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Basic Skills
Batting Technique
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Beginning Pitching Video
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Build A Batting Tee
Build a Batting
Cage
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Building a Baseball Batting Cage
Batting into a batting cage is a practice technique
that allows the batter to work on correct stance, stride, and follow
through by hit a lot of balls off a tee. Also, if you live in a
climate with 4 seasons, the winter months may not offer much of a
chance for practice - this indoor batting cage is the solution. This
is a simple batting net that is built indoors within a pole barn
however it could just as easily be hung between two outdoor trees or
posts. The cost of this cage is from $35 to $50. Here is how to build
it:
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Obtain a 10 ft by 20ft net suitable for stopping a
baseball. I got a used
fishing net at ebay for about $23 plus $10 shipping.
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As shown in Figure 1 below, attach the net between
two posts (or trees) that are 10-11 ft apart. Also attach at the
ceiling, preferably at a height of 9-10 ft. Do not stretch it too
tightly from side to side - you will want the net to have some play.
If you have no ceiling, attach a board, rope, or cable across and
secure the net at the top. You should have some excess netting at
the floor. Actually, if you stopped at this step, you would have a
net that worked fine to stop balls, but they will get tangled up in
the net many times. By following the remaining steps and forming a
cage anchored at the bottom, you get a nicer functioning net.
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Run a 5ft long PVC pipe or wooden pole through the
net as shown in Figure 2 below at a height of about 6 ft.
Support the ends of the pipe/pole with ropes to the ceiling about
2-3 ft back as shown in Figure 3 - this will form a shallow cage.
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Secure the bottom of the net to the floor with 2x4's
or other boards to match the shape of the cage as shown below.
Leave about a foot of slack in the net - if the net is pulled tight
it will rebound the ball back rather than slow and stop it. I used
blue
screws made to fasten into concrete and drilled 5/32" pilot
holes.
Here are some photos of my batting cage. To enlarge each photo,
click on it.
Bottom of net anchored to floor - Click on photo to
enlarge |
Five foot pole supported with ropes to form cage -
Click on photo to enlarge |
Top of net. Note that tarps in back were hung only
for purpose of showing net better in photo - Click on photo to
enlarge |
Another picture of bottom of net anchored to floor.
Tarps added for photo - Click on photo to enlarge |
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