A batting cage lies to you. The net is ten feet away in every direction, so every ball looks like a line drive. A pop-up looks fine. A grounder to second looks fine. The hitter has no idea where that ball would have landed on a real field.
The fix costs about ten dollars. Hang a hoop.
The idea
Hang a hula hoop, a small fishing net, or any ring on the back net of the cage. Now the hitter has a target. Hit the hoop and you hit it where a line drive goes. Miss high and that was a fly ball. Miss low and it was on the ground.
No coach has to say a word. The hoop tells them.
Where to hang it
Height matters. Too high and you are rewarding pop-ups. Too low and you are rewarding grounders. The right spot depends on your field size and how hard your kids hit.
Ways to play it
- Hoop points. Hit the hoop, one point. Ten swings, keep your score. Beat your score next time.
- Two hoops. One up the middle, one opposite field. Coach calls a hoop before the pitch.
- Move it. Raise or lower the hoop to match a game situation. Runner on third, less than two outs? Hang it for a deep fly.
Why it works
A target gives honest feedback. In a cage, the hitter can't see the result of the swing. A target puts the result back in front of them. Knowing the outcome of an attempt helps players learn (Salmoni, Schmidt and Walter).
It points attention at the ball, not the body. “Hit the hoop” is a cue about where the ball goes, not about hips or hands. Many studies favor that kind of cue (Wulf), though a 2024 reanalysis found the average benefit small once publication bias was corrected (McKay and colleagues). It costs nothing to try.
Safety
- Hang the target on the back net only, tied tight, nothing rigid that can kick a ball back at the hitter.
- Helmets on, same as always.
Guidelines & sources this note follows
- Salmoni, A. W., Schmidt, R. A., and Walter, C. B. (1984). Knowledge of results and motor learning.
- Wulf, G. (2013). Attentional focus and motor learning, a review.
- McKay, B., Corson, A. E., et al. (2024). Reporting bias, not external focus. Psychological Bulletin.
Note on certainty: no study tested hula hoops in a batting cage. We are applying general findings on feedback and attention to a simple idea. Try it and see.