Softball Pitching Machine - Three Basic Varieties

Anyone looking to make dramatic improvements to their softball batting stats needs a pitching machine. No one wants to wear their star pitcher out in batting practice and people looking to make some improvements on their own time will definitely benefit from a softball pitching machine but a batting cage, be it permanent or portable, is a must have with these highly effective softball training aids unless shagging balls all day is considered some kind of cardio exercise as well!

Softball Batting Practice Machines - All Not Created Equal

These indispensable softball batting machines come in three types: wheel, arm style, and compressed air. Wheel machines can come with one or two wheels but the dual wheeled variety seems to be the most popular. Single wheel machines are lightweight, start around $450 (and can go up to around $1200), but are generally limited to straight balls and speeds topping out around 70 mph.

Many players and coaches prefer the two-wheel variety for their fastpitch softball pitching machines because they can deliver the ball at higher speeds and offer a greater variety of pitches, such as the curve ball. These machines are heavier than the single wheel varieties and weigh from 60-150 lbs. with a price tag starting around $1500. Both varieties can have an autofeeder option added but this will add $100-300 more to the price tag for this piece of softball practice equipment.

Arm style machines are huge, bulky, and generally remain where they are installed. These machines definitely need a permanent batting cage and are used by organizations such as schools, pro teams, or batting cages because of their large hoppers (up to 200 or more balls so no autofeeder addition needed) and their renown durability. Unfortunately, they only throw fastballs and start around $2000. For people with a portable batting cage in their backyard, the compressed air machines are considered ideal due to their low price ($150-300) and portability. Online retailers are an ideal place to shop for a pitching aid as they have greater selection and lower prices than traditional retailers so be sure to surf the web before committing to one machine or the other.

Also see; Team Softball Equipment

Softball Equipment