Following surgery of both shoulders in 2003, I needed to find a way to still be able to throw batting practice to my 13 year old son and to the team I coached. The typical solution were whiffle balls, golf ball sized and even marking them with different colors so my son would have to yell out the color as he was hitting (hoping he would learn to focus on the ball, spin, rotation etc). I found whiffle balls were not great outdoors especially with wind, they did not feel to great when I was hit in the face or neck with them and most of all, I didn't like how quickly they broke. I tried other things to throw, including peanut M&M's and much to my delight, my son was able to hit them with consistency but it was a waste of my snack. Finally I was at a trade
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Why Smushballs...
A little history behind the product
show with my job and one vendor was giving away red stress balls. They were light weight and I though maybe they would work. I ended up talking the vendor of his leftover give-aways and tried them with my son. there was no pain to throw them and I could place the balls where I wanted. In the winter, we would go to a local indoor basketball court and I would throw from just above the free throw line on my knees and have my son try to drive the ball to the opposite wall.
I found to me the perfect practice ball and soon other coaches wanted to practice with them. I started searching and eventually found factories in China that made a heavy duty stress ball and I began ordering a few cases for local coaches and to now importing about 15,000 every other month. If we would have purchased from US manufacturers, we found that they
mainly had the balls manufactured over seas or in Mexico and were a middleman. So in order to keep prices down, we import directly and have literally tried to keep costs consistent despite shipping fluctuations and customs issues etc.
We have done this in order for people to be able to use them. We feel it is a better ball than whiffle balls...can be used in all types of weather, does not strain arms and much much more...in fact I have been approached about giving a workshop using these balls. I also used them with my daughters softball team and since then, many girls team have ordered and are using the balls as well.
My son has now graduated, our little profits paid for all of his high school sports and equipment and travel etc. Now, it helps with college. We will continue to keep making the balls available to those who want a good ball to practice with. Our local little league gives each coach a dozen or so to practice with in addition to the usual practice and game balls. Players of all ages can use these balls from t-ball to college as we have customers in all ages, shapes and sizes and gender.
Please call if you have any questions but don't be surprised if I just talk and talk so careful about questions. I just like these balls. Oh, many people ask where we came up with the name...parents would say that when their boys would hit the balls, and we did various drills that they could smash them or crush them or smoosh them (whatever smoosh means) and so in putting it all together, I liked the name Smushballs. In honor of my son and his abilities and willingness to try something other than whiffle balls and M&Ms, he became the company logo. Hey, it was a great swing and since I am his father...well...thats the story.
Please let us know how we can assist. These balls can be used as fundraisers, used individually by parents, by teams all types of uses and I am always interested in feedback or comments. We grow from word of mouth and sending out emails...sadly to advertise in the major publications takes major dollars and that would make the price higher...We want these affordable. Thank you for your interest!
Troy Mohrman
baseball@smushballs.com
