The Lowdown on Baseball Pitching Machines

Summary: There are a number of different types of pitching machines available. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and can use 3 different types of propulsion methods. Some are portable and some are stationary. Some have the option to throw both soft balls and baseballs. Some do not. Most have the ability to change the speed at which the ball is thrown and the angle or pitch that it is released. Finally, pitching machines can cost any where from $150 to over $3000.

There are a number of different types of pitching machines available. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and can use 3 different types of propulsion methods. Some are portable and some are stationary. Some have the option to throw both soft balls and baseballs. Some do not. Most have the ability to change the speed at which the ball is thrown and the angle or pitch that it is released. Finally, pitching machines can cost any where from $150 to over $3000. If you're looking to buy a baseball-pitching machine for your baseball league or for your own personal use you might be overwhelmed with the variety of machines. If you have a particular budget you need to consider or a specific requirement you need meet, then you will need some background information on some of the most common types of base ball or soft ball pitching machines. This article will briefly outline some of the most common types. Motorized - The motorized pitching machines are the most common type. They consist of 2 rubber wheels, one on top of the other, spinning in opposite directions. Then they have some sort of feeder that drops or rolls the baseball or softball one at a time, in between the 2 wheels. The ball gets caught in between the two wheels and propelled outward at speeds depending on how fast the wheels are spinning. Speed ranges usually depend on the quality of product, but can be anywhere from 25 - 105 MPH. Some machines can even throw specific pitches such as fastballs, curves, sliders and knuckleballs. Motorized machines need electricity to run, usually have many moving parts, and are generally only used for batting practice, not catching practice. The also can be quite heavy and dangerous. Air Propulsion - Unlike the Motorized pitching machines, the air powered pitching machines generally run off a battery, are much safer, and extremely versatile. They can be used for catching and batting practice, with the ability to launch fly balls over 125 feet high. They can be used for both softball and baseballs and are usually very light and portable. The balls are loaded in the same fashion but this time it is not 2 wheels that launches the balls, instead it is compressed air. This means this machine requires a lot less mantience. Most air propulsion pitching machines cannot throw a variety of specific pitches like the motorized machines can. They usually can't reach the high-end speeds either. Mechanical - This type of pitching machine is basically a mechanical throwing arm. The balls are feed with an auto feeder like the other machines, but they land onto an arm that acts as a catapulted and "flings" the ball with the same type of speed and accuracy as the other machines. Some of these machines are motorized and some are a simple man operated stand. One person would feed the machine, cock the arm, and pull the release lever. Like the air propulsion pitching machines, most mechanical arm pitching machines cannot throw a variety of specific pitches like the motorized machines can and they usually cant reach the high end speeds either. So as you can see you definitely have your choices when it comes to base ball or softball pitching machines. I hope this article gave you a general understanding of pitching machines and gave you enough info to send you on your way shopping. Cheers!