Sometimes, the best place to practice hitting baseballs is in your own backyard. Here you can enjoy a high degree of privacy, all while developing your swing and hand-eye coordination. Not everyone has a baseball field's worth of empty space in their backyard, while others' backyards are surrounded by windows and other breakable surfaces. Following a few simple steps can have you hitting baseballs in your backyard despite space or other limitations.
Step 1
Pick a spot in your backyard that has at least 20 feet of space length-wise, with at least ten feet of space width-wise, plus at least a couple trees on one side. Trees may be substituted by poles or high fence posts. This will be your batting area.
Step 2
Use a rope to hang a large cloth or a plastic tarp between two trees (or two poles, if there are no trees) at one end of your batting area. The cloth or tarp needn't be tied down to the ground, though you can do this for extra coverage.
Step 3
Set up a pitching machine a foot or so in front of the cloth or tarp, facing the opposite direction.
Step 4
Locate a spot between 20 and 25 feet from the pitching machine, in the opposite direction of the cloth or tarp.
Step 5
Mark or place a home plate on this spot. This will be your practice plate.
Step 6
Load the pitching machine and adjust its settings until the baseballs are being pitched over the plate.
Step 7
Stand as you would on a regular baseball field, just to the side of the home plate. Hit the ball into the large hanging cloth or tarp. This will retard its flight, thereby negating the need for excessive space or protective fencing.
Tips and Warnings
- If you have lots of space, you may want to consider using chalk to lay out a regulation baseball diamond, using the pitching machine as your pitcher.
- To minimize risks, consider setting the pitching machine to its lowest setting, then move in closer to the cloth or tarp, thereby confining your batting space. Always use caution when hitting baseballs.
Things You'll Need
- Cloth or plastic tarp
- Rope
- Pitching machine
- Home plate
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