As the new season is quickly approaching, I have had quite a few people asking about pitching machines. The 
most common question being, what is the best pitching machine for kids?
Let me start out by saying that I am a big advocate for integrating the use of a pitching machine into your batting practice.
A pitching machine offers many benefits in developing and improving your swing.
The consistency and general safety that a pitching machine provides allows young hitters to get comfortable when batting, and if you have a machine that can throw different types of pitches, it can really improve your ability to hit specific pitches that you struggle with.
While I still throw a decent curve ball, after a hundred pitches my consistency starts to leave little to be desired!
In this post, I will talk about a pitching machine that we have used for years that throws consistent strikes with fastballs and curve balls, offers hitters safety, can be used indoors & out and won’t break the bank.
So without further ado, let’s answer the question, what is the best pitching machine for kids?
What Is The Best Pitching Machine For Kids?
When we sat down to determine what pitching machine was best for kids, we came up with a few key factors that we would incorporate into our decision.
Over the years, we have had the opportunity to use many different pitching machines and while some were good, many left us wondering how they stay in business!
Let’s go through some of the reasons why we chose the machine we did.
Consistency!
When you’re just not ready to drop a thousand bucks on a pitching machine that does “everything” and pitches real baseballs, it can be very difficult to find a machine that offers much consistency.
We are trying to get our kids comfortable hitting, so the last thing we want is to have pitches flying all over the place.
Consistency and accuracy was a major factor we used in determining what pitching machine was best for kids.
Variety
Finding a machine that throws different types of pitches is another difficult feature to find in a pitching machine designed for young kids.
While we weren’t looking for a machine that throws every pitch, we wanted a machine that could at least introduce our kids to curve balls and we wanted it to do it consistently.
We also wanted a machine that could be used for fielding practice as well, meaning we wanted a machine that you could use to throw fly balls and grounders.
An automatic ball feeder is something we wanted also for when you want to practice solo & the ability to pitch the balls manually for when you want to teach mechanics between pitches.
Price
We are talking about the “best” pitching machine for kids.
While price is always a factor, as it should be, our main goal for this post was not to find the “cheapest” pitching machine for kids.
What we wanted to present here for you is a pitching machine that we feel offers the most bang for the buck at a reasonable price.
We have been through the process of having a cheap machine and trust me, it ends in nothing but frustration. We wanted to present you with a machine that will do exactly what it says it will and do it for a fair price!
Durability!
One of the most frustrating things we encountered with some of the machines we tried was that something was always breaking.
Nobody wants to spend a batting practice session trying to figure out a way to fix a machine while you are trying to bat!
We wanted a quality machine at a fair price.
Safety
One of the biggest reasons we have noticed over the years of why kids don’t like batting is the fear factor.
Getting hit by a pitch can instill a fear of batting for years to come.
We wanted a machine that would allow our kids to get comfortable batting without the fear of being hit by a real baseball. We encountered several different machines that used “soft” balls, but accuracy and consistency left a lot to be desired.
As the kids start to get more comfortable batting, we start to teach them how to move out of the way of wild pitches and how & where to take a pitch that you just can’t avoid.
Safety is always our top priority when it comes to baseball & softball.
We wanted a machine that we could incorporate into our batting practices that would allow the kids to get comfortable batting, while maintaining the highest level of safety as they learned how to bat and take that occasional wild pitch that you just can’t avoid.
O.K. Jeremy, we got it! So what is the best pitching machine for kids?
After years of being around the great game of baseball, I have seen quite a few great pitching machines.
We are here today to determine what pitching machine is best for kids.
That honor belongs to the Jugs Small – Ball Pitching Machine!
Jugs produces some of the highest quality pitching machines that you will find, and the Small – Ball pitching machine is another winner.
While the Jugs Small – Ball was designed with kids in mind, that does not mean that hitters of any level won’t benefit from using it.
We still have ours set up in the garage so we never miss any practice, for any reason. This machine offers plenty of opportunity to improve the swing of any batter.
You can even go cordless with the available Jugs battery pack.
And let’s not forget… It’s FUN!!!
You can check out my full review of the Jugs Small – Ball Pitching Machine and check out a video with the Jugs in action by clicking on the button below.
I hope we helped you answer the question, What is the best pitching machine for kids.
If you have any other questions about this machine or anything else, please leave a comment below and I will get back with you right away.
Thanks for stopping by ~Jeremy
