Ball Pitcher Hood Design

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by squirrel

We did get a chance to play with it, and it really does like the 2" compression. Also we noticed that having the ball escape while it is still compressed, results in quite a bit of variation in height. But using a flat plate that lets the ball uncompress gradually, allows very precise height control. So make sure your shooter has some "follow through" with the hood extending gradually away from the wheel.

Jim,
We tried your suggestion with an extended top piece. It was a little more consistent shot after shot. We did not see a difference between a 1 1/2 and 2 in compression, for our design.
The AM wheel from 2008 is definitely much better than the grippy ones this year. We shredded 3 balls in 5 minutes with them. The smooth older ones definitely grip better with less slippage and doesn't damage the ball other than small scuffs.