SwingAway MVP Hitting Trainer

We were thinking for so long we would set up a backyard batting cage, but being a little intimidated by the setup and cost of doing that, plus it would take up so much space in our small Southern California backyard, we were thrilled to find this SwingAway instead. We've had this for a month now. Setup was ok - a little tedious getting the net on, but with two adults we set it up in about 30-45 minutes. It was probably 20-30 minutes for the frame and bungees, and 10-15 minutes for the net. We also had "help" from kids - you know how that can go.The best things about this product are:- Batting practice in a small space. Could be indoor or outdoor.- You never have to pick up baseballs like you would with tees or batting cages.- It really seems to help with mechanics, because if you have a bad swing you hit the bungees instead of the ball. A good swing is rewarded. A bad swing is punished.- Easy to get practice swings in daily - take a few rips each time you walk by it.- Durable construction. The frame is very sturdy. The bungees are strong, you really have to hit it hard for the ball to hit the net. For probably all pre-teen kids, they will hit the ball and it goes 1-2 feet toward the net but never hits the net.Anything I don't like? We folded it up and moved it inside the other day to keep it out of the rain and that was a little complicated and took a few minutes. But hey, at least it folds up at all.

I have a 9yr old son that plays travel ball and am always looking for useful training aids to improve his skills. We were at a tournament a few weeks ago where one of the vendors had several Swing Away's setup to use so we spent about 20 minutes testing it out. When we got home I promptly bought this and have been very impressed. What's great is that it allows the parent/coach to watch the mechanics of the swing very closely without worrying where the ball might fly off to. Even better you don't have to collect the ball(s) nor waste time placing them back on a tee. What I really like is being able to kneel behind the net to watch my son's swing, the point of contact, and the direction of the ball as it is struck. There is no way to get this close when doing live pitching (even behind an L-screen), during soft toss, or off a tee. As for the setup, everything was well packaged and it took about 30 minutes to get everything just right. The most time consuming process is installing the net onto the frame and threading the supplied "target" onto the net but it was not too bad. There are some good videos on the SwingAway website and YouTube that show the setup, walk thru some drills, and detail how to move the unit around for inside/outside pitches. We have ours setup in our basement so its out of the elements and will likely stay in good shape for a long time. One last benefit is that he seems to be hitting the ball "harder" which was one of our goals. I told him to see if he could actually get the ball to touch the net every time he swings which at this point he's not able to do. I imagine as he gets stronger and the elastic cords stretch out he'll be able to achieve this but for the time being its a good motivator and definitely building his strength and improving his swing. I've also enjoyed getting my own BP in so its fun for me too!

I wish we had all of these training aids when I was a kid. I have invested a lot in to training aids for my son and ball teams I coach, the SwingAway is a great product in my point of view. I know there are folks out there that do not believe in these machines but for me. I can send the kids out to swing away (build bat speed) as well as watch them swing while keeping eye contact on the ball.Just because it is a stationary ball does not mean you can not build a correct swing. I look at this as an expensive batting tee that automatically puts the ball back in place while not making me have to use a tee and screen.Overall I like the device, I do wish it came with a better way to help explain how to use the machine to build better plate coverage.BTW - Amazon had a great price and with Amazon Prime - FREE TWO DAY shipping.

Bought this Sept 2017 and my 10 yr old son used it outside to increase his "power" swing for fall baseball league and the immediate feedback gave him incentive to hit the ball harder so it would hit the bounce back screen and he hit 2 home runs during 9 game fall league play and I believe because of his practice on the SwingAway. Using it now this sprint 2018 in our basement (14x16 room) and he is able to get 50-75 swings in a day and using it with the Zepp baseball swing analyzer. He has gone from 55 MPH average bat speed to 63 MPH as well as Time to Impact from 0.235 to 0.199 seconds all because he can practice his swings INDOORS while others can't do it in the cold, rainy outside. I am really impressed with the QUALITY of the SwingAway so much so that I'm planning to buy their Zone In Pitching device in the next couple of weeks so my son can practice his pitching on a daily basis even when I'm not available to catch for him. Also this will allow me to watch and video his pitching form to better adjust it to increase speed, accuracy and ball movement.

My son saved up his own money to purchase this. He enjoyed using it, but it is very large. You need the space to set it up and leaving it outsided deteriorates the elastic in the net and on the ball cord. If you don't have a garage or shed to store this in, make sure you have a place or plan on replacing the parts.

This product is one that I would recommend to all players, parents and coaches. I have been coaching for several years... "Tee" work is the best way to practice and work on fundamental hitting approach. For older kids.. It's a must... For younger kids... 6-12... Using the Swingaway is a no brainer! It allows for more reps "in the zone" and gives the hitter feedback through striking the ball. It is a great tool at home or at the field. I highly recommend!

Set this up in the basement for my high school son. Gives him a great chance to work on improving his mechanics and power. Like having a large batting cage in the basement of an urban house. Great training tool for year round consistency.