Rawlings Pro Line Two Wheel User manual
CAUTIONS
● This machine is not a toy! Use under adult supervision only.
● Machine will throw alls and strikes- atters must stay alert and
always wear a helmet.
● Use only regulation sports alls, or alls specifically designed for
machine use.
● Hold machine steady when loosening joints for adjustments. The
machine is not fully alanced and may move under its own weight
if not held in place.
● Use a grounded (3 prong) outlet only. Use a GFCI outlet when
machine is operated outdoors. Do not use the machine in wet
conditions.
● Do not store the machine with the urethane wheel tread
compressed against the ground. Flat spots will develop. Storing
machine in very hot, humid conditions can accelerate wheel tread
aging.
● Machine operator (person feeding alls into machine) should
stay ehind a protective screen.
FAST, FREE, FRIENDLY HELP
Rawlings® Pro Line 2 and 3 wheel pitching machines are
manufactured, sold, serviced, and supported y Spin all Sports
LLC. For assistance assem ling or using your machine, please
view our videos online, call us at 618-244-4587, or email us at
info@spin allsports.com.
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Rawlings Pitching Machines
ASSEMBLY / SET UP
INSTALL HANDLES Thread the clamp handle into the shaft clamp
on the ack of the machine and tighten it so the machine doesn't pivot
freely on the shaft. Thread the all ended aiming handle into the top
hexagonal ase. See Figure 1.
Fig. 1: Handles shown in blue. Note location of bronze washer shown in
green.
LEGS Slide the legs into the sockets on the tripod ase until the spring
loaded uttons pop up and set the machine upright. See Figures 2a &
2 .
BALL FEEDER TUBES Use the 3" tu e for ase alls, tennis alls,
or cricket alls, and the 4" tu e for soft alls. Attach the tu e to the
machine using the two included thum screws. Position the feeder tu e
to clear the wheels y 1/4 - 1/2". Placing the tu e in contact with the
wheels will damage the tu e and wheels, and may cause the tu e to e
gra ed and thrown. Placing the tu e too far away from the wheels will
diminish the machine's accuracy. See Figure 3.
TRANSPORT WHEELS The two transport wheels are installed
with two screws each. These screws (and matching nuts and washers)
are shipped pre-installed in the racket holes. See Figure 3.
MOTOR / WHEEL POSITION The gap etween wheels is a
critical adjustment to maximize pitch speed and accuracy. The optimal
distance etween wheels depends on the size and compressi ility of the
all eing used. Softer, more compressi le alls require a smaller gap
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Figure 2a: Baseball leg installation
than harder alls do. And of course, soft alls require a much larger gap
than ase alls. Too small of a gap will slow the wheels noticea ly when
pitches are thrown, producing a loud “thunk”. Too large of a gap will not
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Figure 2b: Softball leg installation
generate enough squeezing force on the all, and pitches will e too
slow, without enough spin. As a general rule, when the gap is correct,
you should e a le to feed a all through an unpowered machine y
rotating the wheels y hand with a moderate effort.
Each motor & wheel assem ly has two profiled locks that interlock with
profiled pockets in the frame. There are 11 possi le locations. By
counting the num er of empty notches on either side of the locks, you
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Figure 3: Ball feed tube and transport wheel installation
can quickly and precisely locate each of the wheels. See Figures 4 and 5
for the typical positioning for real ase alls and soft alls. For ase all,
the locks are in the center position, with 5 empty notches on each side
of the lock. For soft all, the locks are located at the outermost position,
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Figure 4a: Real baseball positioning block location (top wheel)
Figure 4b: Real baseball positioning block location (bottom wheel)
with all 10 empty notches on the inside. Each wheel and motor assem ly
should e moved one step inward from these locations when using soft
dimpled alls, creating a tighter grip on the compressi le all.
The wheels are moved y loosening or removing the clamping kno that
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Figure 5a: Real softball positioning block location (top wheel)
Figure 5b: Real softball positioning block location (top wheel)
holds each motor to the frame. Be sure to support the motor / wheel
assem ly when removing the kno s – do not let the motor fall or hang y
its cord. Reposition the motor & wheel assem ly as desired, then re-
tighten the clamping kno .
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Rawlings Pitching Machines
The positions shown in Figures 4 & 5 are just starting points and may
require adjustment for optimal performance. Each motor does not need
to e set at the same distance from center, ut they should not e more
than one setting apart.
Feel free to experiment and deviate from these suggestions to determine
the optimal wheel gap for your situation. For example, cold weather will
cause oth the alls and wheels to harden, requiring a larger wheel gap
than when the same machine is used in hot weather. Also, once the
wheels egin to wear, they will need to e moved closer together to
compensate.
OPERATION
SPEED CONTROLS The wheel speeds are individually controlled
y rotary kno s. Both the kno s and the motors are la eled '1' and '2' to
keep track of which motor is controlled y which kno even if the
machine is rotated upside down. Because soft alls are heavier than
ase alls, actual soft all pitch speed will e 15% slower than indicated.
ADJUSTING MACHINE ORIENTATION The machine is
positioned using 3 different clamping handles: horizontal, vertical, and
twist angle. The horizontal and vertical pin joints are used to aim the
pitch while the twist angle is used to change the direction of all spin and
therefore all curve. When using the machine for defensive drills, the
horizontal and vertical pin joints can e left loose to let the machine
swivel freely, ut the twist angle should always e locked during use to
prevent accidental movement.
