungee cords as well as my nephews shredded at the top end. Customer service was nice and sent me a replacement and several back up ones. I like the trainer a lot and don't want to return it but there seems to be an inherent flaw in these bungee cords and I may need to return the unit if it continues to happen.



5. I use this product a three time a week and my swing and timing have become very good. I hitting line drives like never before and My playmates are commenting on how good I have become. This is a sturdy and durable piece of work. If you want to make your swing and timing better, buy the Hurricane trainer.

3 comments about ATEC Pro Pitcher's Practice Screen with Stand.

1. Heavy duty screen absorbs force of hard thrown balls allowing the pitcher to see exactly where the pitch landed. Also great for the times you can't locate a "live" catcher and you need some practice!



2. I bought this for my sons ages 8 and 9. They absolutely love it. This target along with a bucket of practice baseballs entertains my sons for hours. AND their pitching has improved greatly. I would highly recommend this items for any young baseball or softball player. By the way, the quality of the frame and target is excellent. I am very happy.
   
   Karl Zachar
   [...]



3. Tremendous training aid. Lightweight, easy to assemble and disassemble, durable. My 14 y.o. son has been using his regularly for several months, and there are no negatives to report. It is very well designed. I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Pro Performance Zip-N-Hit Pro Baseball Trainer Endorsed by Derek Jeter.

1. The team my 9-year-old boy is on uses these in practice and will even take some swings on them during the games. His coach also uses them with his 13 year olds team. Not saying the zip and hit is the reason why, but my boy's team has only lost 1 game in over 3 years of baseball, including fall ball. So it's not a bad team, and they use it quite extensively.
   
   At home we have the Hit-Away baseball mounted to a pole and it works great. But, I can't really take it with us. So, we picked up the zip and hit. Now, when the wife goes in the grocery store, we park far enough out for me and the boy to attach it to the back of the vehicle and take some swings in the parking lot. When we go to a Red's game or a Florence Freedom game, it's a big hit in the parking lot there as well. I coach 3 soccer teams year round and the boy and me can squeeze some hitting in between games.
   
   So just for the portability alone, this thing gets 5 stars in my book.
   
   Also, about the review stating his kid now swings over the ball because it doesn't drop like real pitches would. You can make it drop using several different techniques that are described in the directions that come with it. After you get his confidence back up, you might be able to give it another try.



2. I bought this for my son when he was 9 years old. We attach it to the baseketball hoop and go to town! It REALLY helps warm up the swing and hand/eye coordination. The cord can fray pretty easily, we replaced ours after about a year. Comes with a second cord though.
   
   I can't pitch to save my life so this was a huge help to me. And I didn't have to run after the ball when it was hit.
   
   This also helped my son from dropping his back shoulder too much. If he swings below the string he knows he's dropped his shoulder.
   
   The only thing I don't like... You really have to hold the string TIGHT so that your knuckles don't get smacked with the ball. That's a little bit of a problem for my little ones to use it together.



3. My son hit .515 as an 8 year old last year. This year, he moved up a division and has struggled at around .250, even though he has a fairly nice swing. Using this device for two weeks, he suddenly can't hit anything. I pitched him hardballs today and he swung over the top of every one of the first 60! The problem with this device is that the ball doesn't drop like a pitched ball, so it actually trains them to swing higher than normal. I'll be putting this away for the season and trying to recover my son's swing and confidence. Don't get me wrong, the kids love it. The entire team lines up before every game and begs you to throw fastballs with it. It's great for use around the house - just tie it to a tree and you can take swings that you couldn't otherwise. Beware if you intend to use this for much more than casual practice and don't let it replace live pitching. Fun-factor is a 5, but as far as a training device, I have to question its value.



4. I got great results coaching 2 teams last season in 2006 using the Zip N Hit as a training aid in addition to live Batting Practice. We would work it into our routine for pre-game drills and starting practice drills. With every player maybe getting another 20-25 swings at a moving ball at each practice and pre-game session, over a season it adds up to 200-300 extra swings that you can't get from live BP (which takes too long, you must retrieve balls). Both of my teams last year batted as a team over 0.400 in both Bronco and Pony. I had several players bat over 0.500 and 0.600, too. It also helped them develop a level swing which improves the Batting average, and become better situational hitters. Other opposing teams also began copying us. Perfect for pre-game warmups where you aren't allowed live BP, i.e. regular games, tournament games. Our league is now buying one kit for every team in our league as basic equipment. The players can even help drill themselves.



5. Durability seems to be an issue. The cord breaks or unravels much too quickly. The sleeve inside the ball becomes grooved and slows the ball's travel on the cord. A sleeve made of a harder, slicker material would improve both ball speed and reduce cord wear. Possible materials are hardened aluminum, stainless steel (polished), teflon-based plastic or polycarbonate.

2 comments about Easton Junior Playback Elite.

1. We ordered this pitchback for our two boys to replace the same model that wore out after about 5 years. We keep the pitchback outside all year long and the weather took its toll on the first one. It is easy for the boys to adust the angel of the back. They love to practice getting grounders or quick throws back when they play with it. Sometimes they play for an hour other times 5 or 10 minutes while they are waiting for the bus. Great for practice and improving catching skills.



