Hi David from Nicaragua, not sure where to find a store named Academy, but the $1.99/18-pack of whiffle sized golf balls may differ in price depending on where the poster bought them in the US...it typically costs me $4.99/dozen in Cali, some balls are better constructed than others...and to those Swing Smarter-ians who know of the best brand to purchase, then please speak up :)
Good luck David with your hunt for these most excellent hitting aids!
Apr 07, 2010 Rating
Wiffle golf balls by: David from Nicaragua
Hello everybody! I saw that someone bought a 18 pack wiffle golf by $2 at Academy.
What is the web page of this Academy?
Thank you!
Jan 25, 2010 Rating
Practice Ball Life Extention and a GroBat by: Anonymous
Coach:
Stronger players and adults that can easily tear up and break plastic golf ball wiffles with a regular bat or a hard stick bat, might want to try something like a GroBat from Hitmaster or one of those Swift Sticks. These bats have padded sweetspots and will extend the life of your practice balls, and presumably the Big League Eyes when you practice with them. Of course, for pre-game BP, who cares if you tear up a few cheap-o plastic balls if you get the desired results.
The cool thing about the GroBat is that you can change the weight and length of the bat to match your regular bat. Also, if you've found a brand of plastic practice balls that are not as easily torn up or dented, please let us know! Here's the GroBat website if you want to provide a review of that product:
Swing Smarter Response: Thanks Sam in Canada for your response, very good points. You guys are all thinking Smarter and that's the whole essence of this website.
Sam, could you submit the Grobat question for review to:
All the best to you Sam in Canada finding a warm facility to Swing Smarter in this time of year! ;)
Jan 22, 2010 Rating
Cheap Practice Balls by: Howard G.
Thanks for the tip on where to get cheap golf ball sized practice balls. 18 balls for $2 at Academy is a good price. SKLZ sells their golf ball size practice balls for $6 a dozen and they are yellow! btw - Wiffle brand golf balls are $5 a dozen.
We'll try out the Eyes and let you know how they work out. By the time I burn gas driving around and buying three cans of paint and a brush, I might as well try these out if the drill really works. Also, my wife will kill me if I get paint everywhere *smile*
Right now, we pay $40 for a half hour for my son to go to a hitting coach. If this drill works for $10 it's worth it. It's all about the children - lol.
Swing Smarter Response: I really appreciate all the positive feedback for The Big League Eyes, I didn't really look at the price, so didn't realize they were super affordable (my head was spinning with new ideas :). This is definitely a Swing Smarter recommended product, so have at it everyone...glad to be of help :) I love all the feedback, keep it up!
Jan 21, 2010 Rating
The Vidoes great by: Anonymous
Mr Rynolds video is great Bet thats where those guys got the idea -- ha! Wish I woud have thougt of it!
Z
Jan 21, 2010 Rating
Interesting by: Kevin J.
Haven't heard of Big League Eyes, but the website is cool. The videos great, thanks Coach for finding this.
Kevin J. Miami, FL
Jan 21, 2010 Rating
Big League Eyes at Baseball Camp by: Anonymous
We used the Big League Eyes at Baseball Camp in Oklahoma over Christmas. They worked great and the campers loved them. The next week we used them at Softball Camp.
Every once in a while, a boy will knock an Eye off. But they are cheap and the boys had fun hitting them. However, they peeled a few of them off too when we weren't looking! I guess boys will be boys.
Going back to the Big League Eyes website, it looks like they have a new way to put them on for extreme contact. We'll do that with the next set that we buy. We really like them and they are not expensive.
Jan 21, 2010 Rating
Tried Marking the Balls with Sharpies by: Anonymous
Thanks Coach! A few months ago I saw this exact video on the MLB Channel, and went and bought a five pack of Sharpies $6.95 and about 4 dozen golf wiffles for $1.99 per 18 pack at Academy.
I coach an 11U Select Baseball team and we always do this wiffle ball drill before games since most places don't have batting cages, or they are in use before games.
Before our game, we did the "small ball" drill, with the colored balls, and it worked amazingly! Two boys on the team that had a tendency to admire their hits BEFORE they hit the ball actually made much better contact in the game. Wahoo - it really, really worked!
The only problem was, all my hard work of marking the balls with messy Sharpies went down the drain. The colors all faded off after we used them one time - gawd! So now, I have a bucket of brown smudged colored balls (that's what the Sharpie colors do when they fade, they all turn to smudgy brown. If the Big League Eyes are waterproof, like they say they are, for 8 bucks they might be worth a try. Looks like it also might be something fun and different for the boys to hit.
I've also known coaches that bring a bag of peas and sunflower seeds to hit before games. Not sure how they work with a green grass background or in wind though. Thanks again!
