Got this pitchback to replace a different one for my 14 year old baseball player and 10 year old lacrosse player. This one has some good features that make it better than most other pitchbacks we've used. Excellent design and performance. Read below for some of the things that make this pitchback stand out from others.

It comes in parts as do they all, but instead of spring locks the frame is held together with easy to assemble bolts and nuts. **This is really important.** Pitchback frames with the spring locks will always twist when moving the unit, making it very hard to get an accurate rebound. They will also twist when hit by a hard throw. The Rukket model stays stable with a true rebound.

The back support arm folds up and adjusts easily. This makes storing, moving, and changing the rebound angle a snap. The method is to pull the included line, which releases 2 spring-loaded locking pins. Super simple to easily change for different catch training.

The frame has rubber feet to hold it on a hard surface like concrete. Many pitchbacks have nothing here so they 1) slide uselessly on a hard surface and 2) get scratched up and start to rust. It also comes with sturdy pins for soft surfaces like grass. The pitchback is stable on our lawn so we have not used these; however they look like they will not bend as with many other ground pins.

The target on the net is pre-installed and made from high quality webbing. This eliminates the tedious task of having to install it. On every other pitchback we've purchased the target material doesn't stand up to outdoor use and quickly fails.

The net bungees that hold it to the frame were easy to install, and look to be be durable. Our last "quality" pitchback's cords frayed and failed pretty fast. A really nice, thoughtful touch is tool included to help stretch the net. It's a metal handle with hooks that help stretch the net so you can attach the bungee clips. A really nice touch that I've not seen elsewhere.

All in all, this seems like a pitchback made by people that were frustrated by the shortcomings of other pitchbacks and wanted to do something about it.

To install the mesh to the frame I used 15" white cable ties from Harbor Freight instead of the supplied bungees which many people complain about being a 2-man and difficult at best installation. (100 ties for $9.00) The 15" cable tie is a much easier one man installation and they can be installed rather loosely around the entire frame initially and then evenly tightened to get the desired effect. My final tightening was with lineman pliers (or any kind of pliers) with the head of the cable tie located on the pitch back tubing. After my final stretch I cut off the cable tie ends allowing a 1" pull tab for future stretching with the pliers if needed. The two cable ties located at each corner ("8" in all) may slip around the corners so I wrapped on the corner side of each cable tie 4 wraps of electrical tape to inhibit slippage. Works great!

I wish the net had a little less tension. This would be great in an open field but my back yard space is a little limited. I'll make it work, but a softer rebound would have been better for me. Also, be aware that if you miss the center target to the left or right you'll probably be chasing the ball; but I suspect that's true of all these nets. Assembly takes patience and time, but the unit appears to be well made and I expect it to hold up well.

PS - I see a lot of complaints about the net being too tight to install. I didn't find that to be a problem. Take your time and follow the instructions about the sequence.

I was surprised to see the precision of the components and hole locations. The paint finish was excellent and it appears that the paint will protect the base metal for a very long time in an outdoor environment. The netting also appears to be of high quality and rugged to withstand many hours of use. We used all bungees and pleased that we took the extra time to space them evenly. Instructions were excellent. The net has a great bounce return.

It is obvious that Rukket takes great pride in the quality of their products. We would buy other products from Rukket based on our experience with this one. Thank you for your focus on customer satisfaction.

This is a great training piece of equipment. My husband has to adjust for our 9yr old, but it's simple. Being able to catch fly balls, grounders, and pitch on the same piece is amazing.