2. For my sons 9th birthday my wife bought a bottom of the line pitchback. It did not have an adjustable center point so every ball did pretty much the same thing.
   
   The Easton has the adjustable center so you can set it any way you like. It is also sturdy enough that it doesn't get knocked over when you hit it hard at the top.
   
   Easy to put together and it appears to be okay sitting out in the rain (it's been outside all summer).
   
   Great buy!

5 comments about Pro Performance Hit A Way Pole (For Use with Hit-A-Way Trainers).

1. The design and quality of the pole are both top notch. I get a good workout on my swing. My 6 year old little leaguer has trouble keeping the ball going, but my 8 year old softballer can keep it going a few times, enough to get a good workout while I'm there to help. The secret is ball height, and wrapping the bottom cable a couple of times to lower the angle.
   
   A+ for adults and pre-teens, B+ for the younger kids (under 10).



2. This is just what we were looking for! We needed something portable for my husband to take back and forth to ball practice for my sons, and this was it! It is a little heavy, but I guess it would have to be. We don't have any small trees in our yard, and my kids don't play basketball, so this was our answer to hitting practice for our 8 year old. We haven't had any trouble with it yet. It is a great training aid and you can't beat the price that Amazon offers (especially with the free shipping!). We love it and it suits our needs! Thanks Amazon for having, again, what we couldn't find in any store around us!



3. Works very well for the repetitive motion needed to practice the mechanics of your swing. No need to chase the ball, reset the ball, replace the ball during the drills. Folds up for easy stow, very nice.



4. My daughter tore my basketball pole down using the Hit-A-Way. This pole is portable and much more durable than the basketball pole. My daughter is 12 and hits about everyday. She can set it up by herself and can tear it down. The wheels make it easy for her to move it around.



5. This is a great teaching devise that is portable, and enables good hand/eye coordination. It's great for getting your timing down. It is a little heavy for my 11 year old son, thank goodness for the wheels to help move it around. Very easy to set up.

5 comments about Sports Sensors Glove Radar.

1. Have you ever used a jugs gun? If so then you have to get a glove radar! This little product is a powerhouse radar that attaches to the back of a ball glove. It is an affordable training tool that anyone can use. My daughter's softball team used it for training to improve their throwing technique. The pitcher loved it, but all of the other players would take a turn using it as well. My daughter, who is a catcher, used it to quantify her improvement as she was practicing her throw to second base.
   
   It is important for readers to realize that this is a true radar not one of those products that simply time the throw from a designated distance. We have one of those products which we trashed once we got the glove radar! The glove radar allows the ball to be thrown from any distance and its accuracy rivals that of an expensive jugs gun. It is truly a bargain.
   
   Another awesome training tool also manufactured by Sports Sensors is the Kickspeed radar for soccer. Our coach has one and we just purchased our own. It is great to have a training aid which will actually quantify improvement while training!



2. We have used our glove radar for several years. My husband coaches t-ball and I have helped in little league. When you coach players how to throw properly and give them immediate feedback on the speed of the ball, they listen and follow coaching instructions. The players are motivated to do as you have instructed, because they have a way to measure how well they throw the ball. The improvement we have seen in our players is the most incredible pace I have ever experienced. Other parents & coaches have witnessed our results and have also purchased the Glove Radar to work with players on their own. My oldest son has developed such awesome technique over the past years, he is now a lead pitcher in his league. In t-ball, our players make accurate throws to first base even from third and short-stop to make the out at first almost every time. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.



3. We purchased 2 of these units back in 2000, while making a run at the Little League World Series. We originally bought them to evaluate pitchers, however they were soon utilized by by all the players to evaluate and enhance their throwing positions. Although I have had to replace the batteries,(which Sport Sensors shipped for free), they still are in use today for the Cocoa Beach High School Varsity Team. As far as accuracy, we measured the units against Jugs Guns and they were on the money. Just remember this unit determines speed about 20" before glove impact, not from the throwers hand. I would highly recommend



4. I have been coaching youth baseball for nearly 10 years and I really like this product for training and gauging players' improvement. The Glove Radar is easy to use, affordable, and gives consistent and accurate speed readings. You have to understand that it measures the speed just before the ball enters the mitt, which is different than radar guns (the guns measure the ball speed close to the pitcher's/thrower's release point). Since a thrown ball's speed decreases about 1 mph for every 7 feet traveled the reading on a Glove Radar is always a lower number than the reading on a radar gun. Remember that and you'll love this thing.



5. The glove radar seems to read 2-5 miles an hour slower than a high quality radar gun. If it were consistant and always read say 3 mph slower, then you could just add 3 to whatever the glove radar said, but that is not the case. The sensory of the radar is within 5 mph, which is not helpful when trying to get a true speed. I am honestly disappointed.

1 comments about Rawlings Multi-Sport Training Net (10' X 7' X 5').

1. Very good training net and you can't beat the price. Only drawback which is not really critical, is the overlay net does not stay up very well. Small bungee cord will do the trick, tho. My four year old uses this in our basement and it has helped his swing tremendously. He hits about 10 balls a day and throws into the net... it's well worth it.

No comments about Derek Jeter Hit-A-Way Baseball System.