As a baseball parent, I'm absolutely passionate about helping my son develop his skills and reach his full potential. From the moment he picked up a bat, I've been there every step of the way, coaching him, encouraging him, and supporting him through every challenge.
I’ll admit that when a mom-friend of mine recommended that Jason try WIN Reality — a virtual reality (VR) baseball training tool — I had my doubts.
I liked the idea of Jason having unlimited pitches and practice in the comfort of our home, but how could VR compare to the real deal? She swore her son’s skills have improved immensely since using WIN, so I did a little digging.
Turns out, WIN Reality provides realistic game-speed at-bats with a variety of pitch types, velocities, and arm slots. Plus, it tracks precisely where hits go and records statistics. This optimizes training and helps improve pitch recognition, timing, and decision-making.
I was lucky enough to speak to some of the talented people at WIN Reality to get their advice on the best way to train. Here’s what they have to say…
How to Hit a Baseball Like a Pro:
“The biggest difference in my opinion is swinging at the pitches you can handle. Through working with Win Reality you will be able to practice your pitch recognition so that it is easier to make swing decisions in the game.”
- Sean Moore (Former Division 1 athlete and Junior College Coach)
How to Improve Strike Zone Discipline:
“See as many pitches as you can. Get live at bats, stand in on bullpens, use Win Reality, and more specifically the pitch recognition drill in Win Reality.”
- Andrew Don (Former Professional Player and Coach)
How to Maximize Your Power:
“Make sure you have proper technique, strength training, adequate launch angle, proper weight transfer within your swing/load, hip rotation, mental approach, contact point, follow through, timing, etc..”
- Helena (Softball Development Specialist and Former Collegiate Softball player)
How to Hit a Fastball:
“Always be ready for the fastball, react to the curve/slider. Look for spin and release-point in order to recognize pitches better.”
- Will Findley (Former Collegiate Middle Infielder and Current Hitting Coach)
How to Improve Situational Hitting
“Include situational training into your bp [batting practice] routine. Work on simple things such as moving a runner over with a swing and with a bunt, or getting a runner in from third with the infield in and back.”
- Will Findley (Former Collegiate Middle Infielder and Current Hitting Coach)
Why Use WIN Reality?
“Win Reality helps in numerous ways. Whether it's: pitch recognition, timing, or situational hitting, there’s always something to help you improve.”
- Sean Moore (Former Division 1 athlete and Junior College Coach)
“Realistic Simulation: Win Reality can create highly realistic simulations of baseball environments, including stadiums, pitches, and game scenarios. This realism enhances the training experience, making it feel more like actual gameplay.”
- Will Findley (Former Collegiate Middle Infielder and Current Hitting Coach)
What Makes Win Reality Better Than Going to the Batting Cages?
“You don't have to drive to a facility, field, venue, etc to hit. You can stay inside in the comfort of your own home rather than going out! If the weather permits, you can stay home and work in your garage and hit with the VR.”
- Helena (Softball Development Specialist and Former Collegiate Softball player)
“I think it's a great supplement to going to the cages. It's hard to recreate a game-like environment and our product does a great job replicating that and the emotions that happen in a game. It’s also a great way to get live at bats because finding actual pitchers is hard”
- Andrew Don (Former Professional Player and Coach)
What do current MLB players say about WIN Reality?
“They love it, it is a huge part of a lot of players' pregame routine and their offseason training.”
- Andrew Don (Former Professional Player and Coach)
“You need to find a way to practice the strike zone. Before WIN Reality, you had to do it in a cage.”
- Paul Goldschmidt (2022 MVP and WIN Customer)
“They love using WIN to help them improve their vision, visual strategy, and mental approach at the plate. And it helps them recognize pitches early on especially with timing and understanding spin/movement, speed.”
- Helena (Softball Development Specialist and Former Collegiate Softball player)
Final Thoughts:
Jason started with WIN’s Pro plan — their annual subscription is now on sale for only $25/month! What a terrific option for parents who want to help their kids improve their baseball skills in a fun and engaging way.
If you’re unsure exactly what to work on, WIN has advanced 1-1 and small group coaching sessions with former pro players. During your weekly 30-minute video session, these coaches watch and analyze your swing utilizing the in-app data and tailor a personalized training plan to fit your needs.
After Jason’s first session, he realized that he needs to work on his timing because he’s not loading his hands early enough. With WIN’s practice mode, he can work steadily on this. Jason continually sees tangible results of his improvement on each of his calls with his Coach!
Also, the app includes a library of 600+ pitchers to choose from, so a player can face velocities from 40-100+ mph, see any type of pitch imaginable, and train against righties and lefties from any arm angle.
One of the best things about the app is the instant feedback, so Jason can track his progress and make adjustments as needed. He’s improved massively in only a few weeks!
All you need is a virtual reality headset (Meta Quest is recommended), and your kid can be on their way to batting like a pro. Skip the hassle of crowded batting cages and rain delays and go for WIN Reality.