rgvlpa's Full Review: Zooka Sports ZS740 Portable Pitching Machine
I have 2 children, one playing baseball now, and another just starting with T-ball. My pitching arm is shot, and I wasn't exactly lighting it up even when I was throwing batting practice to them. So, I began looking at pitching machines, and settled on the Zooka.
I wanted a machine that could throw real baseballs. The Zooka can throw baseballs, pitching machine balls, even tennis balls. It can throw, or, more accurately, launch baseballs at speeds up to 65 MPH, good enough for high school batting practice. And it can throw 400 pitches at that speed, thanks to its internal battery.
The battery fills anther requirement- portability. You can basically set up the Zooka anywhere; you don't need a nearby electrical outlet, or mile-long extension cord. Just charge it up (overnight will do just fine), and you're all set.
The Zooka comes on your choice of short or tall tripods, depending on the age of your players. The machine can tilt from horizontal, for batting practice, to nearly vertical, allowing you to fire off some impressive fly balls for fielding practice. It also swivels on its tripod to allow you to adjust when you're setting up to get the ball over the plate, or to go back and forth, pointing first at one practice station and then another.
The unit also requires entering an access code to begin launching baseballs, and shuts off automatically after left idling for a time, both terrific safety features. The unit weighs about thirty pounds, so it's not too bad to lug out to the mound when you are setting up for practice.
I've actually used the machine a few times with my kids, and it is great. I just make sure it is charged up, set it up on the pitcher's mound, and then fire a couple of practice pitches and adjust the tilt and swivel to put the balls over the plate. You can program in some variability in speed, which generally results in some pitches higher or lower than others. Alternatively, you can program each pitch for exactly the same speed; in this case, the machine is pretty consistent with its ball placement. It is supposed to be even more consistent with dimpled pitching machine balls, since they are more uniform in shape (no raised seams).
The unit uses compressed air to launch the baseballs; it actually resembles a Bazooka with its long barrel. When you're ready, gently roll a ball into the barrel, the compressor comes on and builds up, and then POP! out comes the ball. The Zooka comes in two models: the larger ZS740, which is what I have, and the slightly less powerful, and cheaper, ZS720. The ZS720 comes with a shorter tripod, and cannot throw as hard; it is intended for younger children.
The Zooka company is located in Washington state, so shipping to the East Coast can take a week. The company offers several accessories, including an auto-feeder, external battery for extended pitching sessions, and replacement internal batteries.
There are, however, a few downsides to the Zooka. For one thing, the machine throws only fastballs, with the speed variation (plus or minus a few MPH) that I mentioned earlier. Since my kids aren't facing major league pitching, and curveballs don't (or at least shouldn't) appear too often in Little League, I don't consider this a huge problem. It wasn't like they were seeing a huge number of off-speed pitches back when I threw batting practice, anyway.
Another problem is the fussiness of the battery; as the user's guide emphasizes, it is best to keep the unit plugged in and charged up when not actually using it. In fact, as the manual also warns, leaving the unit sitting around and not plugged in and charging can destroy the battery in a few months. I find this to be an annoyance; I can't leave the unit in my garage during the winter, and space in my basement is limited. I also don't want to depend on remembering to plug in and charge the Zooka every couple of months; at this point, it's not only my pitching arm that is shot.
Overall, though, for the price (around $700 as of March 2008), I think it's the best machine on the market if your kids are Little League age and you want a real pitching machine that throws real baseballs. It's not cheap, but it's still a great value.
Free Shipping! Authorized Zooka Dealer. Highly Recommended! Portable, Lightweight, Easy to Use, and Durable. Best Value on the Web! LIMITED TIME: FREE...More at Pitching Machine Store
Best Value on the Web! LIMITED TIME: LEADING ONLINE SELLER of the Zooka ZS740 Panning Tripod Pitching Machine! WHY? See for yourself! FREE One Year ...More at Mercantila
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
The Zooka Pitching Machine offers superior performance and unbeatable value. This economical baseball pitching machine is battery operated and easily ...More at Amazon Marketplace
Free Shipping! Authorized Zooka Dealer. Highly Recommended! Portable, Lightweight, Easy to Use, and Durable. Best Value on the Web! LIMITED TIME: FREE...More at The Brown Box
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.