A Batting Cage is an essential tool for any bat builder, especially if you are trying to build a more cost-effective cage. A batting cage is a smooth, rounded surface on which your bats can be placed to train, develop their leg strength, and/or develop their range of motion.
A batting cage was originally developed to help developing young baseball players learn how to hit a ball with their hands and get some range on the pitch. The training took place in a real life simulation: inside the home!
At home, you can build your own batting cages for less than $5 using anything from leftover shelving units to old TV trays.
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Buy a heavy duty tarp
A heavy-duty tarp is an important part of building a home batting cage. A batting cage can only be as strong as the materials used to build it out of.
If you do not have a tarp Cannes-style, then you are limited to using either a lawn chair or textbook example, a baby swing. Neither of these are ideal due to the lack of reliable support.
The baby swing will break if somebody hits very hard against it. The lawn chair will wear down very quickly due to constant movement. Both of these items will need to be replaced regularly due to wear and tear.
Make a frame for the tarp
Once your batter is in place, it is time to roll up the tarp. This allows you to enter into your bat box and check for any obstructions such as leaves or debris.
If you have a ceiling or second story, then you can use a floor support system. If you have a ground level, lower level, or upper level of your home, then get into the habit of having the tarped cage ready and able to be rolled up in case of an emergency.
In order to make your tarped cage more durable, do not bother with lining it with paper or doing anything fancy. Just make sure that it is long enough to cover your batter completely.
Then, try out some bat names! There are many online where you can learn them and use them as names for your animal.
Hang the tarp
Once your bat is established, it is time to hang the tarp. This is very important because it provides shelter from winter weather and allows you to monitor your bat for health issues.
There are two ways to create a hanging tarp. You can cut a long piece of cloth, or you can buy one ready-made. Both solutions work fine!
The easiest way to put the tarp up is to pull it away from the wall, away from the ceiling. Then, fold the top of the cloth over the top and pin in place. Make sure this pin is strong enough to hold up the weight of your bat!
Once that is done, then you can tie off any slack in the cloth.
Buy batting practice balls
A ball is very useful for this part of your training. You do not need to go to a professional facility to use a ball. There are many brand of batting practice balls out on the market that are semi- sophisticate and can be used at home!
While some are designed for outdoor use, most are tallered or straight-taper versions that fit in your child’s hand and mouth for instruction. Some have markings or designs applied to them to aid in instruction.
Most have colorful touches on them, making it easy to find if your child is learning anything new or if they just want to throw a ball around the house.
Hire a hitting coach
As explained above, a batting coach can help you improve your hitting by teaching you different strategies for getting good shots on the ball. A good hitting coach can also help you improve your game as a player by teaching you new strategies for putts and hits.
There are many different types of coaching. Some people use video, while others use books or videos. Regardless of how the coach works with the client, the main elements of coaching are: introduction and arrangement of concepts, review, and feedback.
When the client brings up something in session that they want feedback on, the coach can either give them facts or questions to ask to find out what they were thinking. When giving questions to someone else, the person being asked questions should be very clear on what they want response to and when they want it.
Document your progress
Once you have your bat box set up, it is time to document your success. You can do this by using a hole saw for the bottom, or by simply counting your layers!
How many bats you have in your bat box will depend on how freaked out you are to look at them. Very few have pictures of them inside, let alone roosting and foraging in your box.
If you have very few bats in your box, try creating more tunnels or dividing your bat box in two to create more space. Bats prefer bigger boxes than those that are too small!
If you have more than you need, sell them or give them away. The better quality habitat you have, the less likely they are to go! If you want to keep yours, invest in some nice bedding and coverup material.
Keep practicing!
It is very important to keep working on your batting skills. If you make a mistake, you can hurt your muscles and joints to keep trying and going back to the ball or batter you was previously working with.
You can try different positions and angles, or do more of the same but with a new area of focus.
Many times when we improve our fields, it comes down to our bat skills. When we get more power with our swing, our field get stronger and better.
When doing home field projects like paintballing or airsoft games, take your time to do them properly.