Jugs is one of the most recognizable names in the baseball industry. Jugs was founded in 1971 by John Paulson. His original goal was to develop and build a pitching machine that would help his two sons become better hitters. He then found that the product he had produced needed to be advertised and created for all to use. Little did he know what this would turn into. Jugs now manufactures a variety of products from pitching machines, field screens, and even football machines. They have grown their name from just a pitching machine to being a...

The Iron Mike series of commercial pitching machines from manufacturer Master Pitching Machine are widely recognized as some of the best arm pitching machines on the market. A favorite for High School, College and Major League Baseball organizations, the Iron Mike machine is perfect for any batting cage setup to achieve maximum reps for players of all ages and skill levels. Iron Mike is THE name in Arm Style Pitching Machines.The Hopper-fed Iron Mike MP-6 and MP-4 units hold up to 600 baseballs and 400 softballs. That’s 600 baseball and 400 baseballs to hit at any one time compared to...

Although many of us are still digging out of snow, spring is here! To help kick off spring in a big way Cimarron is offering several items at a discount for our Big Spring Sale! This sale will run from April 11th-May 31st.Use code SpringSale at checkout for an additional 10% off some of our favorite Cimarron Sports products. Cimarron 55' x 14' x 12' #42 Twisted Poly Batting Cage NetCimarron 70' x 14' x 12' #42 Twisted Poly Batting Cage NetCimarron 4' x 6' Vinyl Backstop with Catcher ImageCimarron 4' x 6' Rubber BackstopCimarron 7' x 6' #42 L-Net...

Can you use real leather balls? Can any type of ball be used in BATA machines and feeders? More info about balls If the maximum speed is 70 miles per hour, at what distance is it 70 mph? How does a machine make the ball “curve”? How does a single-wheel machine like the B1-Curveball throw a curve? Which BATA machine throws the best curveball? Which machine is best for grounders and flies? Which machine is best for softball? What maintenance is required on the pitching machines? Can the machines be left outside? Do I need to put some kind of...

The load of a hitters swing is the transfer of weight to the back leg and the stretch of the hands back. The load is a vital part of the hitters swing; it is the start of the swing that builds up our body’s tension to be released on the baseball. As a hitter, we want to start in our stance fairly balanced. Some hitters like to have the weight distributed on each leg at 50/50, and some hitters actually prefer to have their weight already favored on the back foot 60/40. When the weight transfer begins to take place...

How do I set up a First Pitch Machine? What type of balls are best to use What is the difference beween the First Pitch original and the First Pitch XL? Do I need to buy anything additional to use all the features of the machine? What is it that sets the First pitch apart from other pitching machines? How does the Baseline machine compare to other machines on the market? At what distance is the speed measured? What do I do if I am not getting a good pitch from a new machine? What do I do if my...

Pitching Machine Balls: Regulation size pitching machine balls are designed to deliver a very constant pitch and have better wear factors than any other type of ball when used in pitching machines. Unique Sports carries a full line of pitching machine balls to cover every need for indoor and outdoor use.Regulation “Real Leather” Balls: Regulation real leather balls can be used in pitching machines however they will not pitch as consistent as a pitching machine ball. This is a fact that many coaches like as it simulates a real pitch with location changes each time. Regulation real leather balls also...

One of our most popular products at Instant Baseball is the Athlonic Sports Wheeler Dealer Soft Toss Pitching Machine. Located in Utah, Athlonic manufactures innovative yet affordable baseball and softball training products with a focus on quality over quantity. With The Wheeler Dealer Soft Toss Pitching Machine, Zip Net, and Hurricane Net, Athlonic features a combination of products designed to be used together to develop hitters year round.  Wheeler Dealer Soft Toss Machine The Wheeler Dealer Soft Toss Pitching Machine is our most popular Soft Toss Machine. The Wheeler Dealer can be used for a number of baseball or softball drills to...

Baseball Spring Training is once again in full swing and is one of the best times of the year for both fans and players to prepare for the upcoming season. The importance of batting practice and a good routine can’t be overstated during the Spring Training months as players prepare for the season. We’ve emphasized the importance of working with pitching machines in practice for simulating game situations and efficiency and they are invaluable tool to make the most out of any practice or Spring Training session. In addition to a pitching machine, a practice plan is key for coaches...

