FAQs...
Q: (Recently, this seems to be the most frequently asked question)
What size cage should I buy?
A: That is a tough one for me to answer. I don't want to say "buy
the larger one" for fear of folks will think I'm trying to sell them more.
So I give them my "two cents worth", and you know what they say - you get what
you pay for! When I started this business my son was already in high
school. We made ourselves a 50' cage and it worked fine. I was the
pitcher as my son didn't like pitching machines. Once in awhile, not often
but on occasion, when I would reach back to throw my hand would catch the back
of the net. If I had it to do over again, I think I would make ourselves a
60' cage. It would have given us a little more flexibility to move
around - but my son was already in high school. For younger kids, I
do recommend a 50' cage. Their pitching distance is only about 45-46', so
50' would work just fine for them. The nets seem to be lasting between 5-7
years before some repair. So if you can't use the extra distance for 4-6
years, stay with the smaller cage. You may want to replace the net in 5
years anyway. The tough age is the 13-14 year old. They are on the
bubble. They certainly can get by with the 50'er for a few years, but may
want to get a longer distance before the 5 years are up. An advantage of
going longer is you can always put up less. But if you can't use it for
several years and the net is just lying on the ground, that is a waste too.
Another thing to keep in mind is for batting practice you don't need to be at
regulation distance. You are mainly working on bat speed, hand-eye
coordination, and mechanics. Quite a few coaches do a lot of soft toss and
you don't need a long distance for that. I'm afraid I end up my discussion
leaving the client more confused than when they first asked the question!
Q: I lost or misplaced my assembly instructions. Can you send me a
copy?
A: Here are the
assembly
instructions.
Q: With the netting on the outside of the poles, isn't there
more chance for ricochet and injury?
A: No. Because of the flexibility of the EMT poles there is more
give, so the ricochet is considerably less than with 2" steel poles set in
cement. In actual use since 1998, when the ball
strikes directly on a pole it simply dies. Because of the give in
the poles, the batted ball's energy is absorbed. In fact, I'd be concerned
about systems where the net is suspended from inside the frame. I've seen
many systems where the roof netting is too close to the roof poles. If a
ball hits the roof pole, the netting is between the ball and the pole, thus much
more abrasion on the net. Plus these types of poles are a lot stiffer
hence a much greater chance for ricochet.Q: How much does it sag?
A: A few inches. With cages where the netting is hung on
the inside there is tremendous sag. This is why most traditional cages are a
minimum of 12' high in order to have about 10' of clearance inside the
cage. In addition, because of our design, there is much less tension
and wear at the corners and middle. The weight is evenly distributed
over the entire width and length of the cage adding to the life of the
netting.
Q: Is it sturdy? It
looks flimsy.
A: Don't confuse "flimsy" with "flexible." You won't be able to do chin ups or shimmy up
the poles, but the system is very sturdy. It is strong enough to support the netting and
take the beating of the batted balls. Some clients have said
at first appearance the frame looks "flimsy", but after trying it out,
they realize how sturdy and strong it really is. Some of my competition
have suggested that our system is weak and because of that we "have to put the
legs out at an angle." Sorry, but they just don't understand physics.
The sheer forces on a rectangular shape are much stronger and put a lot more
stress on the connectors than on a trapezoidal shape. In addition, the connectors are
made of steel and the angled joints are welded. The #21 is rated at 200 lb. breaking strength per
cord or 800 lb. per mesh. In fact, I've had clients leave their cage up
during a hurricane (something I certainly don't recommend) while many poles were
bent the netting and connectors were fine.
Q: What about knotted nylon vs poly net (hdpe, etc.)?
A: I use knotted nylon only. It is personal preference, but I think
knotted nylon is much better than any poly net. I used poly for my very
first net in 1998. It curled a lot. You need a much higher gauge of poly net to have
the same strength as knotted nylon. While it is true that eventually
knotted nylon will deteriorate due to the UV from the sun, my clients are
calling me saying they are getting 5,6 even 7 years of use from their net before
they need some repair. As a consumer you need to beware and compare when
you buy a net. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples, so to speak.
Poly net is cheaper than knotted nylon. Here is what my netting supplier
told me:
-
PE has lower breaking strength of grams per denier. This means that the same twine diameter will not be as strong as nylon. In addition, PE is bulkier and therefore making the net about 30 percent weaker for the same diameter twine. This means if the customer is supposed to get the same breaking strength the twine will have to be 30 percent larger. If you take this difference into account the price per lb of breaking strength is not as low as it is promoted. Most of the companies selling baseball batting cages in PE are offering the same diameter, not the same breaking strength.
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Nylon is softer and can be put away in a smaller package than PE.
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Due to smaller diameter nylon will have less wind resistance than PE.
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Knotless netting can be repaired in much the same way as knotted netting. However, since you are making knots in knotless netting the repair can be seen easier.
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Depending on the grade of PE being used the UV stability can be very poor. It really will depend on the quality of yarn in the net.
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PE netting has no memory. This means that if the net stretched due to excessive weight or high winds it will be baggy. Nylon netting will move depending on the humidity level in the air. In damp environment it is bigger and as the sun dries it will contract.
