Hitting a baseball is one of the most difficult tasks in competitive sports. Trying to hit a round ball with a round bat squarely takes practice, concentration and hand-eye coordination. When a batter gets a chance to jump into the batting cage with a pitching machine, he doesn't have to worry about tiring out the pitcher. He can concentrate on honing his skill.
Significance
Even the best hitters need time in the batting cage working on their batting stroke. Under normal circumstances with a batting practice pitcher on the mound, a batter may get to take 10 swings before another hitter gets his turn in the cage. However, when a batting coach has a pitching machine at his disposal, there are no concerns about wearing out the pitcher. The coach can provide instruction after every pitch and start and stop as often as he wants. It makes the pitching machine a useful tool.
Types
There are various types of pitching machines. When used by coaches at the high school level and above, coaches prefer using pitching machines that have variable speeds and can throw a number of different kinds of pitches. Hitters can gain confidence when the machine is turned up to a high speed--88 mph or more--and they start hitting the ball with consistency. The more variety the pitching machine has, the better a practice tool it is for hitters.
Considerations
For teams that are in climates with significant cold weather, pitching machines can be brought indoors and hitters can take batting practice when they wouldn't be able to hit. This can give a team an extra two months prior to the season to get significant batting practice.
Time Frame
When a player is working alone with the hitting machine, he can set it to deliver pitches as often as every 10 seconds. This can lead to a batter getting 50 swings in less than 10 minutes. Every pitch will be a strike. This means the batter will not be wasting his time and he can work on developing a consistent swing.
Misconceptions
A pitching machine is an outstanding tool, but it is not the same as facing a live pitcher. The pitching machine can throw a variety of accurate pitches, but it is not going to "think" like a pitcher. It is not going to try to throw pitches that are in the dirt or up and in to get the batter to move off the plate. Coaches can help get lessons across with a pitching machine doing the throwing, but the true test doesn't come until a hitter goes up against a live pitcher.
