Do not loosen the vertical angle clamping knob without a firm grip on
either the ball ended aiming handle or the micro adjust knob, or else the
machine could rotate unexpectedly under its own weight.
The best practice for making small aim adjustments is to loosen the joint
just enough that you can adjust the machine with a little effort, but not
loosen it enough that it can flop around on its own.
THROWING DIFFERENT PITCHES Thrown balls will tend to
curve in the direction they are spinning, and the greater the spin, the
more the curve. Spin is imposed on the ball by setting one wheel to turn
faster than the other- the ball will spin & curve away from the faster
wheel. By rotating the machine on the twist angle joint, you can set the
curve in any of 16 directions. Spin amount is adjusted by changing the
difference between wheel speeds. A greater difference creates greater
spin and curve. For example, a pitch with wheel speeds at 90 & 60 will
curve more than one with wheel speeds of 85 & 65. The speed of the ball
will be the average of the wheel speed settings. For example, both 90/60
and 85/65 will result in a 75 mph pitch. A laminated chart is included for
guidance, but it should be considered a starting point. Feel free to
experiment and create your own custom pitches.
The most common mistake for new users is to set both wheels to the
same speed for a fastball. If both wheels are set to the same speed, the
machine will throw a knuckleball. A fastball has backspin, so the bottom
wheel must be set to a higher speed than the top wheel.
ACCURACY The primary factor behind pitch accuracy is the
consistency of the balls. While you can use many types of balls (real or
dimpled / high or low seam / compressible or hard) you can not mix them
in one setup and get consistent results. They must be dry and in good
condition. Dimpled machine balls will be more accurate than leather
baseballs, especially after use. Softer balls tend to be more accurate
than harder balls because the wheels grip them better. Lower seams are
better than high seams (and cause less wheel wear). Rolling the ball into
the feeder tube so that the wheels grab across the seams is better than
along the seams (4 seam is better than 2 seam). The more consistent
the balls are, the more consistent the pitches will be.
Another key factor for top accuracy is setting the proper distance
between wheels - see “Motor / Wheel Position” earlier in this manual for
a full discussion.
A third factor is the cleanliness of the wheels. After use, especially with
new plastic balls (both dimpled and laced), the wheels can accumulate a
residue from the balls. The residue is slick and prevents the wheel from
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