Louisville Slugger Blue Flame Pitching Machine – Manual Baseball & Softball Trainer, Throws Up to 60 MPH, Youth & Adult Practice Tool

I had not seen one of these devices prior to purchasing. It was word of mouth only. I also watched You Tube videos on product. I received product via standard shipping. The product arrived in excellent condition. I was able to assemble product very easily. The instructions were very simple and clear. I had the product ready to use in approximately 15 minutes! It took approximately 5 minutes or so to fine tune/adjust machine for "strike zone". The pitches were virtually perfect with a bucket of baseballs (some new and previously used). My son was able to hit baseballs with accurate pitching. A few days later I brought the pitching machine to Little League pre-game batting practice. The team loved it! No electricity needed. Very simple, compact and mobile. A great purchase as it turned out!

My son was a poor hitter at best. With the aid of this pitching machine, my son is now a decent hitter and has also gained self confidence. This is the best $ I have spent in a long time! The machine is lightweight and adjustable (speed and height). It is a great way to get the kids outside to play. I highly recommend this product.

Cons: a bit confusing to assemble but not many pieces overall...took under 20 min. Tough to fit into a non-SUV trunk although I can just squeeze it into my 4 door sedan. Pros: high quality and durable. Worth every penny. Wide range of pitching distances and speeds. Once you get desired setting/speed/distance it hits it's mark with incredible reliability and consistency. Overall: buy this item if you're like me and are bad at pitching a consistent and reliable batting practice. Provides a very safe and consistent way to build confidence in a players swing at a higher velicoty of pitches a typical youth coach would throw. Throws from a young players eye height vs a tall coach throwing down at hitter. Also allows for a more productive BP session at team practices since all pitches are hittable. I rarely write reviews but this product exceeded my expectations. Not sure of long term durability over multiple seasons but it's build very well and i have no concerns here. Note: for some reason it was like $40 more in the store so order online and do store pick-up!

Purchased this pitching machine for my three kids. My 9 year old actually used this machine for his baseball season - it was machine pitch. My 7 year old is becoming a good little batter. Machine goes slow enough for him to not get frustrated. My 12 year old daughter is playing fast pitch softball and this machine works great for her too. No batteries or power required. Easy set up but takes a few minutes to switch settings between kids. I love the fact that it does not throw strikes every time. Actual pitchers don't either. Makes the kids have to learn which pitches to swing at.

Our 9-12 league uses these for the 9-year-olds in games. No chronograph, so I'm not sure how accurate the speed rating is. To get the most consistent ball flight, 1) use one type/make/model of ball, 2) always orient the ball exactly the same on the arm (I've chosen one specific part of the label facing up, with the curve of the "horseshoe" pointed to my right each time), 3) be sure the base is firmly planted on/in ground -- spikes in firmly; keep rear of base from "walking" to the side after repeated pitches, 4) step full-weight onto the power lever and stay on it through the throw, 5) pull the release arm consistently and fairly quickly -- get in a one-two rhythm of "signal the player" - "snap the release". The pitches will NOT be EXACTLY the same, but much more consistent than throwing by hand.

Works as advertised, same as the one used by my sons youth baseball league which is nice for consistentcy. Takes a little getting used to for set up, but is accurate overall unlike dads arm. We are pleased with it so far. Would definitely recommend it for a kid moving up from t-ball.

So far so good....I'm using it for slow pitch senior softball batting practice and it throws a consistent pitch far better than anyone on my team can provide from live pitching. It will be interesting to see how it performs as the spring starts stretching out. My only disappointment is that the price of the machine dropped $21 since my recent purchase....oh well.

I would give this item 4.5 stars, but the option was not there. Our softball playing daughters use it for batting practice, catching pop flys and practice for the catcher and shortstop, as the machine shoots grounders, level pitches and fly balls. Was going to buy this item, then happened to catch it on sale and free shipping to my home, so it was a great buy. Hoping it lasts us years, dont know how long the springs will last, we do use it a lot.

This machine is great. What I like most is it's not 100% accurate, so beyond just having it for batting practice it also allows the batter to realize every pitch isn't swing worthy. Sometimes the machine delivers pitches to the inside, outside or just dumps it right infront of plate, but those are 1 in 10 pitches (I would guess). I recommend this to for any child or adult.

it's a lot of work, just to get a ball out. or shall I say steps. Since, i have issues with my neck, shoulder, back and knees. It's hard for me to use and practice with my daughter. I have yet to find of good setting to pitch. I even brought it to a practice for them to use. It was more of a hassle and it would of taken longer. It was semi easy to put together. i just put one piece on backwards and ended up scratching the side. If it wasn't for that. I would return it. Definitely not for me.