TAP® Six Pocket Target – Adjustable Six‑Opening Command Station for Advanced Command and Feel
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An adjustable six-opening command station that swaps loud pad pops for graded, low-noise feedback pitchers can actually feel.
The TAP® Six Pocket Target is a metal-framed pitching station for experienced arms who want to refine command and release-point feel once basic strike-throwing is already in place. Instead of throwing at one big pad, pitchers aim through six removable 10"×9" windows that drop the ball quietly into a dual-channel net — while a covered panel still gives a sharp, unmistakable miss. Included side strips narrow the usable window from 23" down to 17", letting coaches dial up the challenge as a pitcher’s command improves.
- Six Removable-Cover Openings — Coaches peel back specific panels to turn six 10"×9" spots into live windows, working "through" instead of "at" a target.
- Two Clearly Different Outcomes — A clean window throw settles quietly in the net; a covered-panel hit produces a sharper sound and rebound.
- Dual Hold-Zones for Pattern Reading — Balls collect left or right behind the openings, giving coaches a quick spray-chart read at the end of any block.
- Adjustable Width, 23" to 17" — Included side strips narrow the window to plate-width, scaling difficulty as command improves.
- Six-Location Graded Feedback — Multiple reconfigurable windows reveal where quality throws cluster, not just whether a pitch was generally "around the plate."
What Is It?
The TAP® Six Pocket Target is a self-contained command station pairing a 6'×4' heavy-duty steel frame with a six-opening pad and a dual-channel net that holds successful throws at the bottom. It inverts the usual "hit the pad" task — the job is to send the ball through chosen windows and read the pattern of where those balls collect, not just to make contact with a large target face.
How It Works
Three mechanisms behind the six-opening design
Adjustable Boundaries
Narrowing the window from 23" to 17" is designed to nudge the nervous system toward smaller adjustments in trunk angle and wrist orientation as the challenge level goes up — the "challenge point" idea that learning is sharpest when a task is demanding but not overwhelming.
Feedback That Supports Intrinsic Control
Because clean hits don’t produce a big impact sound, attention naturally shifts toward ball flight, window placement, and proprioception — the sense of where joints and muscles are in space — encouraging a repeatable internal feel for good releases.
Gaze Anchoring for Spine Stability
Consistently guiding the ball through a 10"×9" opening encourages the pitcher to keep their eyes fixed on a small window through the motion, which can help keep the head quiet and reduce excessive side-bending as the torso unwinds.
Training Approach
Built on Motor-Learning Principles
There is no peer-reviewed study on this exact product; every mechanism described here applies general motor-learning principles and pitching-specific practice research to the Six Pocket’s design. A ball that passes cleanly through an opening and rests in the net gives a success signal, while a ball that hits a covered panel gives a clear miss signal — engaging both reward-based learning and sensory-error learning on every throw.
Product Details
How to Use It
Warm-up / prep phase: Assemble the 6'×4' metal frame on a level surface with clear space for a full pitching motion. Attach the pad with all 15 ball bungees, then choose a starting width — 23" for forgiveness while the arm warms up, or 17" to mirror plate width. This is a full-intent station, so complete a thorough dynamic warm-up and usual catch-play progression first.
Training phase: Decide which of the six locations will be open windows and which stay covered based on that day’s plan. Have the pitcher lock onto a specific opening and throw full-intent pitches. After each block of 10–20 pitches, check the left-vs-right hold-zone split and adjust panels or cues for the next block.
Light-day / recovery-adjacent use: Keep the width at 23", open fewer windows, and run low-volume sets focused on visual tracking and smooth delivery rather than max-effort velocity. These sessions complement, rather than replace, lighter catch-play and movement work.
Variant & Selection Guide
| Size | Weight | SKU | UPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6'×4' | ~30 lb | SPN | To be confirmed |
Offered as a single, complete station — ships with the metal frame, Six Pocket pad, removable covers, side strips, 15 ball bungees, and the dual-lane net. No separate screen purchase is required.
