X-Treme Training Baseballs XTB (light balls for pitching machine use)

BENEFITS OF X-TREME TRAINING BALLS

XTBs can be used for training almost any aspect of the game, but here are a few of my favorite ways to use them…

RECEIVING

1. High Velocity Receiving – XTBs allow players to safely work on over-speed training.  The best way to become better (and comfortable) catching high velocity pitchers is by practicing receiving pitches at, or above, the speed they’ll see in the game.  With X-Treme Training Balls you crank the machine up and safely work on pitches that are much faster than you’ll see in a game without the risk of injury.
2. Exaggerated Breaking Balls – X-Treme Training Balls can be nasty out of a machine!  This allows players to work on sharp, game-speed breaking balls without the risk of injury.
3. Must Pocket the Ball – When catching XTBs players must catch the ball in the sweet spot of the mitt…the pocket!  If a catcher misses the pocket and the ball hits in the palm or the web it will more than likely bounce out so these are great for helping players learn pocket awareness.
4. Works Well with the All-Star Keyhole Training Mitt – You’ve probably seen the All-Star Sports Keyhole Training Mitt on social media and the XTBs work perfectly with them.

BLOCKING

1. Easier on the Body – XTBs are softer than a real baseball which makes them perfect for catchers who need lots of reps.  Catchers can use X-Treme Training Balls all day without breaking down their bodies.
2. Game Speed Blocking Reps – One of the biggest obstacles in coaching catchers to become better blockers is that it’s really hard to get a lot of reps at game speed.  No responsible coach is going to setup a machine to throw 85mph sliders in the dirt over, and over, and over.  But, using XTBs allows players to block at game speed to force quick decision making without the risk of injury.
3. Encourages Quick Recovery – Using XTBs during blocking practice can encourage players to recover the ball more quickly.  Because of their bouncy nature, once a catcher blocks one he must immediately react and recover to retrieve the ball before it rolls away.

HITTING

1. Forces Hitters to Center the Ball – XTBs are softer than regular baseballs so if a player doesn’t hit the center of the ball it will flare off and he’ll know he missed squaring it up from the immediate feedback.
2. Saves Your Bat – A lot of players train with wood bats and it can get expensive fast if bats keep breaking.  Even if you mis-hit the ball, an XTB will not break a wood bat.
3. Great for Practicing HBPs – A very important part of coaching hitters is teaching them how to safely take an HBP.  This isn’t something you want to do with real baseballs (for obvious reasons) so during batting practice a coach can mix XTBs into his bucket and throw HBPs to hitters when they won’t know when to expect it.

YOUTH TRAINING

1. Takes Away the Fear of the Ball – A lot of young players have a fear of getting injured by the ball, but that goes away when training with XTBs.  They’re firm enough to give a realistic feel in the hand, but soft enough to prevent accidents.
2. They’re FUN – If you want to see a young baseball player have FUN, let him hit these in the back yard!  This will be the only ball the little guys want to play with!