baseballpitchingmachines

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The Importance of Bat Speed Training

Bat speed

To create the bat speed needed to become a good hitter you must lead your swing with the hands Keep the hands loose. Maintaining a loose grip on the softball or baseball bat will gain you 5 mph of bat speed and 5-10 mph of ball speed. 

Tension with you costs bat speed. You might have dug yourself into a hole if you are taught to smush the bug. Smushing the Bug involves a compact muscle movement that reduces bat and power speed. Some hitters are taught to twist or turn their back foot to create more bat power and speed from the swing. 

Nothing may be farther compared to truth. Additionally, it really is almost impossible that you should hit middle and out pitches with all the sweet spot of the bat in case you have a spinning back foot problem. A sure pop out! This is the most major of such six diseases as it also throws off your balance. It's not easy, though this bad habit should be fixed without delay. 

Correction: Concentrate on thrusting your back muscles. You're trying too hard going to the ball with the eyes instead of letting your whole body bring both hands towards the ball if you're a head diver. "Crack your back" while keeping your mind behind the ball. It is extremely difficult to get any sort of power or bat speed when you are off balance. When you contact the ball, understand that it's OK to permit your head come off of the ball for a complete follow-through! Make contact slightly facing what your location is standing. This time is the place you will be generating max bat speed. 

Too much in front as well as the bat is going to be decelerating when you hit the ball. Too early inside your swing, and you may not be generating enough speed and leverage. The subsequent activity from the batter's swinging motion would be to generate bat speed with the forward weight transfer and hip rotation. 

There are 2 popular schools of believed to generate bat speed: linear hitting and rotational hitting. 

A pure linear swing is focused on generating just as much speed in the legs throughout the weight transfer from your rear side (or back leg) forward by using of the long stride, which lengthens the time that the bat is incorporated in the hitting zone. 

Conversely, a pure rotational swing has the batter have a small stride with all the center on generating more power from your legs and torso with an explosive hip rotation, which provides greater power from the strike zone by leveraging the strongest parts of the human body. You need both linear and rotational movement to generate the maximum bat speed and increase the time the bat is with the hitting zone. 

All good hitters use both physical levers to produce bat speed. Right before the pitch is released, the batter is loaded and starting their stride forward. The top foot lands using the leg slightly bent. The batter begins the load transfer forward toward the purpose of contact. The front leg stiffens and straightens even though the hips rotate as the bat goes through the strike zone to the point of impact. Also when you put your head and eyes down as you may hit the ball your bat speed becomes faster. 

Your bat requires a natural route to the ball, your hips rotate better as well as your follow through and balance will improve. There are numerous alternative methods to view the ball better however, these points will surely boost your hitting.

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Overcoming a Hitting Slump

On any given team there are going to be players that are consistently hitting well and others that you know can hit, but for some reason are struggling and going through a slump.  As a coach you want to try and give confidence by showing each player that you believe in him.  Unfortunately you can't give confidence to a player through words alone.  You need to try to help them improve in order that they can gain confidence.  

Mid-season is a good time to adjust your practices and try to give special attention to players that are struggling.

 Whether at the plate, on the mound, or in the field, getting those players to perform better will provide a big lift to the team.  In this post I'm focusing in on hitting but pitching and fielding can benefit from extra individual attention.

Plan Practice Time -

For any of these things to be successful, you need to plan on having some individual time.  Enlist your assistant coach or parent to run a regular part of practice and then spend time with a player that needs extra attention.  If you have an hour practice, maybe plan on spending at least a quarter of it working with a player that needs to build confidence to try and get out of a slump.

Analyze -

almost everyone has a video camera on their phone these days.  Have someone video the player that you want to work with at a game.  Then go home and take the time to watch their at-bats in detail.  It's one thing to watch during batting practice but it's another to really watch game at-bats.  As a coach it's hard to focus on hitting problems during a game, so tape and watch later.

What do you see?

