The length of an average batting cage can range from 45 to 75’. In most cases, the home plate is just over 120’ in length from second base. Using those estimated numbers, if a batter were to hit the batting cage, it would comprise as much as sixty percent of the distance to the second base. Put differently, a standard ground ball up the middle. This would be eaten up by a shortstop with a reasonable range (unless the exit speed is more than 80 mph).

On the field, we spur children to swing somewhat up to get the starting angle goal of 15-30 degrees. Yet when we hit the cages, that goes out the door for whatever reason and we encourage our kids to strike the back of the batting cage. Rather, we can teach our hitters to count on the launch angle even in the cage. This ensures that a batted ball is meant to strike the top of the batting cage, versus the back of the batting cage. With that in mind, what top portion of the cage should children be aiming for?

The following link provides useful launch angle equivalents that take into account the plate distance and the batting cage top: https://diamondkinetics.com/how-to-determine-launch-angles-in-the-batting-cage/.