Training Aids

Most training aids are solutions in search of a problem. A good tee and a net cover the overwhelming majority of useful reps.

How we make money: some links here earn us a commission if you buy. It costs you nothing and it does not change what we recommend — the rankings come from independent testing and owner reports, and we say plainly when a popular product has a problem. We have never been paid to include or rank anything.

1

Tanner Tee (Original / Heavy)

$100–$160

Consistently rated the best batting tee available

The tee everyone else is compared to. Flexible top that doesn't punish a mishit, a genuinely stable base, and light enough to carry. The Heavy version is the most stable tee tested — worth it if it lives outdoors or gets hit hard.

Best for:
Every player. If you buy one training aid, buy this.

Good

  • Most stable base tested
  • Flexible top survives mishits
  • Light and portable

Less good

  • More than a supermarket tee
  • Top eventually wears and needs replacing
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Assessed from: Pro Baseball Insider testing

2

Weighted Training Balls

$25–$60 per set

Genuinely effective for arm strength when used inside a structured programme — and a real injury risk when they aren't. The research showing velocity gains also shows increased injury rates among throwers running these programmes. Not a toy to leave in the garage for an eleven-year-old.

Worth knowing before you buy

Only use with a written protocol and coach supervision. Studies showing velocity gains from weighted-ball work also found meaningfully increased injury rates. Not recommended below about 14.

Best for:
Players 14+ following a specific programme with a coach.
Skip it if:
Your player is under 14, or nobody is supervising the protocol.

Good

  • Documented arm-strength effect when programmed properly
  • Cheap

Less good

  • Documented injury risk when used casually
  • Requires supervision to be safe
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Assessed from: All Athletes Club training-aid guide · Reinold et al. weighted-ball injury findings

3

Soft / Restricted-Flight Balls

$20–$45

The most useful winter purchase in New England. Lets a kid hit and field indoors without destroying a basement, which turns four dead months into practice months. Unglamorous and genuinely high-value.

Best for:
Indoor winter work, which in Massachusetts is a third of the year.

Good

  • Enables real indoor reps
  • Cheap
  • Safe around windows and siblings

Less good

  • Different feel from a real ball
  • Wear out with heavy use
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Assessed from: GoRout youth training guide · Pro Baseball Insider testing

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