An Overview of Training Aids and Accessories for Playing Baseball

Baseball is arguably one of the most complex sports that people play. There are so many rules involved in baseball, and there are also numerous skills that players should practice and master in order to become versatile and play almost all positions on the baseball field.

In order to make it easier for players to practice specific skills that they need for baseball, there are numerous training aids available today. In addition, there are also accessories that players and coaches can wear so that they can get the comfort, support, and protection they need to perform and strategize plays at their best. To learn more, here is an overview of training aids and accessories for playing baseball.

The Different Types of Training Aids for Baseball

There are different types of training aids for baseball, and each of these types can help in improving a specific skill, like batting, pitching, and catching. Continue reading below to learn more about these different types of training aids for baseball.

Pitching Aid

practicing pitching

The pitching aid is a type of baseball training aid that is designed to improve the accuracy of a player’s pitches or throws. A pitching aid would usually have a grid at the front and a net at the back. The net serves as a basket for the baseballs that will be thrown toward the pitching aid, while the grid (usually made of metal, wood, or plastic) serves as a guide on where the pitcher should throw the baseball.

The grid on the pitching aid can also serve as a guide for the pitcher in terms of determining a batter’s strike zone. So, once the pitcher has memorized the position of the grid, he or she won’t have a difficult time determining where to throw the ball in order to not receive a penalty, which is given when the pitcher throws the ball too far from the batter.

Moreover, the grid can also help the pitcher in having better accuracy in throwing the baseball in different directions or trajectories, and this skill is essential to make it difficult for the batter to guess where to hit the ball.

Resistance Bands

resistance bands

In order to strengthen the muscles of your pitching or throwing arm, you would need to have resistance bands, which are training aids that help in increasing the strength and flexibility of your arms. The resistance bands have a holder or handle at each end, while the center usually has a clip that you can securely lock onto a pole, a post, or a rail.

Once the clip is locked into place, you can stretch out the resistance bands by pulling on them using your hands that are gripping the handles. You can repeat the pulling process multiple times to strengthen your arm muscles. When your pitching arm is strong, you will be able to throw baseballs at faster speeds, which is essential if you want your pitches to be harder to hit.

Baseball Pitching Trainer

The baseball pitching trainer looks like an ordinary baseball at first glance, but the difference is that the baseball pitching trainer features markings on its surface that shows where your throwing hand and fingers should be placed in order to properly execute a pitching technique.

The markers on the surface of the baseball pitching trainer are in different colors, and each color represents a pitching technique. For example, the baseball pitching trainer will have red markings that represent the proper fastball position.

Your fingers should be placed on the markings with the same color in order for your throwing hand to have the best position in executing a fastball, a curveball, or other techniques that you would like to practice or execute. There is an instruction manual that is usually included with the baseball pitching trainer that will tell you more about how to do specific pitching techniques.

Batting Tee

baseball on top of a batting tee being hit

The batting tee is utilized to keep the baseball in place whenever you are practicing your batting skills. With a batting tee, you will be able to practice batting alone without another person pitching or throwing you the baseball. All you have to do to start batting practice is to place the baseball on the top of the batting tee.

The batting tee has an adjustable height so that it can accommodate different kinds of people, from kids to adults. What’s also great about the batting tee is that it will also help you in becoming more accurate with your hits.

Baseball Swing Analyzer

If you want to monitor how well you are practicing your baseball bat swings, you should use a baseball swing analyzer, which is an analyzing set that includes a motion sensor that you can install or clip on the end of the baseball bat’s handle. The motion sensor can then be connected to your phone through a smartphone app, which will then provide you with every piece of information you need to know about your swings, which include speed, accuracy, efficiency, and more. If you don’t have a trainer that can help you improve your batting skills, then you can practice and improve on your own using a baseball swing analyzer.

Pitching Machine

pitching machine

For batters that want to test and improve their reaction time to pitches or throws alone, they would need a pitching machine. The pitching machine automatically fires baseballs toward the batter or hitter, and the time gap between each fire or throw can be adjusted so that the batter will have time to prepare before hitting another ball.

