Pitching machines are a GREAT practice tool. IMO, an important tool.

Tee, toss, thrown bp are great and very important too.

But the ability to imitate speed....in a practice setting....can only come from a pitching machine.

And....learning to take your swing against speed is as important as anything.

Those hitters who dislike machines, IMO, have poor swings. When you have a high level swing you can develop segments of your swing with any pitching machine.

Most opinions are that Iron Mikes are the best machines. You have a timing tool, the arm. You can watch it and get the timing. Nothing wrong with that.

But I am of the opinion that machines that offer little or no timing, the wheel machines, are OUTSTANDING. Why? Because if you have a high level swing the LAUNCH of the swing is darn near instantaneous. And if you have an instantaneous swing, you should be able to 'get and hold' a loaded position. If you can't....you aren't high level yet. You don't have a SnF swing. The advantage of the SnF is you can get there early....hold it a bit....and still launch a powerful swing. Not that that is the goal. But pitchers do that to you by changing speed. If you have a SnF load, with an instantaneous launch, you can hold it a bit and still have a full power swing. So, against a wheel machine, you preset 100%, hold it, unload it suddenly after the ball shoots out. I think this is GREAT practice. First, it teaches you WHAT and WHERE the SnF load is. It teaches you WHERE you need to get to. Most kids shortcut the fully loaded position. They substitute momentum for SnF load....and never quite get a full load. They effectively use momentum. They replace what they should have....with momentum. And, unfortunately, it works for good athletes. It can take them a long way. But it won't take them as far as they want.

If you're hitting off a machine that offers little to no warning....you MUST PRESET. Presetting teaches the goal. The goal is NOT TO SWING....the goal is to GET TO A MAX SnF LOAD. So, by presetting it....experimenting....you find the quality load. And you simply get there....and hold it. Take hundreds of swings from a SnF preload and learn to unload into the ball. Learn to unload into the varying pitch loations that you face. Learn plate coverage from a preset SnF load. This is outstanding practice. This PRESET is the 'heart' of the swing. It is the spot you MUST GET TO....when you don't preset....if you are going to reach the high level pattern. The preset position is more important than the swing. Get to the preset SnF load....and the swing is automatic. And it is instantaneous.

So, against wheels, preset....hold...unload. Great practice. (hold means constantly and continuously pulling back even though there is no movement)

OF COURSE THAT IS NOT THE END. Now that you KNOW....the goal....you KNOW....what the preset fully loaded SnF load feels like....you now learn to FLOW into that load. That preset work you did....sets guardrails that will now control your flow. You won't go too far back. You won't raise to high. Or lower to low. That preset that you've learned....sets 'the ball park' for how and where you can load....AND STILL REACH THAT PRESET POSITION YOU LEARNED. The flow is quite important when facing live pitching. The flow helps you time a pitchers motion and delivery. And it is SO MUCH EASIER LEARNED....AFTER.....you've learned the preset SnF loaded postion.

Without learning from a preset....the odds are.....you will not reach the high level pattern. OBVIOUSLY....there are exceptions. But....until you learn the preset loaded SnF position....the odds that you find it 'on the fly'.....are slim and none.

The time it takes to reach the high level pattern is greatly reduced....when you take the necessary steps.