About JUGS Baseball Pitching Machines

The JUGS Story
	The first JUGS product, a curveball pitching machine, has developed into the most revolutionary training aid for all phases of the game of baseball. With it's ability to accurately throw more than 600 pitches over the plate in one hour, at any speed or spin desired, JUGS is the best training aid for players of all ages.
But JUGS is more than a pitching machine. Fielding practice has been greatly improved by using JUGS to throw grounders, pop-ups, and flies to infielders, outfielders, and even catchers. JUGS is also great for simulating game-like conditions and aiding in pre-season tryouts. Other JUGS products which have spun off of this original concept are causing just as much excitement in their respective areas. Now, teams in seven other sports are enjoying better practices because of JUGS products. Besides baseball, there are now JUGS machines for softball, football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, tennis, and even the British Commonwealth's national sport - cricket! When John Paulson set out to build a baseball pitching machine to help his two sons become better hitters, he didn't realize the venture would have such a tremendous impact on the great American pastime. But this is exactly what happened. Ninety-four percent of all baseball players entering professional baseball in the last thirty years have helped develop their skills with the help of JUGS. In 1970, Paulson began investigation the various pitching machines that were available at the time, but found them lacking in many aspects. Most were prone to falling apart under normal use, were too heavy and hard to move, would not throw strikes consistently, and would not throw realistic curves. As a result, Paulson purchased a patent covering the use of pneumatic tires to throw baseballs and incorporated some ingenious ideas of his own to create a new pitching machine. This machine not only threw all types of pitches - curves, sliders, fastballs and even sinking split-finger fastballs - at any speed desired, but it was also durable, trouble-free and light enough to be transported in the trunk of a small car. The machine was named the JUGS Curveball Pitching Machine, from the old-time baseball expression ''jug-handle curve''. The key to the machine's instant popularity was its portability, durability and its ability to accurately throw all types of pitches, especially curveballs. As so often happens in many industries, the first ones to recognize the value of the new development - the first ones to buy JUGS were the most successful coaches in the country. In a very short time, almost all college national championship teams and contenders, as well as state high school champions, were using JUGS. Word spread quickly among baseball coaches about how JUGS was helping build championship teams. Articles in trade magazines sang its praises. Sports Illustrated covered the machine on three different occasions and predicted that JUGS would revolutionize baseball. The recognition of JUGS reached its zenith when Paulson appeared on national TV to demonstrate the machine with ''Mr. October'', Reggie Jackson. Today , over 105,000 teams use a JUGS machine at their practices. In fact, the most widely used pitching machines in the world are made by JUGS. John Paulson did not stop with just one pitching machine idea. Recognizing the need for improved practice and play in youth leagues, Paulson designed the JUGS Jr™, an inexpensive pitching machine which throws amazingly accurate straight balls, as well as flies and grounders for fielding practice. The JUGS Jr.™ has since received the official approval of Little League® Baseball and many other youth league organizations. Paulson then began to take a close look at other sports to see how the JUGS concept could help athletes improve in those sports. The creative energy of John Paulson produced remarkable results: a softball machine that throws risers, drops and slowpitch tosses; a football throwing machine that can toss a perfect spiral over 100 yards and a soccer machine that ''hooks'' high arcing corner kicks right into the goal, and new equally impressive JUGS machines for other sports. JUGS products now available include practice baseballs and softballs, heavy-duty batting cage nets, automatic ball feeders, and the famous JUGS Radar Guns - the first radar guns designed specifically to measure the speed of baseballs and softballs. Just as the JUGS baseball and softball pitching machines have helped batters of all ages dramatically improve their hitting skills, the famed JUGS Radar Guns are likewise helping pitchers master their craft. The top scouts of Major League Baseball Teams use JUGS Radar Guns as their main tool in discovering new pitching prospects. In March of 1984, John Paulson passed away. Right up until the time of his death, he was enthusiastically working on what he termed ''the ultimate pitching machine''. As a legacy to their father, Mr. Paulson's sons, John Jr. and Butch, continued working on ''the ultimate pitching machine'' project and produced the JUGS Curveball Pitching Machine. In 1988, JUGS introduced the JUGS MVP® Pitching Machine, a machine specifically designed for use as a designated pitcher in games for young ballplayers, ages 5-12. Our most recent additions - the Super Softball™ Pitching Machine, the 101™ Baseball Pitching Machine, and the Combination Pitching Machine™ have been designed to even better meet the specific needs of high school and college baseball and softball teams. The Super Softball™ Pitching Machine is perfect for advanced high school and college fast-pitch softball teams. It can throw at speeds up to 70 miles per hour. The 101™ Baseball Pitching Machine was designed to provide an advanced pitching machine at an economical price. With its exclusive Dial-A-Pitch® feature, you can change pitches and speeds by simply turning a dial. This makes the JUGS 101™ Baseball Pitching Machine the simplest and most convenient-to-use two-wheel pitching machine on the market today. The JUGS Combination Pitching Machine™, an old JUGS favorite, was designed to meet the needs of high school and college baseball, softball and tennis teams on a tight budget - as well as growing number of our backyard customers. Throughout the research and development of every JUGS product, John Paulson's methodology has remained a constant - observe how athletes practice their respective sports, then develop machinery that will help those athletes reach to their highest possible level. The Paulson brothers have continued this traditional at JUGS. Because of this, you can be sure that all JUGS products will continue leading the way to more innovative practices and an overall improvement of every sport that uses them.