Many former youth players, community league players, and even major league players began polishing their baseball abilities by lining up a swing at baseball hitting tees. These items are essential when it comes to teaching the youngest players how to hold a bat. However, they’re used by even the most seasoned gamers from time to time. While you’re busy conducting exercises with your athletes, you might want to throw in a few tee drills to work on batting form and precision as well.
Here’s how to make a homemade Batting tee –
- The first step is to arrange all the necessary tools required to build a batting tee, i.e.-
- 4 Wood Screws
- 1 washing hose roughly length of ⅞’’ x 1 ¼ OD 2’
- Plywood roughly 12×12 size
- 1 PVC pipe
- 1 pack of rubber furniture leg tips
- 1 galvanised Iron Floor Flange
- Spray Paint
- Sand Paper
Other tools that are required –
- Weights
- Saw
- Drill or Screwdriver
- Knife
2. After arranging your tools, let’s begin measuring the plywood to 12″ × 12″ and cut it; you can use your preferred measurement and cut it accordingly. The size utilised here is an approximate measure of what a home plate might look like.
3. For step three on the Galvanized Iron Floor Flange is centred on the plywood. After you’ve centred the floor flange, grab your screwdriver or power drill, as well as your four wood screws. There will be four circular cutouts on the floor flange where your screws will be put to keep the flange in place.
While screwing-
- The screws aren’t too narrow since this may allow the flange to slip out of place; the screw head should be larger than the circular cutouts’ opening.
- The screws should not go all the way through the bottom of the wood since this could cause harm while taking up the tee and make it imbalanced.
Screw or drill the screws into position with care.
Try moving the floor flange around after you’ve fastened it in place; if it doesn’t move, go to step 4; if it does, tighten the screws harder or try a larger head screw.
4. The Schedule 40 Male Threaded Adapter PVC Pipe Fitting is the next item you’ll need. The inside of the large middle opening of the Galvanized Iron Floor Flange will be threaded. The threaded side of the PVC Pipe Fitting needs to be screwed into the Galvanized Iron Floor Flange. The PVC Pipe Fitting should be screwed down as tightly as possible.
5. For step five, you’ll need your table or hand saw for this stage. For this stage, we recommend wearing safety glasses and gloves. Take the PVC pipe and cut it to a length of around 2′. Then cut two pieces lengthwise and estimated 2′. Make a note of where you’ll be cutting the piece. If you’re completing this step by yourself, you’ll need a vice to keep the PVC Pipe from rolling around while you’re sawing it. It is advisable to have a companion help you out with this step. If you’re using a table saw, be careful of the plastic particles that fly out during the cutting process.
6. ½ ” Furniture Leg – There will be an open side and a closed side (the section that would contact the floor if it were on furniture), which is the side you will be cutting out. A 1 1/8” Forstner bit will come in handy and is a safer option if you have a power drill. Simply drill the closed side out so you can look out of each end if you have the drill and bit. If you don’t have a drill, you’ll have to cut the closed end using a utility knife. Because the rubber is so thick, this will take a long time. You’ll need to stretch the rubber out for a few minutes after cutting it out because you’ll be extending the previously opened end over the PVC pipe. It will initially resist fitting, but with some stretching and coaxing, the rubber will fit right.
7. Step seven is the final critical step, i.e. to make the ball holder. Insert the Washer/Discharge Hose into the Furniture Leg Tip/PVC Pipe (this is the stem of the base). This will be a tight fit, but it will retain the hose in place and prevent it from sliding down into the PVC pipe when you try to hit it. This section of the tee will be adjustable, allowing you to raise or decrease the ball’s position depending on where you want to practise hitting.
8. For the eight-step, it is additional; if you wish to make your tee look good, you could add a little colour to it with spray paint and let it dry, after which your tanner tee is ready for use.