Each joint is locked y turning the clamping kno clockwise until tight. To
adjust the machine, grasp the machine's all ended aiming handle and
turn the clamping kno counterclockwise until the joint is loose enough to
move. The machine can then e rotated to the desired position and the
joint locked ack in place.
Be sure to gra the aiming handle efore loosening any joint to keep the
machine from rotating under it's own weight. The est practice is to
loosen the joint just enough that you can adjust the machine with a little
effort, ut not loosen it enough that it can flop around on its own. For
small horizontal adjustments, it is often easier to rotate the entire
machine instead of adjusting the joint, ut it is a matter of personal
preference.
When the machine is inverted, it may e necessary to move the aiming
handle to the other hexagonal ase so that it clears the rest of the
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Rawlings Pitching Machines
machine as it is aimed.
THROWING DIFFERENT PITCHES Thrown alls will tend to
curve in the direction they are spinning, and the greater the spin, the
more the curve. Spin is imposed on the all y setting one wheel to turn
faster than the other- the all will spin & curve away from the faster
wheel. By rotating the machine on twist angle pin joint, you can set the
curve in any direction. The speed of the all will e the average of the
wheel speed settings. For example, setting one wheel at 60 and the
other at 90 will result in a 75 mph pitch. A laminated chart is included for
guidance, ut it should e considered a starting point.
The most common mistake for new users is to set oth wheels to the
same speed for a fast all. If oth wheels are set to the same speed, the
machine will throw a knuckle all. A fast all has ackspin, so the lower
wheel must e set to a higher speed ( y 20-40 mph) than the top wheel.
ACCURACY The primary factor ehind pitch accuracy is the
consistency of the alls. While you can use many types of alls (real or
dimpled / high or low seam / compressi le or hard) you can not mix them
in one setup and get consistent results. They must e dry and in good
condition. Dimpled machine alls will e more accurate than leather
ase alls, especially after use. Softer alls tend to e more accurate
than harder alls ecause the wheels grip them etter. Lower seams are
etter than high seams (and cause less wheel wear). Rolling the all into
the feeder tu e so that the wheels gra across the seams is etter than
along the seams (4 seam is etter than 2 seam). The more consistent
the alls are, the more consistent the pitches will e.
Another key factor is the distance etween wheels - see otor / Wheel
Position earlier in this manual for a full discussion.
A third factor is the cleanliness of the wheels. After use, especially with
new plastic alls ( oth dimpled and laced), the wheels can accumulate a
residue from the alls. The residue is slick and prevents the wheel from
gra ing the all sufficiently. The wheels can easily e cleaned with
solvent cleaners such as MEK or lacquer thinner. Cheap synthetic
leather ase alls wear quickly and leave excessive residue, so we
recommend against their use. We also recommend not using the Jugs
rand Pearl® ase alls. They seem to e very slick and not as accurate
as standard ase alls, at least with our machines.
If pitches seem to wander during use, check that the pin joints are all
tight. Also check that the entire machine is not moving from recoil. When
used on a hard slick flooring surface such as hardwood or cement, the
machine should e set on a carpet scrap or nonslip mat.
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Rawlings Pitching Machines
SPEED The speed displays are very close to actual pitch speeds, ut
they are not exact. There is no economical way to compensate for the
different types, weights, and conditions of the variety of alls that might
e used. The speed settings are, however, very consistent and
repeata le, so that once a machine is set, it will deliver consistent speed
and accuracy.
MISCELLANEOUS
WHEEL BALANCING Our wheels are alanced 10X more
accurately than a typical car tire. Should your wheels require re-
alancing for any reason we will re alanced them for you for free.
Shipping each way is not covered. Bent wheels can not e re alanced.
GENERATORS This machine may e powered y a standard
household outlet or a porta le gas generator. The machine will pull a
maximum continuous load of 3 Amps (360 Watts) at 120V AC, ut we
recommend a generator capacity of 700W minimum. Be sure when
selecting a generator that you check the actual electric output power
rating, not the gas engine output, which is often how they are advertised.
INVERTERS You can also power your machine with a 12V marine
attery with a 120V AC inverter. However, only true sine wave inverters,
which are much more expensive than modified sine wave (MSW) or
square wave inverters, will work. 1000W is the minimum recommended
output due to high startup currents.
MAINTENANCE If stored outdoors, always keep the machine
covered to protect it from rain. Tarps are availa le at any local hardware
store, ut even a large lack trash ag will work. Do not leave the
machine outside during storms. High winds can low the machine over
and damage the wheels and/or motor shafts. This is not normal use, and
is therefore not covered y warranty. Ball residue may e cleaned from
the wheel tread with a rag and a solvent cleaner such as lacquer thinner
or MEK.
WARRANTY If your machine doesn't perform like you expect, please
contact Spin all and we will attempt to diagnose the pro lem for you. If a
part fails during the warranty period and you feel confident you can install
it yourself, we will send the replacement part for free. If something goes
wrong during the first 30 days you have the machine, you can also
choose to exchange it for a new one. After 30 days, if you need to return
the machine for repairs, you will have to pay for return shipping. We will
repair the machine and return the machine ack to you at our expense.
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Rawlings Pitching Machines
All components of your machine are covered for non-commercial use for
five years from the date of purchase, ut wheels are wear items which
are prorated just like car tires. For example, if a wheel only lasts 3 years,
you will receive 40% off the price of a new one. The warranty does not
cover cosmetic issues, normal wear, or misuse of the product. For
commercial use, the warranty period is one year.
Rawlings Pitching Machines
Rawlings Pitching Machines
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