Sports Product Reviewhttp://www.sportsproductreview.com/review/The sports page for gear and gadgetsen-US2012-02-07T12:52:27ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)January 31, 2012 - This Might Catch Onhttp://www.sportsproductreview.com/review/2012/1/31/january-31-2012-this-might-catch-on.htmlBrian Gotta2012-01-31T23:08:26ZThis would have been fun back in our college days. Looks like some new college kids invented a great game. What is Nashball, you ask? Nashball is a new sport that flows like soccer or basketball, uses the entire body, and encourages creativity and a wide range of athletic skill. Simple rules, simple equipment and many ball-control options.

The object is to simply move the ball down the field, land the ball in the opposing team’s oval to score a point. The rules are basic: Keep hands in closed fists. No open-hand contact. Touch the ball up to four times using any body part before passing it. (Punch, bump, kick, head, spike, etc.). The ball can bounce once whenever, but not twice in-a-row. Juggle the ball in the air within arm’s length and no one can touch it. If it bounces, leaves arm’s length, or the player enters shot box, it’s anyone’s ball. The equipment needed is simple: Open space, a ball (volleyball), field markers (8-16 cones), and two teams of players (2 or more).

What can you do in Nashball?: Contact the ball with any body part, bouncing the ball, kicking/spiking/lobbing the ball to score, contact with opposing players, equal rules for each player, horizontal goals.

What's not in the game?: Conventional goal frames/net, goalkeepers, picking the ball up, holding/carrying/throwing the ball, open-hand sets and spikes, rolling/dribbling the ball on the ground, sidelines, offsides. No catching.

Essentially, Nashball can be described as: Hand soccer or fist soccer; A combination of football and volleyball; A cross between soccer and volleyball without a net; A mix between Gaelic football and fistball; The cross between basketball and volleyball; Team handball, soccer, and volleyball combined; A hybrid of ultimate frisbee and volleyball; A volleyball/football hybrid; Full contact volleyball; Volleyball soccer (not soccer volleyball); A mix of volleyball, basketball, and soccer; Rugby and volleyball combined; Soccer with fists; Head-to-head volleyball with no net; Soccer with arms and legs – no carrying the ball.

We'd just describe it as fun.

Source: Nashball.org

]]>January 23, 2012 - Heart of the Gamehttp://www.sportsproductreview.com/review/2012/1/23/january-23-2012-heart-of-the-game.htmlBrian Gotta2012-01-24T01:06:34ZBaseball GeneralI have boys who dream of playing in the Major Leagues. I know, as do they, that the odds of making it all the way are astronomical. There are thousands of baseball players who we never hear about, toiling in the professional ranks trying to get there, trying to work their way up from the minors.

 

S.L. Price has written a provocative, heart-warming and heart-breaking story, Heart of the Game, which tells of one such man who was a baseball “lifer.” Mike Coolbaugh, a minor league coach who had only recently given up his dream of fame and fortune in the Big Leagues, was killed while coaching first base when a foul ball rocketed off Tino Sanchez's bat. He left behind a wife and two children, with a third on the way. The cruel irony? Sanchez had recently become one of Coolbaugh's best friends. The book details Tino's decent into misery, and the lives Mike touched in life and in death.

 

In one particularly poignant scent, Mike tells the story of how his oldest son, who had just turned six, was getting ready for his first T-ball game. Coolbaugh told him that it was probably time to get his uniform on so that they could go to the field. The boy said, “That's OK. I'll just put it on in the clubhouse.” Having grown up knowing nothing but pro baseball, he didn't know that T-ball fields didn't have clubhouses.

 

For a behind-the-scenes look at professional baseball and the rivalries and friendships it forges, this can't be beat.

 

Source: S.L. Price

]]>January 12, 2012 - Winning the Battle of the Bandshttp://www.sportsproductreview.com/review/2012/1/13/january-12-2012-winning-the-battle-of-the-bands.htmlBrian Gotta2012-01-13T23:49:53ZSerious players know that working out with elastic bands does wonders for arm-strength and conditioning. My oldest son's college team brought in a trainer who showed him a band workout and now he's hooked. The folks from Arm Strong sent us their Throwing and Pitching Trainer to try out. It blows the ordinary competitors out of the water.