Q: Can it be used indoors?
A: Yes. The only consideration is the floor upon which
you are setting the cage. You may need to put rubber cups (not supplied),
slit and squeeze tennis balls, or even duct tape
over the ends of the poles to protect the floor. However, when it
is indoors you will have a free-standing system not requiring pulleys,
cables or anything attached to the walls or ceiling. A lot of colleges and
high schools use our cage as an extra indoor hitting station, especially in the
winter.
Q: How quickly does it go up?
A: Amazingly fast! After some practice, two people can put it up in about
20
minutes, even we were surprised. The very first time may take a little
longer, but once you attach all the connectors simply leave them attached
to the poles that go across the top. The only tool required is a
7/16" wrench or socket used to bolt the poles into the connectors.
If you desire to bolt the legs into the connectors, you will need to stand
on a ladder. I have put up the cage by myself. It has been
up for months at a time without the legs even being bolted into the connectors.
If you have your team help, it can go up in minutes. Q: If you are using a pitching machine, don't you need a stronger
backdrop behind the batter?
A: I don't think so. I have very little experience with pitching machines;
however, one of my clients wrote and told me he tried to put up a backdrop.
He said it acted like a sail so he took it down. Since the netting can give, not having
a backdrop is better. The net gives everywhere and so there is less
abrasion and wear and tear on the net. If you still want something, I
suggest an inexpensive piece of carpet or extra piece of netting as a baffle. Q: Don't balls skip under the netting?
A: Occasionally. The netting is about 36' wide and the
frame perimeter is 30', so there is plenty of overhang. However,
if the ball is hit just right - at the point where the netting and ground
meet there is the possibility of the ball skipping under. This doesn't
happen that often. You can purchase leaded rope, or any poly rope, or even
a garden hose
and lace the bottom edge to give a little extra weight so the net will
stay on the ground. I have not heard of any complaints from my clients
about this problem.
Q: Can it be used for softball?
A: Yes, even though the L-screen is designed for overhand pitching.
The girl's softball team, at the high school where my son attended, purchased a 50' system. They stand behind the "tall" part of the
screen and pitch around the edge. It seems to work ok.
Q: Since the cage is not fastened down, what about wind?
A: Wind is the one weakness of the system. Since it
is a free-standing light weight system, unless the cage is anchored down, high winds can tip
the cage over. Here are some
solutions to solve the wind problem:
Solution #1: If the winds are temporary, simple take the
net off the frame during the high winds and lay it on the ground.
The frame doesn't care at all about high winds (there is no resistance).
Solution #2: Under the netting, tie a rope on each roof corner
connector, run
the rope parallel to the leg, then anchor it in the ground with a tent peg or stake.
Put the stake or peg into the ground at a sharp angle with the leg so it won't
be pulled straight up out of the ground due to a strong wind. If you have a 70' cage, you may
want to tie down one of the middle legs on
each side. This will hold the frame to the ground and keep it from swaying and tipping
over in strong winds. This has the added advantage that only the
frame is anchored to the ground, so the netting is still loose and not
anchored to the frame.
Solution #3: Use ree-bar or something similar about 1.5' to 2'
pound into the ground next to the leg poles. Drill a small hole in the leg
pole about 6"-8" up from the bottom and run a wire through the leg pole and
around the ree-bar.
Q: Does the netting shift after use, since it isn't tied down?
A: Yes, it can. Wind can cause it to shift. It can also shift
after quite a bit of use if you have older players (high school or college) that
are strong hitters. Here is a suggestion to keep the net from shifting
"too far" on you. Take a 2-3' bungy or length of rope or twine. Tie
one end on the corner roof connector. Leave 2' of bungee or twine and tie
the other end on the net corner. Do this on all four corners. This
will still allow the net to give but it won't shift too far on you. Q:
Is #21 strong enough?
A: Yes. Unlike traditional cages, our netting gives on impact.
Thus, there is less abrasion and stress on the netting. The physics
of my design is based on the Law of Conservation of Momentum. (Here
are some details for those who are interested. The Law of Conservation
of Momentum states: The total momentum of a group of objects is the same
after they interact as it was before. Momentum of an object is its
mass times its velocity (p=mv). Before collision, a batted ball has
positive momentum and the net has zero momentum. After the collision
the total momentum is the same. But if the net can give at the time
of impact the initial momentum of the ball is shared between the ball and
the net. The more the net can give, the more the momentum of the
ball is reduced after the collision. A good analogy would be that
of trying to catch a tossed egg. If you stick your hand up and don't
move you will most likely end up with egg on your face! If you allow
your hand to move with the egg you can catch it and the egg won't break.
With traditional cages, the net is tied or anchored at several points to
the frame. This prevents the net from giving whenever the ball hits
the net at or near the anchored points. As a result, at the point
of impact there is tremendous force and if the net cannot give it may tear.
If it doesn't tear, the abrasion is much greater and will wear down the
netting much more quickly. Thus most traditional cages require (or
strongly suggest) that you use #36 netting.
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