Who This Is For
- Commonly used for advanced high school, college, and professional pitchers who already have a stable delivery and are ready to refine location and feel.
- Commonly used for coaches who want a station that can move from wider, more forgiving windows to plate-width openings as the athlete progresses.
- Commonly used for facilities that run a full command ladder, with the Six Pocket placed after tools like the Precision Target, Pitching Pad, and Advanced Command Trainer.
- Not recommended as a first target for brand-new pitchers who still need simple zones and loud, obvious feedback to learn basic strike-throwing.
What This Implement Does NOT Do
- It is not a beginner or "fix-your-mechanics" board; it assumes the pitcher already has a functional delivery.
- It is not just a sound-reduction screen; the design depends on contrasting softer through-the-window catches with sharper covered-panel hits.
- It is not a replacement for the Advanced Command Trainer; that binary, plate-width tool still has a key role earlier in the progression.
- It is not a measuring device; it does not provide velocity, spin, or movement data and should be paired with radar or pitch-tracking tools if metrics are needed.
Technical Specs
| Product Name | TAP® Six Pocket Target |
|---|---|
| Also Known As | Six Hole Target, Removable Zone Pitching Target, Multi-Hole Baseball Retriever |
| Frame | Heavy-duty metal, freestanding on flat surfaces (turf, concrete, or mound platforms) |
| Frame Size | 6'×4' |
| Openings | Six 10"×9" windows with removable vinyl covers |
| Net & Hold | Dual-lane net; balls that pass through openings collect and remain at the bottom |
| Width Adjustment | 23" down to 17" using included side strips |
| Attachment | Pad secures to the frame with 15 included ball bungees |
| Approx. Weight | 30 lb |
| Compatible Balls | Regulation baseballs and softballs, weighted training balls, soft-shell training balls |
Safety, Compliance & Youth Guardrails
- Not a toy: This product is intended for organized athletic training environments and should not be used as a toy; misuse can lead to falls, impacts, or other injuries.
- Not for impact use: Do not climb on, hang from, or run into the frame or pad; it is designed for thrown-ball impact only.
- Not a rehabilitation device: Use in rehabilitation or return-to-play settings should follow a plan written or approved by qualified medical or performance professionals.
- Full-intent use only after warm-up: This is meant for high-effort pitching drills; athletes should not throw at full speed from a cold start and should always be fully warmed up first.
- Age guidance: For most athletes, this tool is best suited to roughly ages 13 and up, when growth-related joint changes and neural adaptation make higher-challenge command work appropriate.
- Supervision: Younger or less-experienced pitchers should use it only under close adult supervision, with wider settings, simple pocket layouts, and conservative volumes. Stop immediately if pain, dizziness, or unusual fatigue appears. We are not coaches. We do not provide coaching.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Six Pocket Target different from other pitching targets?
Most targets ask you to hit a pad; this one asks you to send the ball through chosen openings, with contained holds for successes and sharper sounds for misses, so advanced pitchers can work on finer command and feel.
Why use openings and reduced noise instead of a loud solid face?
Having the ball settle in the net with less sound shifts attention toward ball flight, opening location, and internal feel rather than relying on a big impact noise, which better matches how pitchers must self-organize in real games.
When is a pitcher ready for the Six Pocket Target?
Once they can repeat a basic delivery and find large zones consistently with simpler targets, and are looking to refine command patterns and feel rather than just learn to throw strikes.
Can I use it with weighted balls?
Yes, it’s built to handle regulation and weighted balls, but high-intent weighted-ball sessions should be supervised and may require extra anchoring to keep the frame stable.
Does the dual hold really matter?
Over a session, seeing where balls are parked in the left vs. right net lanes gives a quick picture of where quality throws clustered or skewed, without needing separate tracking tools.
Does it have any role on lighter days?
On light days, using wider settings and fewer openings with low-volume sets lets pitchers rehearse feel and visual focus without adding much total throwing load.
Questions before you buy? Call or Text Our Team at (936) 295-4459
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