The Arm Strong can be used outdoor or indoors, which makes it a perfect addition to off-season workouts – especially in parts of the country where no one will be going outside for couple months. It comes with three bands and seven different resistance levels, which means you can get one for your youth player now, and he can continue using it as he grows and advances.

Six distinct exercises can be done, which will create better arm strength and arm health for your player. The Acceleration Mode exercise develops the muscles associated with generating arm speed and velocity. Deceleration Mode works the muscles that act as brakes in the arm after releasing the ball. The rotator cuff and everything else associated with throwing mechanics are improved when athletes simply spend a few minutes each day with the Arm Strong.

But what makes it truly unique and superior is the patented rotating ball. This feature not only adds comfort, but a true feel and better results. With the rotating ball the hand muscles move the way they really would in the game, and since those are connected all the way up to the shoulder, you know that the same muscles you'll be using in competition are being developed in your workout.

We all know that if you want to be the best, you've got to do that little extra. Arm Strong has already done what it takes to be top-of-the-line. Now the rest is up to you.

Source: Arm Strong

]]>January 5, 2012 - "Swish!" Not "Swoosh"http://www.sportsproductreview.com/review/2012/1/5/january-5-2012-swish-not-swoosh.htmlBrian Gotta2012-01-05T23:56:12ZBaseball SoftballWe love solo training aids that allow kids to practice when there's no one around to work with them. We've reviewed many over the course of the past five years, some better than others, but all effective in their unique way. One of the things we've learned is that the simpler these aids are, the more likely they'll be used. And if you can find one that can serve more than one function, you've hit a home run.

Or, in the case of the RBI Pro Swing, make that you'll be more likely to hit one. The RBI Pro Swing is an ingenious device designed to improve baseball hitters' swings. The Pro Swing slips on to any bat and provides instant audio feedback so you know if the swing you just took was good, or needs some help.

Inside the Pro Swing, thousands of tiny pellets of steel shot slide from the top to the bottom as the bat is swung. A quick, “swish” sound means that the shot was released at the moment of impact, that all of your power was stored until the last possible moment. Hearing a longer, “swoosh” sound indicates a longer, looping swing which loses power early and does not hit the ball with the same force.

My 14 year-old daughter has this problem of swinging “around the ball.” We've been trying to get her to correct it for years. She, and one of my sons who plays at the collegiate level, took the product out into the garage and tried it out. The difference in the sound was instantly recognizable, with the swooshing audible before my daughter even broke the plane of the plate. I'm guessing a few hundred cuts with the Pro Swing are just what the doctor ordered.

This device also adds weight to the bat so it is a great replacement for the traditional “doughnut” hitters often use in on-deck circles. Youth league coaches who want to create hitting stations for their practices might want to consider buying two or three of these to keep players active at all times. But again, best of all, a kid who is motivated and wants to improve doesn't need to hope dad has time to pitch to him today or spend fifty bucks at the local cage to get in some practice. All he needs is a bat and a garage or backyard, and he's on his way. If you listen closely, you can hear him getting better.

Source: RBI Pro Swing

]]>December 23, 2011 - Flip Your Lidhttp://www.sportsproductreview.com/review/2011/12/23/december-23-2011-flip-your-lid.htmlBrian Gotta2011-12-23T16:49:37ZBaseball General SoftballHigh schools, club teams, all-stars, take notice: If you want the best selection of caps, visors and or beanies with your logo or something new you design, we'd like to give a tip of the cap to Prep Gear.

Prep Gear provides outstanding customer service from start to finish. The selection they offer cannot be beat, and the quality of your finished product will make you a customer for life. There are no set-up charges, no artwork charges and you choose each design down to the color of the stitching!

Go onto their website and take a look around. It is like being in a virtual showroom for the finest headgear available. By the time you zoom in on each product you'll know exactly what you're getting and almost feel like you've tried it on.

It might be time to refresh a stale look for your organization. Maybe you're starting a new club from scratch. Or, you might know that a unique cap with your school's name would sell like hot cakes and be a great booster item. Whatever you dream up, Prep Gear will turn into reality.

Source: Prep Gear

]]>December 7, 2011 - A Toast to Successhttp://www.sportsproductreview.com/review/2011/12/7/december-7-2011-a-toast-to-success.htmlBrian Gotta2011-12-07T21:23:35ZGeneralHow would you like to transform an ordinary item, that just about every sports-playing kid uses daily, into a really cool personalized souvenir? That’s what the inventors of Starview Bottles set out to do. And they’ve succeeded in flying colors.

Every kid needs a water bottle during games and practices. Why settle for an ordinary, run-of-the-mill bottle that everyone has when you can make it special? The Starview Bottle boasts a small picture frame perfect for inserting a photo of your young star. This not only adds a personal touch, but reduces the chances that others will be drinking from the same bottle on the bench.

Starview offers fundraising programs for sports leagues or for your favorite cause. Their bottles are BPA free, so you can feel about what you’re doing for the environment as well. Paired together, your child’s favorite beverage and action photo are a hydration combination that will create memories that will last a lifetime.

Source: Starview Bottles

]]>November 29, 2011 - Rain, Rain...Who Cares?http://www.sportsproductreview.com/review/2011/11/29/november-29-2011-rain-rainwho-cares.htmlBrian Gotta2011-11-30T00:25:09ZOutdoorsThis is our first-ever combo review. Neither of the companies that manufacture these products are related, to our knowledge. But the products are alike in one very important way. They work amazingly well.

 

Here's the story. A couple weeks ago, after dinner, I decided to take the dog for a walk in the rain. It doesn't rain much here in Southern California and I figured it would be no problem to go out in a light sprinkling and get the pooch some exercise. She doesn't mind because she's got a fur coat, and I have a an Arc'teryx Alpha FL Jacket sent to us by the folks at REI. We ended up going a long way and the rain grew more and more steady.

 

Steady turned into a downpour, and a downpour turned into a monsoon. It was the hardest I've ever seen it rain out here. It turns out we got more rain in this one day, than in the entire month the year before. But with my hood on and the jacket zipped to the chin, I could not have been any dryer had I been indoors. As I walked in this gale, I was stunned that not a drop got through. I kept thinking to myself that I could literally jump in a swimming pool wearing this thing and come out with a dry T-shirt underneath.

 

Our city's drainage systems are not equipped to handle this kind of water and soon the streets were flooding. Nothing dangerous, but I'm talking about raging rivers three feet wide gushing against every curb and gutter. It was dark and when I tried to jump them, usually I landed in water up to my ankles, sometimes higher. Halfway home, I just gave up trying to avoid them and slogged right through in my tennis shoes. They, my socks and feet, were obviously as wet as could possibly be.

 

Ordinarily, this would have been the end of those tennis shoes. My experience has been shoes that get that wet will smell terribly forever and never be the same. However, we were also sent a pair of Stuffitts a couple years back. These ingenious inserts are filled with water and odor absorbing materials including cedar, that act a a combination dehumidifier and deodorizer for shoes. I left them in my shoes for two days. When I pulled them out, they were moist, but the insides and outsides of the shoes were dry. Then the test. I held the shoes up to my nose, expecting the worst. Instead, all I got was the sweet scent of cedar. The shoes are as good as before the walk.

 

So next time I might check the weather forecast before venturing out in the rain with my canine companion. But on the other hand, she loved the evening in the rain and, thanks to a couple of awesome products, so did I.

 

Source: Arc'teryx and Stuffitts

]]>November 15, 2011 - Didn't Feel a Thing...But Comforthttp://www.sportsproductreview.com/review/2011/11/15/november-15-2011-didnt-feel-a-thingbut-comfort.htmlBrian Gotta2011-11-16T01:58:15ZBaseballThere are twenty-seven bones in the human hand. When the hand grips a baseball bat, nearly every one of them is vulnerable to the potential impact of a thrown ball. Couple that with the fact that the handle of the bat provides no give or shock absorption, and its no wonder hand and wrist injuries are among the most common in baseball.

So why wouldn't everyone who knows about them wear XProTeX gloves?

They sent us a pair of Raykrs, the top of the line protective batting glove. They're specifically designed for either right or left handed batters and provide maximum hand and wrist protection. The gloves are intensely comfortable, while making your hands feel invulnerable to a fastball up and in because of their specially-formulated Advanced Impact Composite material (AIC).  AIC goes beyond conventional padding - it provides a lightweight, flexible, cooler and a less restrictive solution to body protection with greater coverage of vulnerable body parts and excellent impact resistance.

If you bought them for the style and looks alone, you'd be thrilled. Combine that with the supple feel of the world-class Pittards Leather from which they're made, and you'd probably think these were the best gloves you ever wore. But throw in the fact that you'll no longer shy away from inside pitches and can worry less about breaking bones and more about breaking records, and you've just hit a home run.

