How to Select the Best Pitching Machine
By Scott McKirahan
When it comes to choosing the best pitching machine, there are a lot of choices but really only a one could be classified as "the best" - the Rawlings Pro Line 3 pitching machine. Of course, many people don't have unlimited budgets and $3,000+ pitching machines are out of the question. What most people really want to know when they ask "what is the best pitching machine?" is "which pitching machine should I buy?" or, more to the point, "what is the best pitching machine for my family and budget?"
We have been very careful about selecting which pitching machine manufacturers we carry in our store. Each one has been selected because it brings something a little different to the table. This eliminates some of the confusion and redundancy that you see on websites that carry every pitching machine under the sun.
Before you can decide what the best pitching machine is for your particular situation, you really need to figure out what the most important factors are to you. Ultimately, your decision needs to be based upon many different factors - money, of course, being one of them.
How Long Will The Pitching Machine Last?
The number of years you can reasonably expect a pitching machine to last is really one of the most important factors of all, yet it is something that very few people consider. The easiest way of determining how long a pitching machine may last, is to look at the pitching machine's warranty. Manufacturers aren't going to give a 5 year warranty on a product that won't last at least that long!
If your child is very young and just starting to play ball, you may not know for sure if they will continue playing the game in coming years. It might be a wise idea to hold off on a more durable and expensive pitching machine for now and, instead, get one of the Heater Sports backyard pitching machines. In fact, if they are very young, your best bet would be to go with a lite ball pitching machine, which helps them develop their timing and alleviate their fear of getting hit with a ball.
Another option for parents who have younger players that definitely show interest in the sport is to go with a Zooka pitching machine. Although they only have one year warranties, we know plenty of people who have been using those machines for more than five years with no reported problems. It only makes sense; there are so few moving parts to Zooka pitching machines.
If they are older and have been playing for a few years, it's pretty much a sure thing that they will be playing for quite a few more years. In that case, selecting a pitching machine that's well made and has a five year warranty like most First Pitch, JUGS, Rawlings/Spinball or BATA pitching machines makes far more sense. Although all of those companies have 5 year warranties, JUGS has a much longer track record, having been in the pitching machine business for more than 40 years. Many of JUGS' customers claim their machines last at least ten years. Spinball/Rawlings machines, on the other hand, are the only pitching machines that include the wheels in their warranty, so they actually offer the best warranty of them all!
In order to throw anything a real pitcher can throw, your pitching machine needs to have two variable speed wheels. By changing the speed of one wheel relative to the other, you can pitch screwballs, sliders, curveballs, fastballs and even knuckle balls. If it has a pivoting head that can be easily tilted like the First Pitch Curveball Pitching Machine, Spinball Wizard Pitching Machine or JUGS Curveball Pitching Machine does, you can even mix in 3/4 or overhand curves. If you are on a tight budget, Heater Sports has recently added the Heater Deuce Two Wheel Curveball Pitching Machine to its lineup. It's about half the price of the next cheapest two wheel machine on the market. Just keep in mind that it only has a one year warranty and can only throw baseballs. It does come with an automatic ball feeder, though.
Something that few people ever consider is how a pitching machine that throws curveballs can be used for fielding practice. Catchers can certainly benefit by learning how to catch and block curves that frequently become wild pitches. Infielders can benefit by practicing grounders from a curveball pitching machine, too. Any infielder can tell you that the spin on a one hopper is very different coming off the bat of a left handed hitter than it is from a right hand hitter. Setting up a pitching machine to throw grounders with a side spin can really take a player's defensive skills up a notch!
How Much Does The Pitching Machine Cost?
Finally, I'll get to the one question that is often the only one that people ask - "how much does it cost?" As you can see from the above, you can't let price, alone, dictate which pitching machine you should buy.
Obviously, most people have limited budgets and often need to sacrifice some of their "wants" for more realistic "needs." Decide which of the above factors are the most important and buy the most affordable machine that meets all or most of those needs. With most people, durability tops their list.
In our opinion, the best pitching machines for the money are as follows:
·         Best Pitching Machine Value Under $500: In this category, it all comes down to whether an automatic ball feeder is essential. If you MUST have a ball feeder, the best value is the Heater Real Baseball Pitching Machine. If you want to work with your child and a ball feeder is not important, the best value is the First Pitch Relief Pitcher - especially if you want a machine that can throw baseballs AND softballs. Please keep in mind that any real ball pitching machine in this price range can only throw fastballs and changeups.

