SKLZ Hit-A-Way Batting Swing Trainer for Baseball and Softball

I have two grandsons, 10 and 13, that love the game. The younger of the two is a natural no matter where he's placed on the field or where he bats in the line-up. His big brother is a good fielder, but he's never been a good hitter. I decided to help him get his swing and stance going for a more rewarding time at the plate. The SKLZ Hit-A-Way Batting Swing Trainer for Baseball and Softball is a great way to teach those skills and makes repetition easy. I was a bit ambitious when I ordered this and mistakenly ordered the softball version, but that actually proved to be a benefit because the ball is bigger, easier to contact and the bright yellow is easier for the eye to track. After explaining the basics of proper batting stance, stride and 'eye on the ball', it was game on. I watched closely for his stance and contact, stopping to show him how to improve both. He probably hit the ball for a couple of hundred repetitions until it started coming to him. It's easy to see if the swing is getting on top of the ball, under the ball or making good contact. So we did it over and over and over and then did it some more. Each day he practices at home before heading to practice or a game and I can tell he has improved and he has more confidence at the plate. The first time he batted in a game after using the SKLZ Hit-A-Way Batting Swing Trainer for Baseball and Softball he clocked the first pitch, sending over the head of center field and managing a stand up triple. Almost at contact his coach looked over at me and asked "where did that swing come from"? He then hit a line drive right past 2nd base for a single and another line drive that got between 3rd and shortstop for another single, driving in two RBI's. This is a great training aid and you can really work out the problems with stance, stride and swing, getting the 'point of contact' sewn up tight, giving batters the confidence needed to be productive on offense. Baseball and softball are tough sports to master. Hitting a round ball, thrown by someone who is trying to fool the batter, moving a various speeds, with a round bat can be a bit of a challenge to master. This is the perfect remedy for that. You can do this for 10 minutes, or an hour. You get immediate feedback and you can spot problems and correct them, building muscle memory and getting the results you want. Today, both kids walk to the plate with confidence.

This is the best thing for those looking to get a consistent swing and work on hand eye coordination. My recommendation for finding something to attach this to is going to a playground or looking for a basketball hoop. Local schools will have some places for you to put this up. You can get in 100 swings/hits very quickly. It’s a time saver. These are definitely meant for light swings or for children. They won’t last very long if you’re a heavy hitter. But, if you’re looking to practice your form this is for you. Also, buying a few of these to get you through your season is a good idea. The amount of money you saving hitting this in comparison to going to the batting cages is incredible. You’ll save hundreds of dollars.

Most of the trees I've seen won't work with this thing, so figure out where you'll be attaching it before you get your hopes up. The only trees I have that are small enough to wrap the bands around are not sturdy enough to handle the strain. If you live in a forest of widely spaced, very thin trees, with no leaves from ground level to about 8 feet up, then you're good. Otherwise, find a clothesline, basketball goal or flag pole. Once set up, it's a pretty good way to practice your swing. The bands sometimes slip or move around a little, but overall it works. Not having to retrieve balls is nice, and it's good to practice getting right back into your stance so it becomes instinctive. I outlined a batters box and plate under the pole so I have the whole visual reference for batting.

I’ve ordered two of these over the last few years. It surly has helped my girls with their hitting skills.

I am unsure how good this would help with a seasoned player, but I highly recommend it for new players. I played my first game ever last week totally green (40yo). While my catching and throwing are okay, I struck out 3 times out of 3 at bat. So I bought this and hit it around 100 times over a few days before my next game. At my next game, I didn't get a single strike. I got out at first base on my first hit. The next 2 hits where nice line drives between 2nd and 3rd getting me to first base on the first hit and 2nd base on the 3rd hit. I also got another runner in each time of those last 2 hits. It felt really good to crack that ball with more confidence.

I'm sure this was due to my mis-hitting, but really, shouldn't the black plastic piece that retains the cable at the end of the ball be tough enough for that without starting to break right away? I think the trainer will still be functional even if the plastic completely breaks off, as I expect it will, eventually, but I suspect it won't last as long as if it hadn't broken. Unfortunately, I didn't use it right away after buying it so I didn't get a chance to return it. Otherwise, I like the function. The only real challenge is finding a good pole to wrap it around. Basketball stands and light poles are way too large diameter. What I found works best is the square cross-section street signs (uh, ones, say, in parking lots, not ones at street corners... wouldn't that be a funny place to practice?!) A tetherball pole would work great, too, without the tetherball attached, of course. I'm sure the stand sold by SKLZ that goes with it would work fine, but I decided to go with the cheaper solution. I don't want to accumulate a bunch of hard-to-store stuff.

Bought this for the grandkids. A very good teaching item. Loads of fun and learning how to hit.

Quality built product, easy set up and use. Teaching my granddaughters good hand eye coordination skills as they made the softball team this year.

芯に当てないと回り切らないので初心者は戸惑うかも。

Très bien très sympa pour s'entraîner !

Wasn’t sure at first but once you get to grips with it and have the right height it’s a great workout and ideal for practicing by yourself.

Ottimo prodotto, consigliato.

Produto de alta qualidade, com bastante resistência. A bola é do tamanho próximo ao das bolas de jogos incluindo dureza e peso. Com esse produto tem como treinar o swing e rebatidas desenvolver a visão e tempo de giro, podendo modificar o alcance, velocidade e peso.