The pitching machine is a very popular training aid for professional baseball players, as the machine allows them to continue batting without the need to train with a pitcher or another baseball player. However, if you are going to use a pitching machine in the backyard of your home or in an empty field or training grounds, you may need a batting net that will catch the baseball that you hit. If you don’t have a batting net, then picking up baseballs from different areas of the field or training grounds can consume too much time.

Training Glove

Besides batting and pitching, you can also practice catching baseballs alone with the help of a baseball training glove. The baseball training glove is significantly smaller compared to regular baseball gloves, and its small size is perfect for training how to catch baseballs quickly while also improving reaction time.

Besides enhancing reaction time and catching accuracy, the training glove can also help you train transfer quickness, which is what infielders and outfielders need to transfer the ball from the glove to the throwing hand faster. You can train to catch baseballs using a training glove and a pitching machine that is set at a low throwing speed so that the baseballs won’t hurt your hand.

The Different Types of Accessories for Baseball

Accessories are also needed in baseball not only for training but also for playing actual games, as they are essential in providing comfort, support, and protection for players. Here are the different types of accessories you should know about.

Baseball Hat

baseball player wearing a baseball hat

The most iconic accessory worn on the baseball field is the baseball hat, also known as the baseball cap. The baseball hat is a type of headwear that is worn around the head’s crown, and at the front of a hat, there is a visor that helps in blocking sunlight from blinding the eyes.

The baseball hat is worn by almost every player on the baseball field except the catcher and the hitter, as they would need a helmet that can provide protection against baseballs that are traveling at fast speeds. Besides players, coaches and umpires also wear baseball hats so that they can have a clearer view of the field.

Catcher’s Protective Gear

catcher wearing protective gear

The catcher is the player that gets the most protection out of all players on the field, as they would need it in order to not get bruises or injuries from catching baseballs that are traveling at high speeds towards him or her and the batter.

The catcher’s protective gear includes the chest protector, the leg guards, the knee savers, and the catcher’s helmet. When all of these pieces are worn simultaneously, they will feel heavy on the catcher. Fortunately, catchers just stay in one area of the field (behind the batter) most of the time while squatting, so they don’t need to move around a lot and carry all that weight from the protective gear.

Bat Grip Tape

baseball bat grip tape

The bat grip tape is an item that players can wrap around the handle of their baseball bats for a better grip. A lot of baseball bats today already have grip tape installed or wrapped around their handles, but sometimes the grip tape that is used on them is cheap and is made from low-quality materials. So, a grip tape from third-party brands can provide a better grip for players that want to have a better hold of their baseball bat for practice or for games.

Pine Tar

Besides the bat grip tape, pine tar is also used to improve the grip of the batter or hitter on his or her baseball bat. Pine tar is a form of wood tar that has a sticky texture, which makes them the best material to use by players that want to get better gripping ability on their bats.

However, it is important to note that there are restrictions on using pine tar in various leagues, including the MLB (Major League Baseball). In the MLB, pine tar should only be applied on the lowest 18 inches of the baseball bat. In addition, pitchers are not allowed to apply pine tar on any parts of their body, like their throwing hand, their arms, their legs, and their neck. [1]

Eye Black

The eye black is a substance that is applied beneath the eyes and is supposed to help minimize glare caused by sunlight, thus providing the players wearing the eye black with better vision on the baseball field. The eye black, as its name suggests, is black in color, and this color absorbs all light that is shined on it.

Even with a baseball hat on, there are still instances where the sun can still blind the eyes of a baseball player. So, to provide better vision protection, a player can apply a strip of eye black under their eyes. Aside from players, eye black is also used by coaches and umpires so that they can also have protection for their vision.

Final Word

Those are all the most popular and common training aids and accessories that you can use or wear for baseball. There are several brands that offer these different kinds of accessories and training aids, so it may be hard for some people to know which brands have the best products.

However, you can easily find out which specific brands and products are considered the best by simply checking out online reviews that are written by previous customers and seasoned reviewers of baseball-related products. So, check these reviews out if you want to have a faster and easier time finding the best baseball training aids and accessories.

References

[1] Bailey, M. (2023, February 7). Why Baseball Players Use Pine Tar. BaseballBible.net. Retrieved February 13, 2023, from https://www.baseballbible.net/why-baseball-players-use-pine-tar/