What kind of balls do you use? My son is 11 and in the Majors. Do you think this would be good for someone his age and in his league?
246723
I would buy the 45 MPH Sandlot balls at a shorter pitching distance. If you are using this machine at a normal pitching distance of 48' then get the 60 MPH Trend Sports 60 MPH Sandlot Balls - 6 Pack I have had this machine for two seasons of play and it still works great. You can also use this machine to throw fly balls.
246724
I think your son will love it. I have used it with my 11 and 14yr old sons for a year now. They are both good hitters, and we have a blast. We use the faster balls and they come in at a challenging pace. they are generally strikes, but not always.
246725
It uses soft balls and it is good for getting timing down... You can adjust the "apparent speed" by adjusting the distance between the machine and the batter. It really helped my son (and his teammates) consistently getting the bat on the ball, but the light weight of the ball prevents the development of a powerful swing. We found the utility maxes out at 12-13 years old and a "real ball" machine is needed.
246726
if your boy has an eye for the ball already,probably not. but, if he is in need of practice for fast hard pitches you can move this machine closer to him which will provide excellent eye/ball perception. 'the closer you get the faster it comes at you". also, can be used for flys & grounders.
246727
Personally I think he's probably a bit too old. My 8u team used it and used the 40mph balls and we had to move it closer (probably closer to 35mph). The faster balls proved useless for us as it would go basically anywhere. If your just practicing swinging and putting a bat on a ball it's nice, but probably doesn't have enough power for that age.
635926
If you are coaching little guys 4yrs to 7 yrs, throwing is probably better. If you are doing first step drills over a short distance, throwing is better. I coach 11 yr olds and with a little practice I am able to hit spots at 150+ feet. If I could consistently hit fungos accurately that would be best but I can't so this works best for me
314389
I tried regular baseball in the machine and it struggled. If they are close in weight it may struggle. Hope this helps
526011
Catcher's gear shouldn't be a problem. Adding a batting helmet with a catchers mask/helmet could be a bit snug, but maybe not for a 10 year old.
588
My ten year old son uses it for defense. Great for defense but I don't believe the ball will return at pitching distance. If it doesn't return completely it's still better than throwing at a five gallon bucket.
1515514
The Louisville slugger is great for baseball practice. You can set the speed to accommodate the type of ball you are playing. One of the best purchases we made for our child's practices.
312026
I use it for my little leaguer who is 12 now. It works great if you are behind the plate or behind the pitcher(hard to get this seat except in bullpen).
846465
These are probably way too big for him. At that age, you can get integrated sock/shin guards that may be easier. Check with his league/coach.
588804
Yes Little Tike makes great toys. But I would think you would want to start using a small bat and a baseball T from a Sporting Goods store at four years old. If he plays Little League and has a T you would want him using their size equipment. I think they start LL at 5 years old now just a thought because at 4 he will out grow it fast. This T is more for younger kids at least that is how I feel. I hope I have been helpful.
1281026
6 and up is probably the best answer. I've used it for beginning and intermediate teen fast pitch, and adult slow pitch as well. Kids like it because it is more accurate than a real pitcher and they have a fear of getting hit by the ball. I like it for slow pitch because I get more accurate pitches to hit. Good machine, don't hesitate to buy. Note as balls get older they travel differently so get a bucket of new balls to use too.
60645
My 6 year old hits it. I would say as early as they can understand how to swing bat properly. Also will depend on how tall. I put it on the shortest height for my six year old. It is like a ball high in the strike zone for him so it's not the ideal down the middle height but it works.
2150968
My son-in-law used this for when coaching youth league baseball so I asked him and he said softballs would be no problem. I know it is built sturdy. Hope this helps. I do know that when he used this, the fielders (10 to 12 yr olds) had to get used to not hearing the bat hitting the ball.
2131804
Not like and Easton or DeMarini...has pop out of the box but would recommend using it to hit ground balls etc to help its cause...
2151415
If you want to hit for fielding practice, get a cheap metal bat and tape foam around the grip, or just get a fungo. Based on the material, I highly doubt it has enough pop for fielding practice.
60641
I utilize it for my 7 year old and 11 year old baseball teams. It would be good up until high school and beyond, in my estimation. It works great!
1281025
I use it for my son. He's 6 now. Purchased it as he graduated from tball to little league. So that was when he was 4. And will continue to use.. buying a back net proved to be the best partner with the pitcher.
343360
I got this ball for my 7 and 8 year old grandsons and it was a little to big. It should be fine for a 10-11 year old.