 Most likely you'll see a player that lacks confidence, steps into the box and is hoping to get a hit rather than planning on it.  For some players who are slumping you may be able to pick out a problem that you really think is causing problems but for many of these players it's mental and not necessarily a problem with their swing.  Not that poor mechanics can't contribute to a hitting slump, but

normally the biggest obstacle is lack of confidence

.  With that said I pick one item that looks like the biggest problem and have that player focus on improving that.  

Sample swing mechanic items to look for:

Vision - does the player seem to be tracking the ball well from the pitcher?

Balance - does the player seem to be balanced throughout the swing?

Pitch Selection - does the player swing at bad pitches while letting some good pitches go by?

Lunging - does the player commit to early and lunge at pitches?

Stepping in the bucket - is the player afraid of being hit?

These are just a few to give you an idea.  Now...

Plan drills/instruction for the player -

now that you've watched the game film and you've picked out one swing problem it's time to start working with the player.  You'll be working on improving the part of the swing that's most troublesome but you'll also work on building their confidence at the same time.  So for example, let's say that you don't think the player is picking up the pitch and is swinging at bad pitches.  You might have a conversation like the following:

"Brandon I was watching film of the game last night and noticed that your swing looks great but it doesn't look like your watching the ball all the way in.  Let's go to the outfield fence, just you and me, and see if we can fix that."

In the conversation the coach starts out by giving the player a compliment, shows interest in him as a player by not only talking about watching game film but making individual time for the player.  For the next 15 minutes the focus is on:

Making sure the player understands about release points and how to pick the ball out of the pitcher's hand.  (instruction)

Have the player take a stance and from the approximate distance of the mound throw balls to the player without him hitting.  The player should just be watching the ball from your hand all the way to the fence.  This means the player should be moving his head as the ball approaches to make sure he's following the ball all the way in. (drill)

Have the player tell you if the pitch was a ball or strike. (feedback)

Next have the player take live batting practice and again focus on watching the ball all the way in.  Hopefully you'll see a player that starts to build some confidence.  If he thinks you have helped him, "fix the problem", then he may now have the confidence to step up to the plate expecting to hit the ball rather than hoping to.

Game Time: No matter what the problem is, make sure that you also talk to the player about their goal for the next game.  Most kids think it's to get a hit.  I always tell players that a better goal is to

swing at good pitches and try to hit the ball hard somewhere.

 If a player can swing at pitches they can hit and start hitting the ball consistently, then the hits will come.

As always, having the right tools is essential to improving as a hitter.

Please have a look: www.pitchingmachinepro.com

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Staying on the Back Side Too Long

The theory had been that by keeping the weight back you can prevent yourself from lunging at the ball. I'll concede this much to the theory: Yes, it will prevent you from lunging at the ball. Will it help you become a better hitter? Not a chance. What staying on the back side or back-foot hitting does is make you a dead pull hitter. Because your front leg is constantly firming up too soon on pitches from the middle to the outside part of the plate, you can't cover the plate. Your swing becomes "long" — it drifts away from your body and winds up striking the ball on the outside. If the ball was a watch dial, you'd be striking it consistently at 2 o'clock. 

Naturally, hitting the ball in this position will hook the ball to the left if you're a right-handed hitter. Back-foot hitters are most susceptible to outside pitches because their hips open up prematurely and their bat head is forced away from the body. The hands don't stay in the hitting area long enough to cover outside pitches. 

To hit outside pitches, back-foot hitters must reach and virtually "throw" the bat just to make contact. They are thus in no position to drive the ball and the result is usually a foul ball or a weak groundout.

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaUNw2ARh6c)

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http://www.pitchingmachinepro.com/Hack-Attack-Softball-Pitching-Machine-p/110-1100.htm

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh_g4L2CTlM)

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Sports Tutor HomePlate Pitching Machine: A Great Aid For Batters

Batting is one of the biggest challenges for baseball players, but with proper training this challenge is easy to overcome. However, finding someone who can constantly throw the ball to you at the same velocity you will face in the game is nearly impossible.

To properly train, though, you know you need practice on an almost constant basis. This is when you need to know about the Sports Tutor HomePlate Pitching Machine and how this is a great aid for batters.

