Basement Batting Cage - Omaha, NE

Background:
I recently designed a custom batting cage net system for a client's basement in Omaha, NE. This project was a lot of fun. Check it out.

Challenges:
The ceiling height was fairly low -- only 7'9" to the bottom of the wood joists. In this case the client wanted to maximize the height of the batting cage to ensure there was no obstruction with the batter's swing, so the batting cage net had to be connected only 1-2" under the joists. They also wanted the netting to slide back & forth when needed, so it had to be on a continuous cable line.

Solution I designed:
I designed a custom batting cage hardware kit for this client, which allowed the supporting cables to be properly secured to the poured concrete walls, distributing the tension of the cables & allowing the lines to be taut resulting in minimal netting sag.

FlexPlate to anchor cable

The cables were supported throughout the ceiling joists via J-Bolts & carabiner snaps, which allowed the cables to become more low-profile to the ceiling and relieve some of the tension in the lines. The lines are simply un-hooked from the j-bolts when it's time to slide the net to the wall.

Another product to help reduce ceiling sag were Net Savers, which safely pulls the netting towards the ceiling, reducing sag in the batter's box area.

Because of the short ceiling, this customer exclusively uses foam and/or PVC baseballs & softballs. Real leather baseballs were pushing the ceiling net into the wood joists, causing banging & shaking of the rafters. This could also lead to wall/ceiling/light damage. 

The total batting cage size was 50'L x 16'W x 8'H. This created a nice wide open tunnel, and allowed for about 6" to sag on the ground to contain balls on the inside of the cage. If real baseballs were used, 8-12" of netting sag is recommended.

The netting material used was #60 gauge nylon - the heavier material helps deaden the speed of the ball & reduce the chance for wall impact.

Other accessories used:
I also supplied the customer with a heavy-duty turf batter's box mat, a roll of artificial turf, and protective screen for the pitcher & machine. This creates a nice appearance, prevents the balls from being damaged, and also slows down the batted balls. The turf mat protects the lighter weight turf in the area of high friction. The turf also allows the customer to use the batting cage tunnel for soccer and other activities with their kids & dogs in the winter.

Protective L-Screen for Pitching Machine & Pitcher

Customer comments:
"I couldn't have imagined how much we would use this thing before buying it. Chad & Practice Sports helped me through every step. I had no idea a batting cage in my basement was even possible, but it's becoming one of our home's best toys. The look on all of the kids (and parents) faces when they walk into our basement and see this spectacle is priceless. Our kids & their friends have used this for dozens & dozens of hours...perfect for exercise & keeping them out of trouble! We have a weekly family soccer game down there Friday nights, and it's been great for Shep/our dog and me during the winter. He probably loves the cage more than the kids, thinks it's his indoor dog park! Thanks again. You guys were awesome to work with."

Finished Batting Cage in Basement

I really enjoyed designing this custom indoor batting cage for this customer's basement, and it's even better to see pictures & hear the feedback after it's installed and enjoyed. I hope you guys enjoy it for many years. Thanks again!

Chad Schneider
Practice Sports, Inc.

Garage Batting Cage Net - Upper Saddle River, New Jersey

Today we began building a custom batting cage net for a customer in NJ. He will be installing this net in his garage to allow his boys to get some cuts in the cage year round & prepare for Spring ball.

This customer has some obstructions to work around, as do most garages that aren't dedicated batting cage facilities - but in that case it wouldn't be a garage now would it.

Pole obstruction to work-around in garage

Because of his obstructions, I had to get creative with this design in order to maximize his space and accommodate the largest cage possible. I decided to build this batting cage net in 2 pieces with open sides, allowing them to join around a pole and be connected together on site to form a fully enclosed batting cage.This prevented the need to cut a full sized batting cage net on-site. It will require some handy-work to join on-site but this is definitely the most efficient way to go about it. He can join the sections together via heavy-duty zip-ties or twine.

Example of open-sided batting cage net (outdoor cage)

The specs were as follows:

Qty: 1
Item: #36 Poly Baseball Hitting Cage 12'W x 10'H x 15'8"D with Open 10'H x 12'W Side -- with 15'8"L rib, rope border, snaps in corners
Qty: 1
Item: #36 Poly Baseball Hitting Cage 12'W x 10'H x 8'6"D with Open 10'H x 12'W Side -- with 8'6"L rib, rope border, snaps in corners 

These 2 sections joined together will form a 24'2"L x 12'W x 10'H batting cage.

I also offered guidance on running 3 cable lines from wall to wall, connecting to wood headers. Cable lines every 6-8 ft are optimal to properly support a batting cage with minimal sag. Otherwise the ceiling will sag & obstruct the swing and flight of batted balls. The batting cage net will be snapped to the cable lines via carabiner snap hooks. He may add our retro-fit pulley roller wheels later on if the cage begins to snag due to the carabiners wearing grooves.

The material used for this batting cage net is mid-grade, and works well for home garage batting cage applications within limited to moderate usage. This is a smaller sized batting cage, but will work perfectly for short-toss and won't wear out the coach's arm!

Enjoy your batting cage!

Backyard Batting Cage Net - Pittsburgh, PA

Today we are preparing to design & install a custom batting cage net for a client in Pittsburgh, PA. The specs of this batting cage net are: #36 Deluxe Latex Nylon Baseball Tunnel 44'L x 14'W x 12'H - With Door, Leadcore Bottom Rope, #36 Latex Baffle Net: 14'W x 12'H.

 #36 Nylon is a mid-grade material for batting cage nets, and suitable for high-school ages. 14'W is the recommended width for adult players to swing comfortably inside a batting cage net from either side of the plate. Doors are useful for entering the batting cage while carrying bats/balls. Our doors are designed with an overlap to improve safety. Leadcore bottom ropes help the base of the net hang closer to the ground. Baffle impact nets are useful to reduce wear & tear on the batter's end of the batting cage. When the baffle wears out it can simple be removed & replaced, instead of requiring sewing into the shell of the batting cage net itself.

This client will use this as a backyard batting cage, for baseball practice for their kids. We are also designing a custom batting cage frame to properly suspend the netting, which will be installed into ground sleeves which will be concreted into the ground. The ground sleeves allow the frame poles to be removed if needed. Below is an example of the style of batting cage being designed:

Collegiate Model Batting Cage Frame

We are also installing a custom vinyl full enclosure to allow for winter season batting practice. The vinyl cover will have zippers in the corners to allow for the side walls to be removed during the spring & summer months, to allow for air flow & light.

A custom sized roll of batting cage turf will be glued to a concrete pad, to create an even / solid surface and the grass from becoming worn & muddy. The artificial turf will have a white home-plate & batter's box lines inlaid into the turf.

The owner will also utilize a protective L-screen inside the batting cage to prevent injury from a line-drive towards the pitcher.

This is a medium sized custom batting cage net, and suitable for little league regulation or "coach pitch" style batting cage practice. The regulation distance for baseball pitching is 60'6" - our 70'L standard size batting cage nets work well for regulation baseball pitching & hitting practice.

Use our online custom batting cage net calculator here, or review our standard batting cage nets here.