Posted by: Banks (sybanks@gmail.com) on Mon Sep 6 12:37:38 2010

> > > > OK Folks...I need some help. I just bought an original Curvemaster pitching machine. It has some surface rust and it is in great working condition. The machine has some weathering to it with the rims being rusty and the tires show drying out. I may be needing tires in the near future. Where can I get replacement tires and rims?Or, will Juggs tires and rims fit? Thanks in advance
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> > > Update??
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> Hey
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> Pitching machines do serve some purposes if used in combination to live pitching. The speed can be set so that it is throwing at the speed of a live game. This helps for timing and reduces the intimidation factor against fast pitchers. The pitching machine will throw the same pitch over and over again which can help a player learn how to hit a certain pitch (curve or slider or even a change). Though not like a real game seeing the movement of the ball will help teach a batter to swing to where the ball is going as it moves.
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> Just a note if pitching machines are so bad why do all major league clubs have them in their facilities? Used correctly they serve a purpose just like soft toss, tees, and live pitching. They are a tool not a crutch.
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> Dave P

Dave P.,
I disagree that pitching machines will help timing. At first for a below avg. hitter the very act of seeing a ball and then hitting it for many repetitions regardless of who/what pitched it will increase hand eye coordination. Once a player reaches the age of around 12 or 13 IMO they do not need to hit off of pitching machines because half of hitting is being comfortable at the plate and having proper timing abilities. Also at this time is when pitchers start to throw much harder so rhythm and timing is super important. Hopefully their hand/eye coordination has been thoroughly developed by then. It can still be trained, but it should have been addressed earlier in their development. They need to be focusing on developing proper timing mechanisms along with the rotational mechanics Jack teaches. The goal isn't to have the best hitters at age 13, but develop them properly so that they are very good hitters by the time they are a Jr. or Sr. in high school with room to still develop. It is a long process to become a good hitter. Why do you think most of the really good MLB hitters are over the age of 24? You have to slow cook them. Don't screw them up with useless drills, swinging way too much, and countless reps off a pitching machine.

Just because major league clubs use pitching machines doesn't mean that they are useful. How do you know that hitting off of them actually decreases their abilities? They are major league hitters for a reason. Some of them succeed in spite of what they do in practice. Why is it that out of all the so called baseball experts and MLB hitting coaches that Jack Mankin is one of the only guys to do an extensive unbiased biomechanical analysis of hunreds of hitters in slow motion? MLB coaches don't do that. If there are any then I've missed it. They go off of what they think they know about hitting, and other baseless information that is in no way justified via slow motion analysis. Simply reading newspaper quotes of hitting coaches it is clear that they don't study the swing objectively in slow motion. Just because a player was a good hitter doesn't mean they know how to teach someone how to hit.