I'd start with whiffle balls using T, soft toss and front toss. Once he has his form down and can hit these without a thought, change over to softies for a period of time. Once he is hitting the softies from front toss, speed up the pace. Tennis balls are an alternative to softies. Hit 100's over a period of days/weeks. You might also toss a few right at him form time to time to help him see that he can protect himself from future wild pitches. The more focused swings he can get with alternative balls, the more likely he'll be able to manage the real deal when the time comes.

If you are still interested in having him go to the batting cages, try it as part of a lesson.

Thanks Ken, I think we'll need the batting cages. He moved up this year from where the coaches used to pitch. This machine pitches all over the place.

First of all i wouldn't use a pitching machine for a 7 yr. old, working off the tee and soft toss is how i would start them, teaching them to use their bodies to hit. Then when the gain some confidence in those methods, i would pitch to them in a batting cage and engage them in conversation their hitting which seems to ease their fear of getting hit and the before you know it kaboom.

Thanks Coach Moore, I'm getting some good idea's here! He's good out in the field, not afraid at all. He wasn't afraid last year when the Coach's pitched. It's Just this darn machine, it pitches all over, and he's one of the smaller guys so he has a smaller strike zone. On the other hand we have a 2yr.old grandson who already can bat (like the bigger boys) and catch, it'll be fun to see how he grows into it!! Thanks again!!

Plenty of tee work, soft toss, and short toss work to do. 100 swings a day.

when practicing put a bag or something behind him so he cant step out so he will get used to it, or eplian to him how the machine works and it wont hit him, someone probably told him they got hit by one just to get attention