We know our customers all have different needs when it comes to what baseball and softball equipment works best for them. From commercial batting cage facilities to the backyard, we have the equipment that will work for you.  If you have a traveling team or practice on a field in which you need to transport your equipment a fair distance, you will most likely want to look at a portable hitting net like the JUGS Complete Travel Screen, the Hurricane Sports Net, or the Big Mouth From Bownet. These pop-up style nets stow easily and setup in minutes. Other popular...

In need of high quality portable pitching mounds but don't know where to start? Look no further than the Pitch Pro Baseball Pitching Mounds and Platforms from Aeroform Athletics! Located in Kansas City, Missouri Pitch Pro provide some of the highest quality pitching mounds and platforms on the market with guaranteed quality as well as a 5 year warranty.  Baseball Pitching Mounds are a must have for youth baseball leagues and can often cause some confusion on what size, stride length, distance and other factors are needed or even required by leagues and coaches. We receive a lot of questions from our customers...

Spring Training is the time of the year to find practice aids to improve your game. The Accubat baseball and softball training aid is an innovative instructional tool that provides quality fielding repetitions for both baseball and softball players with reduced impact on coaches and parents. Hit grounders, fly balls and line drives accurately.  The Accubat Fungo bat is available in two models, the Pro Model and Coaches’ Helper, to suit every training need. Perfect for backyards and ballparks alike, this versatile baseball & softball training aid enables instructors of all abilities to hit grounders, pop-ups, and line drives consistently...

March is here and it's time to save on Cimarron Sports Batting Cage Nets. For the month of March we have a few special prices we want to give our customers. In addition to the discount on batting cage nets, with the purchase of any #24 net you get a 4x6 Vinyl Backstop (CM-4x6VBS) FREE!Enter the discount code at checkout to receive the discount and your free backstop!55x14x12 #42 Twisted Poly Batting Cage Net (CM-554242TP) - $25 off Code: 554242TP70x14x12 #42 Twisted Poly Batting Cage Net (CM-704242TP)- $50 off Code: 704242TP55x14x12 #84 4MM Twisted Poly Batting Cage Net (CM-554284TP) - $200 off...

What are the different types of Pitching Mounds?  We have several different types of portable baseball pitching mounds available, but most commonly they break down to three categories: Game Mounds, Practice Mounds and Practice Pitching Platforms. Outdoor game mounds are great for leagues and teams that do not have the ability to maintain a field or need to convert a field to fit their needs. Practice mounds are perfect for indoor training and facilities in the months that training outside or on a game mound is not an option. Pitching Platforms protect the field and are typically easy to transport for use both...

Arm style pitching machines are the “Big Boys” of the pitching machine world. What I mean by this is they are the biggest, bulkiest, and heaviest of all the pitching machines. They typically weigh over 600 pounds and are encased in steel cages. Very durable and rugged and are built to last! They are typically also the most expensive pitching machines on the market. Just because they are the highest price tag doesn’t mean they are the best fit for every situation. The Iron Mike Machines are some of the biggest names in the arm pitching machine world. They are both built with...

At Instant Baseball, we are owned and operated by Coaches and Athletes that are active with sports in our community. Recently, it came to our attention that the Iowa High School Athletic Association announced a new pitch count policy for baseball that will go in to effect next season.   This new rule will undoubtedly make coaches jobs a bit more complicated, but will also ensure that young pitchers are not being overworked. The health and safety of young athletes should always be the number one priority and for that we support this new rule and similar rules across implemented across...

The Sports Tutor TriplePlay Ultra Pitching Machine is the “Ultimate” Pitching Machine on the market today. Unlike other Pitching Machines, the Sports Tutor TriplePlay Ultra is dynamic and can simulate almost any pitch AS WELL AS the unpredictability of a real pitcher and the type of pitch a batter will see.  No longer will batters swing at every pitch from the pitching machine. Simulate live pitching with the simple 3 step programming control center. Program up to 64 pitches at one time with pitch discrimination, a mixture of balls and strikes that makes batters think as they would in any real game...

