1.
VERY IMPORTANT: Before you place the ball in the feed chute, you
should look up at the fielder and make absolutely sure the
fielder is watching you and is ready to receive the ball. It is
extremely important that you make sure that the immediate area in front
of the pitching machine and the flight path of the ball is clear before you
feed the balls into the pitching machine.
2.
When the fielder has taken his/her stance and indicates he or she is
ready, hold the ball high in the air where the fielder can see the ball. Then
bring the ball down to the chute simulating live action so that the fielder
can time the ball correctly. Set the ball in the feed chute and release. Do
not drop the ball into the chute. Watch the ball into the wheels, then look
up at the fielder. The whole feeding operation should be smooth and
without interruption.
3.
Every fielder, after taking his/her stance, as well as between pitches,
goes through a personal readiness routine. The ball feeder should adjust
the throw spacing to each fielder’s habits accordingly. This will assure
that the fielder is ready to receive the ball and will also help to simulate
live action.
Proper Position of the Feed Chute to Simulate Various Batted Balls:
•
Flyballs:
(Legs must be in “High Profile” or straight leg position
when throwing grounders) and the feed chute should
be pointed upward.
•
Ground Balls:
High Profile: Position the feed chute so it is pointed
downward. The greater the downward angle, the
bigger the hop will be on the groundball.
Low Profile: Position the feed chute so it is near the
bottom of the tire (or wheel) and facing the operator.
18
Operation
19
Operation
Proper Position of the Feed Chute for Various Throws:
•
Straight Balls and Risers:
Position the feed chute level to throw
straight balls and risers by adjusting the
vertical T-Clamp. To make the ball “rise”,
adjust the speed control between 56 and
60 mph.
•
Slow Pitch Tosses:
By adjusting the vertical T-Clamp, you can
position the feed chute slightly upward for
soft pitch tosses (or higher for flyballs, see
Fielding Practice). The speed control
should be set between 23 and 29 mph for
slow pitch tosses.
•
Drop Balls (High Profile Leg Position):
The legs should be in the “High Profile” position. Position the two legs
so they point in the direction of second base, and one leg points
toward home plate. (This is the exact opposite of the position of the
legs when you are throwing straight balls. See Figure 5). Position the
rotating plate so that the ball feed chute is near the bottom of the tire
or wheel and facing the operater.
One JUGS leg should be pointing at home plate when throwing drop balls.
When throwing risers, one JUGS leg should be pointing at second base.
FIELDING PRACTICE FOR SOFTBALL
Figure 7
Super/Softball Instr.032905 3/31/05 9:02 AM Page 20
