When coaching small children, the last thing a coach wants to do is give a kid any reason to be afraid of the ball. This year, after the league where I coach banned any type of hitting implement on the sidelines or in the field, I wondered how I would get my hitters warmed up for a game. I purchased a three dozen of these right before I went on a trip with my son to a wood bat tournament for 16 year olds. It was obvious from the moment I took them out of the package that this was a different kind of practice ball. They feel different in your hand, they respond absolutely truthfully when coming off the bat, and there is ZERO danger of harming another human being or anything in the immediate area like a window, aluminum siding, or precious yard plants or pets. I have lots of experience throwing standard wiffle balls, so there was no adjustment to be made in throwing a straight ahead fastball, a cut fastball, a wicked curveball, or a rising fastball. In that respect, these are great for work with more experienced players when you don't have access to a bat cage or a batting screen to prevent injury to the pitcher. The batter has instant feedback on whether he hit the ball solidly, because the slightest miss will result in a pop up or a chop into the dirt. Hitting this ball square results in a line drive that will travel up to 75 or 80 feet when struck by a strong older player. When working with my 9 and 10 year old boys, these are wonderful because you can hit them off at T into a net, you can soft toss them from the side, or you can pitch straight ahead in order to work on batting form without worrying about hurting the child or hurting one of your fielders (or an unlucky coach). Another big advantage is the specialized material, which remains flexible even in weather that would cause an ordinary plastic ball to shatter into a million pieces. My three dozen balls have probably been hit 100 times each this summer, and all of them look like the day I took them out of the package. No rips, no tears, they instantly spring back into shape and beg for more abuse. And when they get filthy, I drop them into the washing machine for a quick rinse and they come out in beautiful shape. For get expensive foam balls that you have to chase a long distance, forget plastic balls that chip or shatter in cold weather, forget tossing safety balls that can still break a window. Buy yourself a couple dozen of these, and watch how quickly young players develop a good sense of contact in their hitting zone, and how much older players appreciate having the ability to practice hitting in a small space at a field, a tournament, or even in your own garage into a net.