Today, Pitching machines can be a very important part of a coaches or parents’ practice with their players or children. Experienced baseball and softball players use these machines to hone their swinging technique or defensive skills and can learn to hit all types of breaking balls with effectiveness on these powerful machines.Younger players will develop much faster using pitching machines as it gives them an opportunity to work on the proper mechanics without fear of wild pitches and injury or having to hit off of coaches who “lob” the ball.First and foremost teaching the proper mechanics is the most important...

Professional baseball unofficially begins with the annual spring training camps. The regular baseball season doesn’t officially begin until Opening Day, which typically occurs the first week of April, however before that iconic day there is usually six weeks of training that help determine how the official baseball season will go. Spring training lasts typically six weeks, from mid-February until Opening Day. The first players to report are pitchers and catchers because pitchers benefit from a longer training period to get their arms warmed up and to get into the groove. They usually get a few days’ jump on the rest...

The simulated speed of a pitching machine most often refers to the reaction time of a pitch at a given distance from the mound to home plate compared to the reaction time of a pitch the regulation distance (High School, College and Pro).  In other words, the speed of the pitch does not change, but the distance of the machine from the batter can make a 60 mph pitch at 40 ft feel like a 90 mph pitch from 60.5 ft.  This is a question we receive frequently from customers looking to purchase a pitching machine with limited space to...

Blocking is the catcher’s ability to throw himself in front of an incoming pitch in the dirt, and stop it with their chest, mask or glove. This is the area of catching that repels many players from the position. There are not many players who are willing to take a hit to their body to keep a runner from advancing a base. Blocking takes a player with determination, toughness and pride to do what needs to be done for their team. The fundamentals of blocking a baseball are far more complicated then what most think. There are multiple pivotal movements...

Anyone that has researched pitching machines will quickly realize that buying a two wheel pitching machine will almost certainly double your cost from a single wheel pitching machine. I believe you need to do a lot of research on any pitching machine before you purchase one. I think the most important thing is to know what your specific needs are, even more important than the brand or one wheel or two wheels. Some questions you should ask before making a pitching machine purchase in order to determine the type of machine are as follows.   1. What age is my...

Hitting training is as important as ever in todays game and unfortunately, batting cages are often difficult to find, inaccessible at times and often too expensive. At home pitching machines are a terrific alternative, but we know machines can also be expensive and too heavy to move around the backyard. That’s why the Personal Pitcher was created! For over 20 years the Personal Pitcher has helped baseball and softball players improve their hitting by providing a small practice golf ball machine that can be used anywhere. The Personal Pitcher Lite Ball Pitching Machine is totally portable and comes with a...

Unless you throw a 100 MPH fastball, changing speeds as a pitcher is critical. It is amazing how many major league pitchers now throw over 96 MPH, but that is not the point of this article! Hitting is all about balance and pitching is all about unbalancing a hitter. The best way to unbalance a hitter is to change speeds. You can make your 80 MPH high school fastball look 85 MPH if you effectively change speeds. When you unbalance a hitter you will get a lot of swing and misses over the top of the ball and a lot...

Hitting a baseball is an art form that has many different strategies that can fit many different players. The art of hitting the baseball to opposite field or “the other way” is what I would like to touch on in this article. I believe there are three factors that go into hitting the ball the other way: timing, strength and mechanics. Timing: To have the best chance to drive the ball the other way, the hitter must wait for the pitch to get deeper into the strike zone. It comes down to strength at contact point. When a hitter has...

For several years the Kodiak Sports Professional Padded L Screen has been one of our most popular products as well as a personal favorite. The first thing that jumps out at you is that it is the usual shape of a “L” for pitchers safety suitable from High School to Pro use. If your a coach or parent who has used a protective screen, you will know a protective screen is during batting practice. Constructed with a galvanized frame and powder coat black finish on top to resist rust as well as never flat solid tires for ease of use and...

Instant Baseball is happy to introduce the MaxBP line of reaction training machines as a Unique addition to our pitching machine selection! MaxBP was developed to get the very best out of hitters as a cost and time effective tool, while also keeping drills fun for players of all ages.  Make the most of your reaction training with MaxBP and improve vision and reaction time for any sport! Hand-eye coordination is a skill that can be taught and the MaxBP machine is the training tool for the job. The MaxBP feeder has multiple distance and speed settings making MaxBP the ideal...

Costs to participate in youth programs, like all other costs, have been soaring over the past several years. Everyone is on a budget, including the youth sports program your child is involved in. Just like it is fiscally responsible for individuals to live within a budget, youth sports programs need to live within a budget. A vast majority of these programs are non-profits, so they are spending the parents’ of the children in the programs hard earned money. Each youth program should be have a board of directors that is responsible for managing the program’s funds. There are a few...

Iron Mike Pitching Machines are favorite for commercial batting cage setups and are used by high schools, colleges and MLB teams across the country. Iron Mike machines are popular for a number of reasons including durability and commitment to quality but there are a couple of factors that set Iron Mike Machines apart from other commercial pitching machines. Arm style pitching machines are the only pitching machines that replicate the throwing style of a pitchers arm. Hitting is all about timing and arm style machines allow hitters to replicate the motion of a pitchers arm as well as the release point....

For a hitter, the starting position (stance) can be just as important as the swing mechanics itself. So much of hitting is about the hitter’s ability to make adjustments to the pitcher to have success. As a hitter you will have a very tough time making adjustments in the swing if your stance is not consistent each time you step up to the plate. Each hitting coach will have different techniques they may like to teach you as a hitter. The goal for you should be finding the most comfortable, yet effective stance for you to be ready to attack...

As a coach I've attended baseball games at all levels and a few things have jumped out at me recently. I am noticing it appears some of the position players are lacking in some simple fundamentals of their position. Fundamentals not only have to be taught to the players, they have to be practiced in a repetitive way for them to become natural or second nature in a game situation. Three of the biggest ones I noticed, that become critical parts of the game, are first baseman scooping (or “picking”) the ball out of the dirt on throws over from other infielders, catchers dropping...

Pitching Machine Balls: Regulation size pitching machine balls are designed to deliver a very constant pitch and have better wear factors than any other type of ball when used in pitching machines. Unique Sports carries a full line of pitching machine balls to cover every need for indoor and outdoor use. Regulation “Real Leather” Balls: Regulation real leather balls can be used in pitching machines however they will not pitch as consistent as a pitching machine ball. This is a fact that many coaches like as it simulates a real pitch with location changes each time. Regulation real leather balls also have...

If you do research on pitching machines you are going to quickly notice that JUGS is not the cheapest machine out there. This often brings up the question, “Why should I spend the extra money to buy a JUGS machine?” You need to understand why JUGS machines are more expensive in order to make the decision if a JUGS machine is right for you. Part of the reason they are more expensive is their prestigious history. Below is a little bit of the JUGS history.   The first JUGS product, a curveball pitching machine, has become the most revolutionary training...

Choosing a baseball glove can be a daunting task. The glove must not only fit well, but also be functional for the position it is going to be used for. Before purchasing a glove, the player must know what position they will be playing, as different gloves are suited to different positions. In deciding between a right-handed or left-handed glove, players keep their dominant hand free so they can throw the baseball, therefore the non-dominant hand will be the one wearing the glove. Sizing the glove Measuring your hand size is a good start to figuring out what glove is...

Different Baseball Pitches In the sport of baseball, there is so much more to pitching than just throwing a ball to the batter. A lot of behind-the-scenes planning and practicing their craft must happen for a pitcher to become effective. In addition to learning and perfecting many different types of pitches, a pitcher must also work with the rest of his team to stop bases from being stolen and just be generally aware of where the other team’s base runners are at all times. Each type of pitch the pitcher throws differs in velocity, trajectory, movement, hand position, wrist position,...

How much money should I spend on my pitching machine? There are quite a few different pitching machine models and they come at quite a wide price range. Pitching machines can range from $200 to $2,500. Aside from indoor practice machines and recreational (backyard) pitching machines, most coaches and parents elect to purchase a machine that will most closely simulate pitches the player will see in the game. Machines favored by coaches and youth programs generally start over $500 and represent a significant investment. When you start to evaluate how much you want to invest in a pitching machine, there...

As a a former MLB catcher, Jim Hibbs knows a thing or two about pitchers. He understands what makes a good pitcher and what it takes to be a GREAT pitcher. He has been around and caught for some of the great players in the game. He has written two books and helped countless players improve. His passion is baseball. His mission is to share what he has learned over several decades of his involvement with baseball played at all levels. Jim has compiled several Timeless Tips on all aspects of the game. Take them to heart...then practice, practice, practice, or...