Posted by: Thomas (TWVanya@aol.com) on Mon Apr 17 09:20:29 2000

>Has anyone used the Bataction hitting station? If so, have you had >success with it. How does it work. Does the ball move and at what >speeds?

I purchased one of the portable models for my son this year. He is playing in 11-12yr olds. The feedback from the "hit" is very good. Because the "ball" is free to move vertically, one can easily tell if solid contact was made. The "ball" will tend to bob up and down if contact was made on top or underneath. Solid contact will cause the arm to pivot in a very smooth path followed by a smooth return. I have found that the response of the "ball" has helped my son to keep his eye on the ball and his head more still.
We use it mainly as a stationary hitting target and not try to hit the "ball" upon return pivot. One thing we have done, however, is to remove the elastic cords and allow the arm to pivot freely. My son then tries to catch up to the "ball" as it comes by. It doesn't help much with timing but it sure requires quick bat speed. You can also work one-handed drills very easily as well as switch-hitting. The best part is no balls to chase and my son can work on his own. I can also watch his form better since I am not dodging line drives. It is good to hear the "crack" of the bat in the driveway. The Bataction has allowed us to incorporate the rotational mechanics presented on this site in a fairly short period of time. We are new to the league this year so none of the coaches knew my son. The coach who "drafted" my son said he did so partly because of his bat speed.
The machine itself seems sturdy enough but moves around on our driveway even with my 11yr old. It comes with bags to fill with sand for weighing down the legs. The biggest factor in my selecting this machine was that my son could work on his own, including moving the machine in and out of the garage and adjusting the height and tension of the arm.