The latest training method for Hurlers..

[GY Joe]

Seen this in the Indo, cant believe that it wasn't tried before but maybe not..

Good or Bad.. ? Good IMO.. Great for lads who wnt to double in the air or catch better.. And god knows, Galway need the practise in the latter..



Galway touch base in home run quest


The baseball pitcher that Ger Loughnane hopes will propel Galway to the Championship major league.
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    Go  Wednesday June 27 2007


GALWAY hurlers have turned to baseball in a bid to end their All-Ireland hurling famine.


And while Ger Loughnane is unlikely to unearth a Babe Ruth in Galway, his hurlers will enter Championship fare this weekend having been sharpened by baseball technology.

Galway, under Loughnane and trainer Louis Mulqueen, have been using an automatic baseball pitcher to get the Tribesmen into top gear.

The machine can belt out balls at enormous speed and frequency and can be set to disperse the sliotar in a variety of forms.

"It can release a ball at up to 110 miles per hour," said Galway Hurling Board secretary John Fahey. "It has added a new dimension to training."

Players have also responded positively to a coaching aid that is now likely to start appearing on training pitches all over the country.

[AZOffaly]

I used to live in the States, and used to go to the batting cages an odd time. Obviously it's a very different sort of environment, where a ball is being fired at you, at a low trajectary, but I always thought it would be a great tool for hurlers to improve hand eye co-ordination.

[GY Joe]

I used to live in the States, and used to go to the batting cages an odd time. Obviously it's a very different sort of environment, where a ball is being fired at you, at a low trajectary, but I always thought it would be a great tool for hurlers to improve hand eye co-ordination.

Well, I'm kicking myself that I didnt import them here 'cos I had a go on them too..
The trajectory is adjustable, so is the speed. I deal for getting lads tuned in for the high catch...

[AZOffaly]

Can you adjust it to lob balls out of the sky? I didn't realise that. That would be a brilliant job. You'd have a consistant delivery every time without trying to get a selector to drop them in on top of two lads

[Spiritof98]

http://www.baseballtips.com/pitchingmachines.html


Anyone wana go halfers

[neilthemac]

this machine would be good for practicing any skill where the ball needs to move:

the catching of a ball while advancing
controlling ball on the hurl
batting
overhead catching
goalies

you would get consistant delivery, and players would know the next ball is coming straight away!
any distributors in Ireland?

[Glensman]

I remember going to a batting cage when I was in the states for the summer.
A couple of american mates were amazed at the way a couple of us Irish lads were catching (and when the speed was upped a bit trying to catch) the balls being fired out. They were amazed we even attempted it without a baseball glove!

I think they could be a great thing. As had been said previously a particular type of ball could be played in...high, low, boucing etc.
It could also be used to focus in on a player's weaknesses to work on. Super for goalies as said.
Its often hard to practice the 'game speed' skills outside of training...but if a club had such a machine a fella could practice long into the night with a bag of balls on his own.

Gone is hitting a tennis ball against the gable wall!!

[neilthemac]

saves are instinctive

the technique needed to pull them off isn't however!

[AZOffaly]

Also, some of them machines can 'pitch' at 100 mph. Even knowing roughly where it is going would still hone your reflexes at that speed.