Changes of the pitches you will face is a key thing you will enjoy with this machine. You may think the Sports Tutor HomePlate Pitching Machine is the exact same as all the other machines, but this is not so with this machine. In fact, this machine is able to emulate the natural changes of the pitches you will face.

For example, you may find the machine is going to go from throwing you a 90 MPH fastball, but the next pitch you see could be the long dropping curveball that is going to fall out at the last minute.

Adaptability is something else that people want to look at with this machine as well. While the machine does cover a wide range of baseballs to throw, it can be changed in the settings. For example, if you are struggling with the slider the opponents ace has thrown at you for years, you can change the machine to cover the sliders only. This way you can start to see how the slider is going to behave and know exactly how you should be changing your swing to make sure you are getting the contact you need.

Improving your eye sight on the ball is a good thing to do as well. With most of the machines, they are going to throw only the ball in the strike zone, which does not help you start to become a better hitter, but teaches you to hack at everything that comes your way.

When you use this machine, though, you will quickly notice it is going to throw the balls down to you outside of the strike zone as well. This way you can start to determine if you should swing at everything or if you should hold back at times to guarantee you become a well rounded hitter.

Programming the pitching machines can be a difficult task to do at times. However, what you need to realize is with this machine it is very easy to program. Since this is easy for you to program, you can start to use the machine right away.

Typically it will take less than 30 seconds to get the machine programmed. You will also notice that you can start to save programs on the machine to guarantee it will keep the balls coming at you for a longer period of time. In fact, the pitching machine is able to store eight different pitches in eight different programs, which helps you start training quickly.

Hitting is one of the largest challenges in baseball. However, what you need to realize is it is hard finding someone to throw the balls at you all the time. This is when you should know about the Sports Tutor HomePlate Pitching machine. When you know about this machine, you will quickly notice it has numerous features for you to exploit. All of these features are meant to help you in getting to become a well rounded hitter. So you will not have to worry about not getting out each time you go up to the plate.

Available for both Softball & Baseball

http://www.pitchingmachinepro.com/Sports-Tutor-HomePlate-Baseball-Pitching-Machine-p/st-homeplatebb.htm

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Atec Casey Pro 3G Pitching Machine Review

Its always great to hear back from our customers:

" I did a lot of research before I purchased the Casey Pro 3G baseball deluxe package. 

Michael was very informative and took the time to answer all of my questions and concerns regarding all pitching machines.

The reason I decided to give Michael and 'Pitching Machine Pro" my business is because he treated me with respect, took all the time I needed and was very professional.

I could tell he genuinely cared about my questions and concerns instead of just getting the next sale.

In addition, he had the best price anywhere! I will continue to do business with Pitching Machine Pro and I would recommend the same to anyone.

This Pitching Machine is awesome! Our Travel Team is 8u, most kids are 6 years and a few months old and they are hitting 55mph plus fastballs!

The Casey Pro 3G - "defensive" play ability is second to none. This machine makes our kids Hustle!

Mahalo, S. Washington / Florida" http://www.pitchingmachinepro.com/Atec-Casey-Pro-3G-Baseball-Pitching-Machine-p/at0601.htm

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Pull Hitters

We're not crazy about pull hitters here at Pitching Machine Pro who can only hit home runs by pulling the ball. Pitchers can easily recognize  these types of batters and they will pitch accordingly, keeping the ball away.

Thus my recommendation to all you pull hitters is to locate deep in the batter's box and move up toward the plate with your stance. If you're really need an inside pitch to pull, and the pitcher is pitching you away, you'll have to adjust to get that pitch location. by opening your stance a little.

This will get your hips started toward the rotation you'll need to get around and hook the ball. And then wait for your pitch that's close enough to you to enable you pull. ln other words, reduce your tunnel vision to that hitting zone where you need the pitch to enter.

These types of pull hitters will reduce that tunnel vision into a north-and-south zone. They've already adjusted for the east-west zone by moving up on the plate.

Now they're looking for something that will enter their tunnel vision in that narrow tunnel. If they don't get it, they will lay off that pitch. That north-south zone will likely be between their mid-thighs and their chest.

