How to Build a Batting Cage

Learning how to build a batting cage in your house (lawns, backyard, or other spacious places), will save you a lot of money and give you the liberty to use it as per your convenience. Moreover, it will also serve as a great platform for practicing baseball for you and your kids at home. A do-it-yourself batting cage project doesn't require some exceptional skills and if you are an individual who loves to spend time on weekends working on some household repair works, it will be an interesting venture for you to construct a batting cage in the vicinity of your home. In case, you can't do that, don't worry as professional help is there to design a batting cage suitable for your use.

How to Build A Homemade Batting Cage?
Before you begin the ultimate task of investing your precious money and time to build a batting cage, you must know the answers to these questions.

• Where do you want to build your batting cage?
• When do you plan to start the process of construction?
• How much money do you wish to invest?

The costs incurred in the making of a batting cage will be equal to the amount spend in buying materials necessary for construction. You will need the following things to make a batting cage:

• Nylon or Polyethylene for the batting cage nets.
• Aluminum tubes, that will support the batting cage nets.
• PVC pipes.
• Concrete/cement to fix the flooring of frames.

Nylon is considered to be a good choice for an indoor batting cage. Nylon absorbs moisture and stretches longer, so it is unsuitable for outdoor batting nets. However, nylon works for indoor needs as it is durable and does not get spoiled easily. Polyethylene, on the other hand, is weather resistant and can cope up with moisture, so it forms a good choice for outdoor batting cage nets. Some other important tips for purchasing a durable batting cage net is to check the types of knots, the mesh, and the strength of the batting cage nets. For instance, mostly the batting cage nets have mesh holes of size 1.75 inches. However, if you wish to use golf balls, then prefer a batting cage net of a smaller size. So, let's begin the interesting project that will tell you how to make a batting cage.

• Clean the area/pitch/surface where you wish to make the batting cage net. Prepare a good flooring. It is good if the surface is a green grass bed or a cement floored pitch.
• Make a rough layout of the batting cage. Generally, batting cage sizes are 70' (length) by 14' (width) by 12' (height), 65' x 11' x 11', 10' x 12' x 12', 55' x 12' x 12', and 40' x 12' x 12'. However, depending on the space available to you, you can think of other possible sizes. Provide nearly 2 feet extra space around the perimeter of the batting cage.
• Use homemade wood or metal (aluminum) poles and dig holes (3 to 4 feet deep) in the ground to fix them. To further increase the strength, you may cement the area around the holes so that the pole is safe and secure. The poles will support the weight of the nets, so they must be anchored properly.
• Attach the batting net to the ends of the poles and drape it down. This covers the skeleton of the batting cage frame.
• Ensure that the nets are hung low enough (12 inches from the ground).
• Remember, the nets should completely touch the ground so that the balls don't come out from under the nets. A hanging batting cage helps to stop the ball without causing much resistance to the nets. Never hung the batting net very tight or too loose.
• Make sure that an exit door is left open, through which you can come and got out of the net.
• Once the batting cage is ready, place the pitching machine inside the net.

Batting cage netting is an important procedure in imparting stability to the batting cage nets, so ensure that you are careful while doing the work. While practicing in the batting cage, never allow anybody to roam inside it. It may result in serious injuries, as the ball may hit the person with immense speed. There are many manufacturing companies that construct batting cages for baseball training but why spend money when you can try out your skills and make a batting cage for yourself. That is sure to be fun and it will provide your kids with an excellent baseball training platform. In case you don't have the time and resources to construct a batting cage, it is good to seek professional help.