What To Expect At The Batting Cage - Union County Sports Academy - Charlotte NC

• 1st and foremost is safety! Helmets are required and provided at most facilities. Be sure to know all the rules before going into the batting cage. Avoid having more than one player in the cage at a time and be sure that there is no horse play in the batting cage.
• Check to see if bats are provided or if you need to bring your own? Certain bats (usually the very expensive ones) should not be used in a batting cage due to wear and tear and the style of balls used in batting cages. Batting cages frequently pitch dimpled balls that travel straighter than seamed baseballs and softballs but also pack a wallop on your bat. It's a fact that no wood bats will be allow to prevent shattered bats from injuring other players.
• Shoes - If you going to an indoor batting cage your player may be required to wear gym shoes as opposed to their baseball cleats. It's almost certain that no open toed shoes such as sandals or flip flops will be allowed. Be prepared and bring gym shoes if you go.
• What level Player are you? - You should know how fast you want to have balls pitched and be sure that the batting cage you are going to can accomodate your level of play. T-Ball players looking for their first swing at a live pitch are not going to be too excited to take a 60 MPH fastball.
• Automatic vs Coach(Parent) Pitch - Many facilities have automated pitching machines that allow the player to drop in a token and receive their pitches alone. This can be good and bad. The good is a player can practice by themselves. The bad is the pitches keep on coming even when you don't want them too. It can also be difficult for a child to determine how to adjust the machine and thus half of your money could be wasted before you take your first swing. Coach or Parent pitch allows pitches to be adjusted on the fly and gives players more time to recover when they need it. It also allows for feedback to be given to players in between swings and thus players don't groove in (or fform) bad habbits.
• Food and Drinks - Most facilities do not allow food or drinks in the batting cages. This includes seeds and tobacco. Make sure that you leave the food in the car or you may be asked to exit the cage.