Pitching Machine Buying Guide

Three wheels, two wheels, or one?

The wheel layout decides what a machine can throw. Three-wheel machines grip the ball in three places, so they can put real spin on it — fastballs, curveballs, sliders and split-fingers from one machine, with the programmable flagships at the top of our pitching machines range changing pitch type, speed and location on their own. Two-wheel machines are the value sweet spot: genuine breaking balls at mid-range budgets. Single-wheel and arm-style machines keep it simple and affordable — fastballs and change-of-speed work for backyard reps and younger players. If a machine will face hitters every day, buy the wheel count for the pitches they actually need to see, not the ones that sound good on a spec sheet.

Baseball, softball, or both?

Baseballs are 9 inches around; softballs are 12. The wheel gap, guides and feeders are built around one size or the other, so start with the game you play: browse baseball pitching machines or softball pitching machines. Two-sport households, schools and facilities that train both should look at combo pitching machines — one machine that converts between ball sizes instead of two machines taking up cage space.

Match the ball to the machine

The ball matters as much as the machine. Leather game balls give the most realistic flight and feel; dimpled machine balls last longer and fly consistently rep after rep; lite and small balls keep younger hitters safe while they build swing timing. What you should not do is mix types in one session or feed a machine balls it was not built for — the wrong ball wears throwing wheels early and wrecks accuracy. Match your supply to your machine from our machine balls range, and keep one ball type per setup.

Still deciding? Run the finder at the top of this page and it will narrow the full range to a shortlist for your player, team or facility — or browse the categories directly: