Personal Pitching machine question

by Catherine DiSantis
(Mentor, Ohio, USA)

The Personal Pitcher Pro

Hi, I was wondering if you had ever heard of the Personal Pitcher from Sports Products Consultants (SPC)? It looks like a pretty good product, but I don't know much about these things. Their web site is www.personalpitcher.com...Please tell me if it may be just a rip off. I'm a single mom of two boys who just love baseball. They both play in the city little league and I'd like to help them improve their hitting skills. I found your site while looking for information on the different (hundreds!) of training choices.

Sincerely,
Catherine

Swing Smarter Response

Hi Catherine, first of all I'd like to commend you on single parenting 2 boys, I know, us boys can be pretty rough from time to time on our parents, but I assure you, it'll all be worth it as they mature and develop in sports. Kudos to you!

On your question, it's funny you ask about the Personal Pitcher Pitching Machine, it's on my action item list of articles to include on the site as one of the 20% of effective hitting aids out there...also, one of my local hitting clients bought one and loves it; we've talked about it quite a bit, and I think you'd be making a good choice investment in your boys' futures with this machine.

It spits whiffle balls (which are the best training aids around, by the way, and better yet golf sized whiffle balls) out on a timer, has a little red light, so the hitter knows when to expect the pitch, and not only helps with hitting, but the client I referred to earlier uses it with his son (a sophomore in high school) to practice his catching technique.

The only downside to it is on a bright sunny day, the hitter has a hard time making out the little red light, so they may struggle with predicting when the pitch will come out of the hole.

However, it looks like you can tape a small piece of cardboard over the bulb to act as an awning shade to see the light better.

Take care and good luck with those boys;-)

Adding to this past reader question and response...

Here's the grades we give this fantastic product:

Durable - A

Weight - A

Economical - A

User Friendly - A

Convenient/Compact (for storage) - A

Easy Assembly - A

Partner Needed? (Y/N) - No

Does this device teach you something? (Y/N)- Yes

Straight A's! A comment worth mentioning about "Does this device teach you something?" Absolutely it does...I always say this on SwingSmarter.com, but golf whiffle balls are one of the best hitting aid accessories on the planet. They allow for off speed and breaking ball hitting development.

My best buddy and Fresno State/Bullard High teammate Scott Beshears and I took thousands of swings hitting whiffles, and this machine spits them out on a timer, so you don't even need a partner now.

There's more good news...

The Personal Pitcher Pro weighs in at 5 pounds, is priced at $149 plus $16 shipping, the pro model now throws left and right handed curve-balls/sliders, includes 4 dozen balls, 4hr. battery life, 4 pitch speeds, has a 2 year warranty, 30 day money back guarantee, and sets up with any camera tripod. And by the way, this baseball hitting aid is leading off for us at The Starting Lineup!