(Read this like David Letterman's Top Ten List!)

1) With Baseball Pitching Machines, the parents will not have sore elbows and backs when they go to sleep at night – need I say more! I have had this problem the last couple of years and the pitching machine has been a wonderful and welcome piece of equipment to my family and my team. Last year my elbow did not feel right until Mid-September!

2) Swing all the way through a batting practice – give each player more than 100 swings each and every baseball practice. Since batting is the most fun part of the game, the kids will love having you as the coach. My kids all look forward to batting practice – the first 3 to arrive get to use the machine as the first group in the hitting drills – they all get there early and always on-time for practice.

3) When you own a Baseball Pitching Machine, the players can work on bunting until they get it right. Dedicate an entire station to bunting during practice by setting up a pitching machine and having the players practice suicide, sacrifice and drag bunting techniques. How many games do you watch where a bunt is needed and the play is not executed correctly? With a pitching machine and practice, bunt plays will rarely be an issue for your team.

4) Hitting Technique – get it right. Rather than trying to work on just making contact withthe ball, spend time learning to hit the baseball the right way. Teams with limited access to pitches (through the coach’s arms) are thrilled when they get their players to simply hit the ball. Our team gets time to actually work on the proper batting mechanics – our strikeouts are down to 1-2 per game against the some of the best pitchers in the league.

5) The pitching machine gives us the at-batsrequired to learn to hit balls to the opposite field. We also get to work on hitting balls where they are pitched and trying to have the players hit sacrifice fly balls to the outfield when runners are on second or third base.

6) We use the Heater Pitching Machine , Tru Toss Soft Machine and the Grand Slam Wiffle Ball Pitching Machine at different intervals at each practice. Our team gets lots of swings and the coaches get to coach rather than pitch and try to dodge the hit balls coming rocketing back at them.

7) Curve Balls - Our team is learning to hit curve balls and our kids have the chance to see about 20 of them every practice session. A coach and his arm could not throw that many curve balls without having a very stiff arm for the next several days.
Intra Squad Scrimmages - We use the hitting machine to play intra-squad scrimmages. The game just moves faster and the quickpace keeps everyone engaged and having fun.

9) The Baseball Hitting Cages are safe enough for the kids to use without having an adult to watch over them every step of the way. A little common sense is all that is needed to be sure the kids can have fun while you enjoy watching them improve.

10)Your home] will become the central place for the whole warm months our backyard is the hangout place for everyone. We get to serve cold drinks while the kid splay home run derby, hit to countless pitches and then go home tired out after a great night of hitting baseballs. I think if I were a kid I would be hanging out right where they are as well.

To Your Hitting Success,

Coach Chuck

Coach Chuck Stewart operates a baseball web site called www.BaseballSkillAids.com offering baseball training aids and coaching/instructional videos along with lots of free coaching content. Coach Chuck has coached baseball teams for 11 years and enjoys sharing the love of the game of baseball with his players.