Your Softball Pitching Machine Guide

Softball can be a fun and rewarding sport, yet practicing with a softball pitching machine can add to your teams ability to compete to today's ever increasing softball and baseball climate.  Many players purchase a personal pitching machine for home practice, eliminating the need to travel to batting cages and wait in line. Having your own pitching machine at home can not only provide hours of fun, but much more time to practice before the big game, something that any professional softball player will tell you is nothing but beneficial!

Choosing a softball pitching machine for your team or player to practice with needs to be researched to gain the most benefit from your purchase.  Are you a serious player who is looking to have a full batting cage set-up? Or are you simply looking for a small, portable machine to take on family outings? Over the next few paragraphs, we'll discuss the different types of machines and which types of players they benefit. The more you know about the different types of machines available, the easier selecting the right one for you will be!

What Softball Pitching Machine Is The Most Popular?

The first, and most popular type of softball pitching machine is the Wheel Pitching Machine. These pitchers run off of 110v power and can be plugged into generators if necessary. They are often seen in backyards, high school and college level softball practices, and at indoor facilities. Although most single wheel machines can only throw one pitch, the Fastball, two and three wheel machines are available that dramatically increase the amount of pitches throwable, something that many ambitious softball players look for.

The next types of softball pitching machine we'll discuss are the Compressed Air and Manual Machines. These machines are excellent for those who don't have traditional power available, as these pitchers run off of compressed air or are manually activated by a foot pedal-power compressed spring. These machines work excellently with wet balls and are extremely accurate. They are a great option for any player who isn't looking to run their machine with electricity or live in an area with a wet climate.

The Arm Softball PItching Machine Features A More Natural Pitch

The third type of softball pitching machine, the Arm Pitching Machine, is the one that most players are familiar with, as it's used by both pros and serious baseball cage companies all over the world. These large, green, machines have been used for the past fifty years and are a staple of both softball and baseball practice, as many of them can be easily changed to pitch both balls, making them extremely cost efficient for high schools and colleges. Using game balls and yellow pitching machine balls, these machines are able to pitch at speeds anywhere from 25 to 85 MPH, although some models are designed for slower throws, making them more ideal for slow-pitch softball practice.

The final type of machine is not classified as an actual softball pitching machine, but as a Small, or Light, Pitching Machine. These machines don't pitch full size softballs, but use golfball-sized plastic, foam, or whiffle balls. These machines are small and often fairly cheap, making them excellent for the player who's looking to not just use their machine in their backyard, but take it to parks or family events, and even practice indoors. Although these machines don't throw full size balls, they shouldn't be discredited by serious players as they can be used to help improve accuracy.

Purchasing the right softball pitching machine for you is an excellent way to help improve your skills as a player and have a great time doing it. Although this is just a quick overview of the many different types of softball pitching machine devices available, most providers of baseball equipment are knowledgable on batting machines and can help you go home with the perfect one!