The SwingAway v. The Jugs Small Ball Pitching Machine

by Harry
(new york)

First things first your site is awesome. Great information tool for parents. Wanted to know your opinion on two hitting aids. The SwingAway elite traveler and Jugs small ball pitching machine. Thanks

Swing Smarter Response:
Thanks for the comment on the site Harry, we truly appreciate it, and we do what we can to educate our fellow baseball students-of-the-game :)

We love the Swing Away Elite Traveler, pretty similar to the SoloHitter Traveler we've reviewed before. You can view that here. There's a few big difference: quality and price...the Solohitter will run about $240 and the beginner SwingAway is $199.

The SwingAway is a better quality product with a few different models ranging from beginner to pro. Also, the SwingAway is in all 30 MLB clubhouses where the Solohitter is NOT. And finally, the SwingAway suspension cable system is much better at returning the hit baseball back to base uber-fast.

Both products are always great because you don't have to chase balls and they lend for easy clean-up/take down, making both batting aid tools an ideal candidate for hitting in cramped indoor spaces.

Enough of the SwingAway, now let's talk about Jugs...the Jugs Small Ball Pitching Machine I mean :P



The Jugs Small Ball Pitching Machine looks like a great machine, almost similar to our favorite wiffle ball pitching machine The Sandlot Slugger, which is featured in The Starting Lineup, our online storefront, where you can find "The 9 Best Baseball Hitting Aids on the Planet."

However, there are a couple issues with the Jugs machine we need to address...

The Jugs machine does use polyurethane foam balls instead of whiffles (Personal Pitcher). There are two concerns: 1) The price which is around $290, where the Sandlot Slugger is $219 shipped, and 2) The Jugs pitching machine can either spit balls out with a manual feed or on a 5 second timer...it doesn't look like there's a visual indicator on auto feed as to when the ball will pop out. i.e. The Sandlot Slugger flashes a light when it's about to spit a ball out.

This light flashing is so important because it signals to the hitter when he/she needs to load in his swing.

For the auto feed reason, Swing Smarter likes the Sandlot Slugger better, because then this machine is just like any other "wheel" pitching machine out there. And we hate those with a passion because pitchers DON'T: 1) Throw with wheels, and 2) Throw on a 5 second timer.

Hitters queue on visual indicators for timing NOT a "feeling" of when the ball will pop out of his hand.

All in all, the SwingAway Elite Traveler is your better choice. Addressing the Jugs machine, you're better off going with The Personal Pitcher Pro.

Again, both the SwingAway and The Sandlot Slugger are part of The Starting Lineup Store Great question Harry :)

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P.S. Wondering which baseball hitting aids are worth their weight in gold? Frustrated scowering the internet for over-hyped highly endorsed swing gadgets NOT doing a darn thing for your swing?

Swing Smarter and FOWL Ball's The Starting Lineup store is just what the baseball world is looking for...it's where we can find the "9 best baseball hitting aids on the planet."

It takes a lot for a hitting gadget to crack The Starting Lineup, because there are only 9 spots available.

Unfortunately, they aren't cheap AND some require a hefty investment...however, everyone knows we get what we pay for. If we purchase cheap baseball hitting aids, then we'll get cheap results; and if we're a seeker of non-quality non-functional products, then we'd highly recommend NOT visiting The Best Starting 9 today. Junk in, means junk out.