·         Best Pitching Machine Value Under $1,000: With a top speed of 70 MPH and a 5 year warranty, the best pitching machine value under $1,000 is clearly the First Pitch Baseline pitching machine, which is only $699. If you need something faster, you can either move the pitching machine a little closer or pay an extra $200 for another First Pitch machine - the First Pitch Original pitching machine, which throws 80 MPH.

automatic and manual 25 ball feeder
·         built of heavy-duty steel
·         adjustable legs for realistic height
Brand
Jugs
Model
M7000
Weight
29.7 pounds

·         ideal for defensive and offensive drills
·         15-60 mph speed range
·         easy to quickly set up and move
Brand
Jugs
Model
M1400
Weight
84.8 pounds
·         converts to throw a special 7.5" ball
·         fits into any compact car
·         head pivots instantly in any direction
Brand
Sports Attack
Model
B-JHABA
Weight
96 pounds
·         contoured skid plate for accuracy
·         full-size pitching machine tire
·         enclosed control panel with 7 speeds
Brand
First Pitch
Model
BASELINE
Weight
61 pounds
·         speed range of 20 to 104 miles per hour
·         for players aged 12 years to adult
·         has a five-year guarantee
Brand
Jugs
Model
M1000
Weight
150.8 pounds
·         can throw baseballs and softballs
·         weighs only 35 pounds
·         designed to recharge in 4 hours
Brand
Jugs
Model
M6000
Weight
41.2 pounds
·         live arm sense of timing and location
·         easy elevation adjustment handle
·         no assembly required
Brand
Sports Attack
Model
B-HABA
Weight
183 pounds
We were having troubles with our players “loading-up”, “going-negative”, etc. at the plate.  We put them on the pitching machine every day trying to get them to work on their per-swing timing.  These baseball hitting drills really improved their “load-up” during their pre-hit which in turn greatly improved their contact percentages.
Here is the drill we came up with:
When using a pitching machine during practice (indoor or outdoor) have the person loading the balls make a “ptiching arm swing” timed with the release of the ball into the machine.
The speed of the arm swing is not that important.  It’s more important to get the release of the ball into the machine correct.
Here is another qick tip–If your pitching machine is adjustable leave the head a little (just a very little) loose.  This will allow a little wiggle in the head and in turn send pitches to the batter more like a live pitcher. This does require more effort from the person loading the balls.  They have to watch the pitches and regularly adjust the aim to keep them in, or near, the strike zone.
Combining these to tips really helped us out this year both in giving the batters realistic batting practice.
Batting Drills 
Hitting should be the big emphasis at practice.
This is an area where you will see big improvements.
Most players will need some work with their batting stance. Teach them to line up across from the plate, with their feet shoulder width a part.
Their hands should be on top of each other and touching. And they should be held high before the swing. They should have a hard, but controlled swing.
And last but not least, be sure they do not throw their bat. Watch for this in practice and correct immediately.
My youngest son had his front teeth knocked out from a thrown bat, so I like to go overboard on emphasizing this point.
Check out more hitting drills at Baseball Hitting Drills.
There are two more areas to work on with kids 6 and 7.
First is introducing them to fielding ground balls, and second is to begin teaching them the rules of baseball. You will only be able to scratch the surface with both of these topics, but it is a good time to start.
Lack of practice time is usally a problem at these ages.
Be sure you have thought out your coaches pitch drills and machine pitch drills before practice.
Things will go much smoother if you are prepared.
Fielding Drills 
When teaching how to field a ground ball, first show the kids that you must bend at the waist and knees to get down on ground balls.
Teach them to move in front of the ball and squat down and put their glove to the ground.
Coaches pitch drills and machine pitch drills should begin with a demonstration of the drills. Kids need to see the drill before actually trying it.
Coaches in the future will thank you for getting them started this way.
Many older kids do not get down to field ground balls. And a lot of that is due to how they were first taught.
So you are going to plant that seed in them right here in the beginning.
If time allows, I would hit a few ground balls to each player every practice. It will have them better prepared for the next year.