Posted by: TC2 () on Thu Apr 29 13:11:08 2004

Thank you for your response. He did start working with it and he seemed to do real well and he liked it. All the kids started to line up to work with it. So thank you again and if you have any other suggestions please let me know.
> >
> > I am shocked none of the "guru's" have addressed this more honestly with you because what I will tell you is "that obvious" to most
> > knowledgable coaches.
> >
> > The hit away, while a cute product and fun one- does not allow any
> > batter to "set up" and prepare for the next swing.
> > No where in baseball does any hitter "rapid fire" in their swings and for good reason. In a real game -there is time between pitches to readjust their stances, grips, weight etc. The hit-away never allows for this to take place and instead what happens is kids start swinging off balance and throwing their mechanics out of whack.
> > Most of the fun is keeping the ball going and hitting it consecutively to do so. Meaning, most kids will "do whatever they can" too hit the ball so they don't have to start all over again.
> > Kids "lining up and saying it is fun" does not mean it is good for improving proper hitting mechanics.
> >
> > Ask yourself- would you put your son in front of a pitching machine that throws a ball out every 2-3 seconds? Have you ever seen a pitching machine adjusted to throw so quickly? Ever have a coach (good one) throw BP in this fashion? In every day baseball the answer would be NO to all of these! Yet hit-away advocates and teaches (repetition is teaching)kids a hurried hitting skill that is never part of the real game?
> >
> > If you believe as most good coaches do, that players should practice the same way they play...then the hit away would not be part of your equation or any quality coaches arsenal.
> >
> > If a gimmick (that I believe sells more because mom and dad don't have to get directly involved or chase balls) promotes poor and unreal swing conditions then why buy it and use it? If a child swings 100 times in 5 minutes and 99 of them are mechanically wrong because they did not have time to set up...then that child just managed to get better at developing worse swings. Fact is- the child just repeatedly ingrained incorrect muscle memory.
> > From the muscle memory standpoint-it has been said that it takes 2 proper swings to correct one wrong one.If so- the hit-away while tons of fun, will push proper youth hitting mechanics miles behind!
> >
> > You want to improve "eye hand coordination" for the swing there are much better ways than the wrong way. Example- Swing Away and Solo Hitters which cost more because...they help to improve more!
> > Want cheap but better than Hit Away - use the good ol' fashion "T".
> >
> > Elizabeth, just another perspective leaving you to decide which arguments for or against make more sense to you?
> >
>
> I totally stand by my response . I felt the same way before using it. And after having been a coach going on 25 yrs as well as playing myself and still am .. The hit-a-way is a great inexpensive tool. And the girls I coach love it ... And I have saw a dramatic increase in ability ... My daughter uses it with a heavier bat and also a lighter bat.. I have the swing-away .. the bat-action ..the wiffle ball personal pitcher .. batting T's galore.. and they all serve a purpose .. And even using the hit-away myself , I have plenty of time to hit ... check my hips(rotation) into the ball and balance , get into position and ready for my next swing.
>
> It can be adjusted for different locations also ...
>
> I have all of these tools ... use all of these "tools" as well as alot of live pitching ... And the Hit-away makes a great little drill station which is fun especially for kids ..
>
> The only problem I have had is with a few of my girls that didnt have very good mechanics and we used alot of T-work and the swing away.. and bat-action drills.. And after a few weeks were using the hitaway drill station without missing a beat and their form was great.
>
> As an added note ..not that it means alot ... A very well known ballplayer that we live by has one for his boys on their basketball goal and I see them swinging at it all the time ... It was one of the reasons I decided to try it..

You mentioned numerous other items that you use it in conjunction with the hit away to improve your players swings. Good for you but what about all those folks using "just" the hitaway?

Your well known ball playing neighbor might have one on his kids basketball pole but I have never seen one at any level of pro playing fields? And there is a reason for that.
Also- I would have been more impressed if you told me you saw this famous player actually tossing a ball to his kids instead of the hitaway doing this for him (the selling point I mentioned).

I don't know how, after 25 years of coaching, you qualify the short amount of time the hitaway gives a batter as "plenty of time". But you failed to address my main point that "hitters in baseball are not
on a time clock". And the hit-away is absolutely designed to place a hitter on fast mode(period). This goes completely against most hitting coaches philosophies and modalities.