Why the SwingAway?

We've been issued a challenge against the Solohitter, and have willingly made the change to SwingAway...thank you John for leading the horse to water, and shoving his head under to make him drink :P lol

The major pluses with the SwingAway dynamo is you don't have to stop and re-load like with a hitting tee, don't have to chase balls, AND you have the freedom to do most any drill that can be done with a batting tee.  AND, it doubles as a classic pitch-back for kids to practice throwing accuracy and fielding GB's!

Here are the grades we gave this smooth operator:

• Durable - A
• Weight - B
• Economical - A
• User Friendly - A
• Convenient/Compact (for storage) - A
• Easy Assembly - A (the Traveler models come mostly assembled)
• Partner Needed? - Nope
• Does this device teach you something? - Heck Yeah!!

You're NOT going to find a better hitting aid with a more dedicated hard working staff than at SwingAway.  They have the same philosophy as SwingSmarter.com and TSL.com for promoting swing aids that actually work!  Go figure, somebody looking out for player development, unlike SKLZ, a corporate giant, who produces hitting aids (among other things) has SUPER marketing, but absolutely horrible products, you may know a few of them...all the ones Derek Jeter has endorsed!  Unfortunately, 95% of hitting aids out there don't work, and will NOT do a DARN thing for your swing...SwingAway is part of the 5% that do, so invest wisely.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a perfect hitting station for teams, and one I would most definitely include in my team training.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room...

What's the difference between the Solohitter and SwingAway?  They look the same, but the Solohitter is priced way cheaper, what gives?  

This is a classic case of: "You get what you pay for."  Especially watch the video below comparing the two side by side in performance, the SwingAway is on the left, Solohitter on the right.  The SwingAway has been sold to all 30 MLB teams (primarily the SA PRO-Series & Titan Elite), and recently (this year) the following teams have added it to their Starting Lineup Roster as well:

• Milwaukee Brewers 
• Houston Astros 
• Seattle Mariners 
• Oakland A's 
• Team USA Softball 
• Puerto Rican National Team 
• Venezuelan National Team

The Solo Hitter cannot hold up to significant use, it's simply not built for team utilization.

Dave Hudgens (the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics in the early 90's I believe) of Hitting.com loves the SwingAway.  What's funny is when I ordered some of Dave's info on hitting back in the mid-90's, he was endorsing Solohitter, and in talking with John J Flading (the owner of SwingAway), he says he can't remember when Dave wasn't on board with the SwingAway :D  I got a chuckle out of that.

In a nutshell, the major difference is in the quality of product.  There are professionals and Major Leaguers alike who used to hit with the Solohitter, and after one experience with the SwingAway, they, without hesitation, made the switch. 

Now, as you can see, there are a few models of the SwingAway to choose from...the dramatic difference in pricing has to do with how reinforced the materials are.  The PRO-Series are for HEAVY duty use, high school, college, and the professional rank.  The original models are for High School on down to the weekend warrior.  

Don't get mixed up in how "expensive" these machines are because we pay $400+ for brand new aluminum bats, and these bats are the bane of existence for our swings.  Seriously, start swinging with a wood bat as soon as possible, we'd all be better off in the long run investing in an MP30 wood bat and a SwingAway.

What's with the wide variety of models??

Here's a quick down and dirty rundown of each model, see which one best fits your hitting lifestyle, and decide for yourself (I'm not here to reinvent the wheel, so below we copy and pasted from the SwingAway.com website, thanks John!):

SA MVP ($199 - Silver) -- the New SwingAway MVP is the next generation in Hitting Training Aids by SWINGAWAY.  The MVP Model is the New and Improved version of the SwingAway for Home Training and is engineered to be a stronger, more durable and easier to Assemble.  This SwingAway Model is specifically designed for the Home Training of all players regardless of age or ability and for Team Use up to 13u.   The SwingAway MVP allows varsity and youth players to Train on the Most Effective and Popular Professional Hitting Training Station ever made.  Made of High Quality 18 gage Galvanized Steel. This Machine is easy to Assemble- The Set-up size of the Frame is 62" x 50" with highest point of 6'2.  Recommended Space is 10' x 10' area.  The total Weight is Only 38 lbs.

SA Titan Elite ($299.99) -- **Sorry, currently NOT in stock** features a Bottom Boom and a new Revolutionary Hitting Mat. The bottom boom feature will perfectly align the Patented Pulley System of the machine making it all but impossible for the pulleys to become misaligned and therefore it will increase the life of the Bungee System. The new SA TITAN ELITE is built to take the constant use and demands of the Professional Athlete and now it is now available to ALL PLAYERS who possess the drive and determination to "Get REAL GOOD, REAL FAST" and then become The Best...is made for MLB, College, High School and for Hitting Facilities requiring a High Use Machine.

SA Pro-Traveler ($399.95) -- **Sorry, currently NOT in stock** (a re-designed SA Model 2000) is the Only Hitting Machine supported and used by Professional Baseball Teams and Players, Top College and High School Programs, Travel Teams and leading Youth Baseball and Softball Organizations in the Country. The SA Pro-Traveler is made of industrial grade galvanized steel tubing, with a patented bungee cord and home plate system that allows you to position the ball anywhere inside the strike zone. When hitting, the ball it is never out of control. It strikes the net in a way that allows the batter to see the trajectory of each batted ball. The ball is safely but quickly returned to its pre-set position within three seconds providing instant feedback to the hitter and/or coach. The batter will be trained through repetition and muscle memory to develop the perfect fundamental swing to hit the ball where pitched anywhere in strike zone...The SA PRO- Traveler is the Ultimate Machine for a Travel Team.  It is Not built for obsoleteness...it's virtually indestructible with routine maintenance.

SA PRO-XXL Model ($349 - Black) -- The SwingAway PRO- XXL-is the Largest SwingAway Model available and stands 6” Taller than the former PRO Model making this machine the strongest and most durable Hitting Machine ever built.  The Pro-XXL was designed by former MLB Players and Coaches to meet the constant demands of the Professional Athlete.  The SA PRO- XXL has gone through brutal Testing by Top College and High School Programs plus the top Hitting Facilities in the world passing with flying colors.  The SA PRO Hitting System was specifically designed for High Use Training by Professional, Scholastic, Hitting Facilities, Top Travel Team Programs & the Serious Player who expects the absolute BEST.  Made of High Quality 16 gage Galvanized Steel. This Machine is easy to Assemble- The Set-up size of the Frame is 66" x 54" with highest point of6'6".   Recommended Space is 10' x 10' area. The total Weight is Only 48 lbs-    The SA Pro-XXL is a more Stationary Machine but Folds Flat in Seconds for Maximum Storability and Portability.

Most of these models come with the patented SwingAway instructional mat:

• SA Hitting Mat (Included) -- replicates the inner portion of the Batter's Box, featuring an Official Size Home Plate. The mat is marked for both Right and Left handed Hitters and numbered baseballs showing the "Proper Contact Points plus Directional Arrows to show where to Drive the Pitches that are Inside, Outside, or Down the Middle. The SwingAway combined with the Hitting Mat will train players of all ages and skill levels to hit the ball where it is pitched, pulling the inside pitch, going opposite field with an outside pitch and driving the middle pitch right back where it came from. This training will build the necessary muscle memory and confidence to take with you to your game and to the next at bat.

   

If I were stuck on a desert island and could only keep 9 things, the SwingAway would be one of them :P 

Superb BEST Starting 9 Products to Compliment the SwingAway:

• MP30 Wood Bat
• Sports Motion Video Analysis Software
• The ProHammer Training Bat