SwingAway Pro XXL Hitting Machine

I have had the Pro XXL for 2 weeks, but the quality is obvious. All of the information I found said that the "basic" model was good thru age 12. My son is age 11 and he just loves baseball, so I spent the extra money to get the Pro XXL. This one can be used by grown men and professionals at that. The quality of the product surpassed my expectations. The metal tubing is much more than you would need in my opinion, but I love quality. The couplings are just as impressive in their design and material quality. I suspect that the netting is the "weakest" link in the whole assembly, but it is adequate I'm sure. My son and I both love this thing. I really believe that his drive to get better will allow him to use this almost everyday. No more picking up balls and setting on the tee for me. We will still go to the cages every now and then for the real deal, but this will go along way in his development. I will need to purchase a bungee replacement at some point, but probably for next season. If you only hit the ball, this thing would last a very long time, but 11 year olds need to focus to make that happen. You know immediately, when you are not. This might teach him that. I had one small issue of damage. There is a small rubber footing that goes on the end of the bottom boom. That footing was broken off on the inside where it connects to the boom. It was still usable, but I was hoping for better than that. I called SwingAway and they sent me a new footing in 2 days just as I would hope a quality company would do. I was very pleased with their service after the sale. UPDATE - My 12 year old has not gotten much help from this after all. I should have bought a net and spent some time with him on the tee. I think this keeps me from all the bending over, but didn't really help my son at all, which was my intention. I think an older kid could really understand how to use this properly. Still great quality.

The XXL is a well built product (5 star) with the exception of one of it's MOST critical component - the Bungee Cords (1 star). The product has been in use less than seven times, 100 - 150 swings, dead on the ball in the last few weeks. The primary bungee cord running through the ball has snapped six times (now full of repair knots). My son is 6'1", has a hard swing, but is very accurate. He has never mis-hit the ball and struck the bungee, and yet the cords have splintered/fallen apart. I am of the opinion that if the Swingaway is truly to set the mark for a reliable go-to training tool for the serious player....they will need to invest in better manufactured bungee cords.....or be tossed to the side like so many gimmicky training aids we've all invested in, and ultimately discarded.

We added this to our hitting tools when our SoloHitter finally wore out (after 2 seasons of hard use). Came with a broken plastic bracket. Customer service was excellent and had a replacement to me in 3 days. When clipping the net to the frame I had the plastic clips snap like crazy. It took some patience and just the right touch to attach them without breaking. There were enough extras to complete assembly, and, again, customer service was excellent, sending me more replacements. This is a good hitting tool---I love the number of repetitions it affords. The plastic hitting mat won't last long if players step on it with cleated shoes. But it is not a gimmick---it offers a great way to teach players to hit balls in different locations. I'm not sold on the quality of the device. While the metal parts are sturdy, the broken clips and bracket seem to me like they are made from materials too brittle to last long. I think we might get a season out of the bungee cords, which is fair. I don't foresee the frame ever wearing out, but some parts will need replacement. We had some trouble with the bungee cords coming undone and then becoming a tangled mess. As long as we are vigilant, this doesn't seem to be a problem that will recur. But if players don't notice that a bungee came loose, they can really make a mess of things with a few swings. Players can get a lot of repetitions and there are some really good drills you can do with this tool. I could hit it for hours, but today's players don't have the same patience as an old guy like me. For the ones that use it, this tool can certainly help develop stronger, more consistent hitters. It should be noted that this device cannot be easily folded to put away...and its big! You will need to leave it outside, preferably under cover, or have some space in a garage or shed for it if you want to store it indoors. Probably as good as you can get in a device like this. I liked the Solohitter better in some ways---you had a little better sense of the ball's direction with it and it folded up. But this one is sturdier, easier to adjust the height of the ball.

these products are awful!! Everyone we have purchased has not lasted more then 2 weeks. Bought two Bryce Harper models that broke 3 times each in a 5 week span. Swing Away would not stand behind it stating "that model is not intended for as much use as THEY thought it was getting". They said I needed the XXL model which I then bought. This one lasted maybe 75-100 swings before breaking. Do not buy unless you will not use very much.

I would love this product but it's poor quality where it counts. I have only had it for a few months and it only gets used 3 to 4 times a week for a couple of hours with and for a only a portion of those 2 hours. Already it is falling apart. The arm on the bottom that extends out from the net frame is bending upwards. The weld appears to not be holding. I need to get in touch with customer service. I will update after that. Something that is built to take a pounding should be much stronger than that. Especially for $300!

Excellent tool for hitters to use inside and out. Very easy to setup and take down

Great item to improve your swing, the only negative thing i noticed ia that the cord holding the ball only last for a couple of weeks, i really believe that ball should be as heavy duty since they pack it, it is sort of annoying to be requesting with the warranty.