46 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Not for young hitters,
May 15, 2007 David McCune "self-deprecating and proud of it" (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews
The premise behind hit-a-way is fine: hit the ball hard enough that it wraps around the pole tightly, let it unwind, and then hit it again as it comes around. It looks great in the video. Real life - not so much.
We tried to use this last year with a group of 7-8 year-olds. My observations:
1) Young hitters, probably up to at least age 10, can't reliably hit the ball hard enough to get it to wrap around the pole. You end up needing an adult to re-wrap the cable and "launch" the ball. This greatly reduces the repetitions and the usefulness.
2) Poles are harder to find than you think on a baseball field. You basically need either a basketball goal or you need to buy the "portable" pole that is sold separately (note - very heavy and expensive - not worth it)
3) Because the ball comes in from an angle and at an odd speed, I question the value for young hitters. It is hard enough to time a thrown pitch. Trying to also learn to time an...Read more
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Don't waste your birthday money,
May 18, 2005 A Kid's Review
This looks better on TV than it actually works. The cable that the ball is connected to is very rigid and you have to really hit the ball hard to get it to wrap around. When it unwinds it does so VERY slow and loses it's momentum and sinks to the pole before you even get a chance to hit it. Plus they advise you not to use an aluminum or wood bat to hit it with? What are you supposed to hit it with then? These things you don't find out until you get it out of the box and set it up. Don't waste money on this item.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Great tool,
May 5, 2008 Dale B. Wilbourn - See all my reviews
I bought this item elsewhere, but after reading the reviews here, I felt I needed to add my thoughts. This is a great tool, but it will not teach everything a person needs to be a good hitter. I have used it, and still do, with a 5 year old, and an 8 year old. Both children have used it for the past year. It is true, the timing is different from a real pitch, but this device does help teach "timing". It also is a superior method of teaching hand to eye coordination involving a baseball bat. I can totally understand every negative review posted here as we went through the same problems. Once they got the hang of the timing, and counting the "unwraps", even my youngest son can keep it going. It is also interesting to let the batter see the diffence in bats. The usefulness of this device is similar to the soft toss drills; it builds hand eye coordination while helping build a basic swing. It should also be coupled with lots of real balls thrown. I have seen the effectiveness...Read more
(37 customer reviews)