The next step for pull hitters in hitting a home run is to get that bat head out quicker and through the zone. To do this, you'll have to firm up that front leg much sooner.

This means, during your rotation and weight transfer. you will need to slam on the brakes sooner,as we have discussed previously.

Getting that front leg firm sooner enables your bat head to get through the zone quicker and allows you to pull the ball toward the designated area which would be between left-center field and left field.

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Muscling the Ball

You've seen it..: A hitter trying to hit a homerun by attempting to knock the seams of the baseball.

Trouble is, it doesn’t work like that. In reality, the harder you try to muscle a baseball, the more likely you will be to wiff it entirely.

Muscling up or tensing up your muscles does nothing but slow down your swing and your bat speed. Bat speed is what creates momentum at the place of impact and that velocity is exactly what determines the distance you hit a baseball.

Muscling up to hit is best seen during slow-pitch softball games. But you can spot variants of muscling up in baseball. too.

You may notice a batter with a 2 part swing.You're witnessing a slow swing.

2 part swings are characterized by way of the swing splitting into a 2nd component as soon as the wrists roll over, which is what most muscle batters do.

2 part swings have zero extension, since the swing is cut off when the wrists rollover - the swing rolls over at that time too.

Muscle batters generally have top-hand dominance, because they're looking to power the baseball. And you know by now what top-hand dominance does -- it makes the wrists want to rollover.

The point is, trying to muscle the ball creates a slow, 2 part swing action that has very little potential for driving the ball.

What is happening in baseball today is the fact that as more batters have become addicted to the weight room to strengthen their upper bodies, the assumption being that muscle means more power.

It just doesn't work that way. The kinetic energy of the bat is a function the whip-like rotation of the wrists at point of impact. Strength gets you part way there but its only 1/2 the equation.

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Tennis ball machines: Step Up & Improve Your Game

So you are in the market for a new (first?) tennis ball machine and you’ve come across us, and now you are wondering: what do the Pitching Machine Pro people have to offer that no one else can? The answer, thankfully, is simple: we can offer absolutely everything there is that has anything to do with high-quality, durable and reliable tennis ball machines, for every type of player. Connecting you with the machine that perfectly suits your specific needs and requirements is what we are passionate about.

Let’s dig deeper. One of the factors we need to be aware of is the player’s skill level, whether the player is a child or teenager just starting out in the wonderful world of tennis, or a hardened veteran looking to take their game to the next level. What we focus on is not selling you the most expensive high-end, feature-heavy tennis ball machine we have in stock, but rather getting you the one that is the best fit. Thus, if the user of the machine is going to be someone at the novice end of the player skill spectrum, they do not need the Lobster Sports Elite Grand V – well, at least not for the next little while.

A professionally made tennis ball machine can come in different sizes, shapes and weights. Having an idea of how frequently you are intending to lift the machine up and move it or put it into a compact car’s trunk will definitely assist our team in making a match for you quickly and efficiently. Do you want to program the machine yourself or are you going to be satisfied with having a pre-programmed set of features? Do you have specific requirements for ball speed? Are you looking for a ball machine that can work for both tennis and baseball? Is the ball capacity a major factor for you? We are not just being extremely inquisitorial here – we are simply trying to help out the best we can by getting as much information as we can.

If you have been playing tennis for a while, perhaps you are wondering if today’s tennis ball machines are similar in any way to those you had researched some 10 or 25 years ago. Well, the answer is ‘no’. Basically, the only similarity is that they are still called tennis ball machines. The inner workings, the technical side and the ‘brain’ have all been updated and modified beyond recognition. A ball machine today is a tool that can greatly improve your skill by allowing you to train the exact shots you need. It is a sound investment for building up your game and developing your personal tennis style. Give us a call today and we'll gladly tell you more.

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Maximizing Your Potential with Baseball Pitching Machines

To be a great baseball player is not about where you were born, who your parents were or even your natural born skill levels – it’s about how much time you spend practicing. 

The greatest players of all time started practicing when most people were still learning how to tie their shoes.  This type of dedication is what separates the weekend players from the pros. 

