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OUTDOOR BATTING CAGES:
A PROFITABLE SPORTS BUSINESS |
| Outdoor cages come in many shapes and designs The original cages were called hitting ranges since they hit into an open field. Often found in conjunction with a golf driving range, these cages were not cages at all. The balls in hitting ranges are picked up manually and sorted manually. In addition, the ranges are usually grass, which requires cutting the grass and cleaning the balls. Today, hitting ranges use baseball and softball pickers to pick up the balls. They are similar to golf ball pickers for driving ranges. Unfortunately, the softballs have to be picked up first, since they will damage the baseball pickers. After all the softballs are picked up, the baseballs can then be picked up also. This requires the cages to be shut down which reduces revenue. Many ranges overcome this by purchasing extra balls. The average range uses 50 dozen balls per station. |
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| Because the hitting ranges are so labor-intensive to operate, the next step in the evolution of outdoor commercial pitching machines was to enclose them in a tectangular chain link structure. Chain link was quickly replaced with net, since the chain link gets beaten out of shape within a few months and no longer contains the balls well. Enclosing the cages allowed them to be placed in more accessible locations such as FEC's, sporting goods stores, ball fields, ice cream shops, and next to miniature golf courses, just to name a few. Because of the wide spread popularity of baseball and softball, batting cages have proven themselves to be a profitable business both as a stand alone training facility and as an addition to other businesses. The first netted cages were rectangular for simplicity. As the attraction evolved the shape was changed to better meet batter hitting preferences. |
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| Modern batting cages are called Semi-Circular cages. They have a rounded outfield that better simulates the natural playing field and also looks better externally. They use a center pole that is roughly twice as tall as the perimeter pipes. They not only better support the net, the circus tent-like structure allows hitters to easily see the difference between balls that are pop flies and those that are good line drives. Furthermore, the stations are built in an arc to allow the outermost stations to hit the ball down the first base and third base lines without having the side nets get in the way. The arc design for the stations points the batter's boxes at the center of the cage (towards the center pole). Both more functional and aesthetically pleasing, the Semi-Circular center pole designs are the best style of outdoor cages today! |
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| When choosing a cage style, Amusement Products works with each customer to help ensure the best products for the dollars spent. About 90% of the time this is a Semi-Circular centerpole design, since we can expand and contract it to fit a variety of spaces. We can customize them to fit unusual spaces while maintaining as much of the function and aesthetics as possible. On the required space location it shows the standard sizes of the two cages. The rectangular cages are smaller since those choosing that style prefer to focus on the least cost. The "Semi-Circular designs can be made to fit in the same space. |
| For additional help on choosing the best style for your cage, contact one of our helpful Amusement Products sales staff today! |