Bombs Away! DIY Batting Cage for $70!

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petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
I took some old tent poles from old, unused tents.

Assembled them into approx. 25' arcs.

I stood those 4 arcs into an overlapping architecture, joined at intersections with a little duct-tape. 12-feet around at the opening and about 15-feet deep.

I hung a $70 soccer net from Amazon over it (35x25 feet), and let it hang loose in the back, while fastened along the sides/bottom. The frame moves and the net traps the hardest balls and dissapates the energy very well (I tell ya', I should have been a friggin' engineer! LOL!). :cool:

Works SOOOOOOOOOOO good, and nothing has left the net after trying over & over at all angles... Success! :)

Video coming soon... for those that doubt that it works in action...

cage_front.jpg


cage_right.jpg


cage_side.jpg


cage_back.jpg


Eat your <3 <3 <3 's out! :D

Yes, my bat sucks (Easton Havoc Scandium ASA)... I know... :{
 
p17

p17

SBFs 16th all time poster
That's pretty cool. I wouldn't call it a cage though. It's really just a net to catch your balls. Cages should have enough room for a hitter and a pitcher.
 
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petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
popo4u said:
I am sure your neighbors love you...
Click to expand...

Ding!............. Ding!.............Ding!............Ding! Every now and then. They'll live.

It won't be up long. Season is over here (except some pick-up). Snow comes soon (this weekend in the mountains)... I do need to figure out a way to take it down and pack up without totally taking it apart.

I only wish I had thought of it back in May! :eek:

But next year I am going to take BP every day and drop some bombs! :mad:
 
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petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
Pretty said:
in for video, if legit, awesome idea
Click to expand...

Video coming... I had to rig a ghetto tee, because I could not find my old one... ?!

You are going to laugh, for sure, but it works!

Gonna head out back in a bit. Giving the neighbors some time off. I have been using it a bunch to test it, etc.... ;)
 
popo4u

popo4u

Addicted to Softballfans
Hopefully you are close enough to the net that any pop-up don't go over or aound your net...then you'll be just like that guy who tried to hit BP in his basement and put a ball through a window...twice. Neighbor and insurance companies will really not like you then.
 
oosty94

oosty94

Addicted to Softballfans
it'll be good until you get a hole in it like mine. Then it tears apart rather quickly :(
 
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petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
popo4u said:
Hopefully you are close enough to the net that any pop-up don't go over or aound your net...then you'll be just like that guy who tried to hit BP in his basement and put a ball through a window...twice. Neighbor and insurance companies will really not like you then.
Click to expand...

I'm IN it. It's HUGE. I guess I could foul back or straight up/side-ish.

You'll see...
 
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petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
I have a short demo video ready, shot from my phone, but I'm not seeing a button to insert video (or a link to it)... ?!

What is the preferred method to post videos here? YouTube link?

I am a web guy, so feel free to get technical. I have an .AVI I can post to my own web site (153 Meg). Maybe link to it on Facebook? Please advise...
 
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petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
popo4u said:
I got the Adidas version of this setup and it did not last too long. It has started cracking where the legs meet the trunk. It is a good tool through for working on oppo swings cause that is pretty much the only kind of pitching angle I got...
Click to expand...

I figure this is good for the dropping hi-arc pitches I often play against. It also has a little trampoline to bounce them at you from various angles.

One reason I had it so tall, is I am going to try to rig a machine to toss in arcing pitches from the back. I may also get a small-ball trainer (only $60-80)...
 
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petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
On another note, my left shoulder now hurts from hitting a couple hundred balls... over-did it in my enthusiasm for the new toy! :{
 
louconn

louconn

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
p17 said:
That's pretty cool. I wouldn't call it a cage though. It's really just a net to catch your balls. Cages should have enough room for a hitter and a pitcher.
Click to expand...

my thoughts exactly. its a cool huge hitting net. but the juggs net is probably just as effective....
 
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petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
louconn said:
my thoughts exactly. its a cool huge hitting net. but the juggs net is probably just as effective....
Click to expand...

Not as effective in seeing the trajectory of the balls better and not nearly as effective for the arc-pitch -tosser I am going to make for it... ;)
 
Farrdaddy

Farrdaddy

Coach of the Year
I have the fabric from our old trampolene hanging from the joist in our garage. Hiit off tee all the time and then roll it up and use bungee cord to keep it up in the joist when we park in the garage. Wife happy, I am happy. Really makes it very simple
 
bb666b77

bb666b77

ODB
petebanta said:
I took some old tent poles from old, unused tents.

Assembled them into approx. 25' arcs.

I stood those 4 arcs into an overlapping architecture, joined at intersections with a little duct-tape. 12-feet around at the opening and about 15-feet deep.

I hung a $70 soccer net from Amazon over it (35x25 feet), and let it hang loose in the back, while fastened along the sides/bottom. The frame moves and the net traps the hardest balls and dissapates the energy very well (I tell ya', I should have been a friggin' engineer! LOL!). :cool:

Works SOOOOOOOOOOO good, and nothing has left the net after trying over & over at all angles... Success! :)

Video coming soon... for those that doubt that it works in action...

cage_front.jpg


cage_right.jpg


cage_side.jpg


cage_back.jpg


Eat your <3 <3 <3 's out! :D

Yes, my bat sucks (Easton Havoc Scandium ASA)... I know... :{
Click to expand...

everything looks good,ya might think of some velcro straps instead of the duct tape to hold it together,that way you can take it down and put it up quicker.
 
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petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
bb666b77 said:
everything looks good,ya might think of some velcro straps instead of the duct tape to hold it together,that way you can take it down and put it up quicker.
Click to expand...

Yup, good suggestion... already in the ideas for v 2.0.

Thanks for consrtructive feedback (vs lawn, my hitting, etc....)!
 
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