For lovers of the sport, baseball is an art and a science.  To dissect the elements of the game enough to master it requires pitch after pitch, hit after hit and endless game scenarios.  For serious players, baseball pitching machines make the best practice buddies giving 100% every day with a tireless work ethic and utter consistency.   

There are many ways baseball pitching machines can help you round out your sport intelligence and train your brain to calculate the best reaction in micro-seconds.

Hand eye-coordination

At the foundation of a solid game is a finely tuned sense of eye-brain-body coordination. 

Surprisingly this area is often not approached as a segregated practice and players assume it will just happen on its own.  A holistic practice will include dedicated drills for building up the neurological networks between these biological centers. 

Nothing in the day-to-day human experience prepares our brains to have our way with objects that are propelling toward us at 95 miles-per-hour.  The only way to stand a chance is to exercise the neurological muscles until they become lightning fast. 

This is done by going through the motions over and over, which is where baseball pitching machines are irreplaceable.

Finding the sweet spot

The distance a baseball travels depends on two main factors: the angle at which the ball leaves the bat, and how fast the ball is hit.

Each baseball bat has a sweet spot that produces the minimum vibrational feedback in the batters hands and transfers the maximum amount of force to the ball. 

Drawing on the unlimited repetitions made possible by baseball pitching machines, like ours, you can use trial and error to deduce the exact spot on your bat where this occurs. It can be tricky to find, and you’ll need to do it over and over since it is different for every bat; it’s a game hack that can transform your hit. 

Memorizing the sweet spot lets you capitalize on the science of baseball to shift all the force from the sting zone into the direction you want it – straight into the stands.

The right swing

Each player has their own personal hitting style and coaches design roster line-ups with these in mind.  Breaking down your stance, weight shift and forward swing will help familiarize you with your own swing profile. 

The more you know about your natural tendencies the easier you can make tweaks towards mastering that perfect swing. The fastest way to learn this about yourself is through rigorous practice, and what better way to do it than with baseball pitching machines?

Loyal and dependable, our hand-picked selection of the best baseball pitching machines are a player’s best friend. 

Whether you are looking into our Zooka, Grand Slams or Iron Mike models, at Pitching Machine Pro, we are always working to give you the best tools for your journey to mastering one of the country’s favorite sports.

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ATEC Pro Pitcher's Practice Screen & Stand

Do you need instant feedback on the accuracy of your pitches or throws?

The ATEC Pro Pitcher's Practice Screen is the optimum training tool to work independently this off-season. Set up either indoors or out, this durable screen rewards the athlete by containing quality pitches in the collection pocket.

Sometimes a coach or parent isn't available when an athlete needs to train. 

The ATEC Pro Pitcher's screen is the perfect practice companion. This easily transportable screen sets up in minutes and is also a perfect addition in a team setting. If the athlete is training alone, the heavy duty tarpaulin screen with highly visible numbers provides instant strike zone feedback.

Quality pitches are retained in the drop pocket ball collector. In a team practice, the screen makes for a great backstop for hitting and fielding drills.

Set the Pro Pitcher Screen up at any base and have your infield throw to the target grid.

Work on your game year round with ATEC equipment!

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Baseball Training Aids a Must

Baseball training aids are a must have for baseball players and enthusiasts alike. Having baseball training aids at your disposal means that even if you are the only person wanting to practice, you can. The training aids are designed with you, the player, and since there may be occasions where you are unable to meet up with any fellow players, having the right training aid will enable you to practice.

One of our baseball training aids, the Grand Slam Pitching Machine, is a reasonably-priced batting machine with a new design revolutionized to help increase hand-eye coordination. The pitching machine throws out an average of 150 golf-sized balls within fifteen minutes. This alone is guaranteed to increase hand-eye coordination making this training aid a must have for the aspiring hitter. Also, you do not require a pitcher to throw the ball to you, having anyone who can feed the pitching balls into the machine works. On top of that, the Grand Slam Pitching machine can be used year round. This means no down time in the winter when the weather is less than desirable for practicing and playing baseball as you can practice indoors using the pitching machine.

