Does VR Baseball Training Really Work? A Dad’s Honest Review

It was last year — the end of the season — when Coach Carbone pulled me aside to say that my 12-year-old son, Riley, was quite the hitter — the kid has serious talent. I couldn’t help but feel proud.

Then Coach suggested that Riley increase his practice time during the offseason so that he could sustain and even build on his skills. He suggested we try WIN Reality.

Of course, I’d seen ads for WIN Reality — a virtual reality baseball training tool that supposedly allows players to practice unlimited game-speed pitches from home. At first, I dismissed it as yet another marketing gimmick. How could a VR experience compare to realworld training with his teammates?

But when I finally checked it out, I realized it could be a real game-changer for Riley. Besides, Coach J had highly recommended WIN, and the Pro Plan only costs $29 a month. So I signed up Riley for his birthday present and we started using it immediately.

We spent most of 2024 with WIN and there’s no going back. Riley’s obsessed and uses it almost every night. Now that we know all that WIN Reality offers, we’re forever grateful to Coach J.

WIN Reality isn’t just some trendy video game pushed by tech entrepreneurs — it’s a powerful training tool designed by players and coaches.

Quick research tells you that the WIN founders live and breathe baseball — Dan O’Dowd spent 15 years as General Manager (with 2 GM of the Year Awards) and Chief Baseball Officer of the Colorado Rockies. Dan’s son and co-founder, Chris O’Dowd, played professionally for the Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, and San Diego Padres.

The O’Dowds leveraged their extensive baseball knowledge to create WIN Reality to help players achieve real results. Riley is super impressed by how many college and pro teams use WIN for training — proving it is the real deal.

Riley’s WIN membership includes unlimited use of the program, which allows him to practice as frequently and for as long as he can. With unlimited reps and the ability to train at home, Riley sees 10 times the amount of pitches compared to traditional methods, so his skills are improving daily.

WIN Reality is designed for players of all ages and skill levels — from Little League to professionals. Their massive library of 600+ pitchers enables players to practice every conceivable combination of arm angle, release point, and velocity. It also provides elite training programs that can be customized for any skill level, so I don’t worry about my kid outgrowing it.

Baseball training isn’t one-size-fits-all, which is why we love that WIN’s SwingAI Trainer tool provides personalized feedback. Simply upload a video of your swing using the WIN Reality app on your phone. Coaches and their AI tool analyze your body movements to develop an individualized training plan for your swing. This makes me feel confident that my son’s getting the specific feedback he needs to level up his game.

WIN also has multiple training tools and various drills that target different skills:

• Live Pitch Mode – Uses the WIN Reality companion mobile app and allows coaches/parents to control exactly the location and what type of pitch to throw — perfect for developing pitch recognition and Riley’s personal favorite.
• Live Competitions — Compete against other players in realtime to build teamwork skills.
• Targeted Workouts — Focus on specific skills such as improved timing against higher velocity, swing mechanics, pitch tracking, and more.
• Exhibition Mode – Simulates an intense game situation (bases loaded in the seventh, one out), which gets the adrenaline pumping — helping prepare players for clutch scenarios.

But wait, there’s more! When training with WIN, here are some measurable improvements:

• 7X faster player development vs. traditional training alone
• +8.8% increase in plate discipline
• +23% increase in teams’ winning percentage

Riley and I are constantly blown away by all these features and the progress he continues to make. Thanks to Coach J and WIN Reality, Riley’s pursuing his baseball dream and he’s knocking it out of the park. We can’t wait to see what treats WIN has in store for 2025!

If you’re looking for the most innovative and convenient method to help your kid step up their baseball training, WIN Reality is a real — pardon my dad humor — winner.