Review on Lite-Flite Baseball and Softball Machine by JUGS by Broderick Shetler

I coach the U8 baseball team and was looking for a reliable but not too expensive machine. I was a little reluctant to buy this model because you have to use lite-flite balls, but it turned out to be perfect for several reasons: 1). Children who jumped out of the batter's box, even when it was a hit, became less anxious, could identify the hit that was hitting the plate, and began batting in games, much to their parents' surprise. 2). Safety - I was able to practice hitting more effectively because I didn't have to make sure the whole team was paying attention to every pitch on the pitch as it wouldn't hurt if those balls hit them (lots of loss of focus after 30 seconds for 8 year olds). 3). There is some difference in the placement of the squares as the balls are lighter so the player is not used to hitting the squares right in the center of the board. four). I used this to teach them how to catch flies and get hit by a ball without fear of getting hit in the face (You can use this for Grounder but if there is grass it will die off quickly as the balls are light). bought two buckets of balls (18 each) so I could give each kid 72 looks if I went through them all twice. It probably at least doubled our efficiency in hitting practice compared to the trainer's serve. I highly recommend getting a rechargeable battery as there isn't always an outlet nearby and it eliminates the safety hazard associated with running a power cord across the field. It's a bit overpriced, but it almost certainly needs to be mobile. I plan on using this machine for years to come as it blasts up to 75-80mph, throws curveballs and sliders and can also be installed in your basement with some sort of mesh. It would still be effective for more experienced ballers to maintain hand-eye coordination, but I'll probably want to supplement it with a ball launcher at some point.