Another of our baseball training aids is the Heater Softball Pitching Machinethat comes with a free autofeeder. This versatile pitching machine allows for either fast or slow pitch softball practice as well as fielding practice that uses 12” leather softballs. The pitching machine itself has an adjustable speed dial, allowing you to set the speed anywhere from 15 miles per hour to 50 miles per hour. This allows you to set the pitching machine to a speed that is comfortable for you and whoever else may be using the pitching machine. To add to its ease of use, the Heater Softball Pitching Machine automatically delivers a pitch every twelve seconds and has an autofeeder attached to allow for the pitching machine to continuously pitch until the autofeeder runs out of balls to deliver. This autofeeder can also be removed should you chose not to use it. For a mid-priced pitching machine, the Heater Softball Pitching Machine is perfect.

On the higher end of pitching machines, the Bata 1 Baseball Pitching Machine is phenomenal where baseball training aids are concerned. This pitching machine is capable of throwing fastballs up to 62 miles per hour with perfect accuracy. Perfect for players aged 9 to 16 years, this pitching machine is ideal for training. Just as with the Heater Softball Pitching Machine, The Bata 1 has an adjustable pitching speed by turning a dial. The Bata 1 can throw baseballs whether they are leather, dimpled or wiffleballs. The Bata 1 is also an economical choice when compare to other pitching machines such as the Jugs MVP and can throw approximately 10 miles per hour faster than the Jugs MVP. On top of that, the Bata 1 has a protective guard in place to reduce the likelihood of the operator becoming injured as they are separated from the pitching wheel. This makes the Bata 1 not only an excellent baseball training aid but also a safe one.

If you are in need of some quality baseball training aids, don’t forget to check us out first!

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Portable Batting Cages Make For Perfect Practice

The only way to become the best at any sport is to practice, practice, and practice. Nobody gets to be a legend overnight. Hockey players spend hours on the rink learning to skate and shoot, basketball players devote their time to scoring the perfect three-point shot, and baseball players, of course, have to perfect their swing in the hopes of hitting an out-of-the-park home run. The problem that baseball players face is often that they have limited space to practice in, which gets tricky when you consider that one of the goals of baseball is to send the ball flying as far away as possible. That's why portable batting cages are such a popular item among aspiring ball players.

Batting cages are structures that surround a batter while he or she practices batting. They serve several important purposes. The first, of course, is safety. Anyone who's ever been hit by a baseball will tell you that it's a painful experience. By the same token, anyone who's ever had to explain to a neighbor why they now have a broken window and a baseball in their living room will also tell you that portable batting cages are required equipment for anyone who wants to practice their baseball swing at full force.

Batting cages are also great for the purpose of convenience. The downside to hitting a beautiful home run swing is the annoyance of having to figure out where the ball landed, then having to trudge off to retrieve it. A cage will limit the distance a ball can fly, making the roundup incredibly easy. Portable batting cages can be moved to a large field, to allow for other parts of a baseball game to be practiced there too. Setting up a batting cage near a baseball diamond makes for the perfect team practice spot. Less time spent ball-hunting means more time spent practicing, which means players getting better that much faster.

When looking for an ideal batting cage, keep your needs in mind. Your first concern will be to make sure that your batting cage is strong enough to keep errant balls from escaping. Lighter netting might be acceptable if your batters are very young, but for the most part you'll want the toughest cage you can get. Portable batting cages should be fairly easy to set up and break down, not to mention being collapsible enough to fit in your vehicle if you mean to take them to practice away from your home. Our HomeRun Batting Cage would be one good example of this.

Getting better at baseball takes time, dedication and hard work. There is no substitute for practice when you're trying to become a home run hitter, but there's no reason your practice shouldn't be as safe and as convenient as possible. Portable batting cages like our here at Pitching Machine Pro (http://www.pitchingmachinepro.com/), allow for quality practice time for batters of any age and skill level, at any location big enough to set up your cage. Get your teams swinging in a brand new batting cage and see how fast they can improve. Practice makes perfect, so get out there and get practicing!