Swinging for fun and health

I started playing baseball when I was five years old. Maybe at some future date I'll wax nostalgic on my ten year Little League career.

I bring it up because I'm partial to this particular activity as a form of exercise and stress release. I'm talking batting cages and taking a little BP (batting practice for you novices.)

If you are a regular at the cages, you can either skip this post or add to it in the comments.

If you have never done this or even consider it, read on.

Most areas have at least one sports park with a mini-golf (putt-putt) course or a driving range with a set of batting cages. Some places even offer indoor cages for year round practice.

If you have a bat, great, bring it. If not, the cages have them. They'll also have helmets. If you have your own, fine, but do not go into a cage without one.

You usually have to buy tokens to operate the machines. So, get your tokens, a bat and a helmet that fits and pick out what type of pitching you want to face. Most places have slo-pitch softball, which is an excellent starting point for someone who hasn't done a lot of hitting. Some places have fast pitch softball, too, about 55 to 60 mph. The baseball cages usually run from 45 mph for the littlest little leaguers up to 90 mph for the advance hitter. These days, I'm pretty happy in the 60 to 65 mph cages.

You'll notice a lot, I mean a whole bunch of warning signs. Ostensibly these are for safety, but I would imagine that the business' concern for liability claims is significant. Not that you need to worry. The warnings are common sense stuff.

For example, don't take a practice swing outside of the cages. Yes, you could hit someone. Wear a helmet. While the balls they use are hard plastic, therefore a little softer than regular baseballs and softballs, if it hits you, it would hurt. No reason to fiddle around where your head is concerned.

Another popular sign is only one person to a cage. If you are with someone who is dying to coach you, have them do it before the pitching starts. Between regular pitches and you with a bat, well, there could be trauma.

You put your tokens in the machine, take your stance at the plate and the pitches will start. Machines usually have a light system to tell you when the pitch is about to happen. Ten second intervals is about right. That will seem like forever for the first three or four pitches, then as you fatigue from your ferocious swings, it'll seem like it's speeding up just to torture you.

If you haven't done this before or it's been awhile, you'll feel it later in your abdominals, especially the obliques, shoulders, and forearms. If you don't wear a batting glove you might get a small blister at the base of the thumb on your hand that is lowest on the bat.

Start slow. Only do one or two tokens worth. Bring a group. Make it fun.

I know I'm leaving something out of this. Help me out by leaving a comment. If you have other tips or suggestions, or you just want to warn everyone about gross helmets, go for it.

(photo by caural on flickr)