Source: XProTeX

There are twenty-seven bones in the human hand. When the hand grips a baseball bat, nearly every one of them is vulnerable to the potential impact of a thrown ball. Couple that with the fact that the handle of the bat provides no give or shock absorption, and its no wonder hand and wrist injuries are among the most common in baseball.

 

So why wouldn't everyone who knows about them wear XProTeX gloves?

 

They sent us a pair of Raykrs, the top of the line protective batting glove. They're specifically designed for either right or left handed batters and provide maximum hand and wrist protection. The gloves are intensely comfortable, while making your hands feel invulnerable to a fastball up and in because of their specially-formulated Advanced Impact Composite material (AIC). AIC goes beyond conventional padding - it provides a lightweight, flexible, cooler and a less restrictive solution to body protection with greater coverage of vulnerable body parts and excellent impact resistance.

 

If you bought them for the style and looks alone, you'd be thrilled. Combine that with the supple feel of the world-class Pittards Leather from which they're made, and you'd probably think these were the best gloves you ever wore. But throw in the fact that you'll no longer shy away from inside pitches and can worry less about breaking bones and more about breaking records, and you've just hit a home run.

 

Source: XProTeX

]]>November 8, 2011 - Extra Protection Can't Hurthttp://www.sportsproductreview.com/review/2011/11/8/november-8-2011-extra-protection-cant-hurt.htmlBrian Gotta2011-11-09T01:30:45ZBaseball SoftballWe're all for safety when it comes to sports - especially at the youth level. So when Pro-Tech contacted us and told us they'd produced a product that is designed to reduce the impact of a batted ball to the head of a baseball player, we'd said we'd love to take a look and offer some exposure.

The idea is simple, but good. The Pro-Tech Hat Insert is plastic insert that fits seamlessly into the front of any baseball cap. It is impact resistant, which means if a ball were to hit a player wearing the insert, much of the shock and, thus, potential injury would be reduced.

My first thought when we received the product was that it might be bulky or cumbersome. I was concerned that if it were slipped into a hat it would make it look odd, which would deter kids from wearing it. Much to my pleasant surprise, the hat looked no different with the insert in, than without. It passed the "feel"test with flying colors too. When the hat containing the Pro-Tech is worn you won't notice it a bit.

If you watched the Little League World Series this summer, you probably saw a pitcher from the winning Ocean View team take a line drive off the hat. He was very lucky. The ball hit the bill of the cap exactly the right way so that the bill absorbed all of the ball's impact and the player was unhurt. A tenth of an inch higher, and it would have been right at his forehead and who knows how badly injured he might have been. If my boys were still playing Little League - especially if they were pitching, after seeing that, they'd be wearing a Pro-Tech Hat Insert at all times. And the best thing is they couldn't complain because they wouldn't even know it was there - unless they needed it.

Source: Pro-Tech

]]>October 31, 2011 - Get On Top of Ithttp://www.sportsproductreview.com/review/2011/11/1/october-31-2011-get-on-top-of-it.htmlBrian Gotta2011-11-01T14:15:24ZGeneral Sports TrainingDOD Fitness, (short for "Do Or Die") wants to make you more comfortable while you get in shape. Their line of padded Wrist Wedges, Neck Circles and Knee Doughnuts eliminate wrist, neck and knee discomfort during exercise and other activities.

They sent us out their three-product package, (which came in a very handy and sporty nylon draw-string tote), and we tried them out. Anyone who does yoga, Pilates, or simple stretches and who experiences discomfort on hard surfaces would love to have DOD beneath them. Plus, they are versatile. I suffer from nagging lower back pain as a result of pitching and hitting hundreds of baseballs each week. I made a small ramp from the wedges and laid across them, placing my head on the circle, and experienced a gentle and effective muscle stretch without any effort. The products are well-made, easy to use and take the discomfort out of activities you might otherwise shun.

Their website contains instructional videos showing viewers how to use the wedges, circle and doughnuts in various exercises, as well as photo depictions of many more. We all need a little motivation now and then to do what we know we should be doing. If owning the DOD Fitness package eliminates one more excuse standing (or kneeling) in your way, it will be the healthiest doughnut you ever bought.

Source: DOD Fitness

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