How to Design Your Own Baseball Tee

A batting tee can provide kids with hours of fun and practice.

Batting tees come in all shapes and sizes. Some are single-position tees, while others are movable to simulate different pitch positions at the plate. Some come with the ball attached to a string that is anchored to the batting tee, allowing for kids to practice in a backyard without fear of breaking windows or hitting balls over fences. A batting tee is a simple device, even a multiple-position model. You can make one with a few simple items, many of which can be found around your house.

Things You'll Need

• Wood base (18 inches-by-18 inches, preferred)
• 2-foot long section of threaded PVC pipe (1 ¼-inch inner diameter; 1 1/2-inch outer diameter)
• 2-foot long section of black hose with 1 ¼-inch outer diameter
• Metal flange (1 1/2-inch inner diameter)
• Drill
• 4 Screws
• Petroleum jelly

Instructions

1. Secure the flange to the wooden base with screws. Make sure the base is square and find the center by drawing a line from one corner to the opposite corner. Repeat with the other two corners. The base can be as small as 1 foot-by-1 foot, but 18 inches-by-18 inches is better. The larger the base, the less chance of the entire tee tipping over if the tubing---and not the ball---is struck when swinging.

2. Insert the black hose into the PVC pipe. A hose with an outside diameter of 1 1/4-inch will fit snugly into a PVC pipe with an inner diameter of 1 1/4 inches. Use petroleum jelly to make the insertion easier. This also will aid later in moving the tee up and down to achieve different heights.

3. Thread the PVC pipe into the flange (the PVC pipe should have outer threads).

4. Measure three different heights and mark them on the outside of the PVC pipe. The heights should simulate the bottom, middle and top of the strike zone of the person who'll be using the tee. For a 5-foot-6-inch child, for example, you'll mark the pipe somewhere around 18 inches (from the ground), 24 inches and 36 inches. Remove the black hose from the PVC pipe.

5. Drill holes through the PVC pipe (all the way through both sides of the pipe) at the measured marks. Insert a screw or bolt through one of the sets of holes. Re-insert the black hose. Make sure that the hose can move freely up and down inside the PVC pipe. The bolts will serve to hold the height of the tee. You don't have to count on friction between the hose and pipe to keep the tee from slipping. Use as much petroleum jelly as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Drill the holes large enough so that the bolts can pass easily through. The bolts should fit loosely and not be screwed into the holes. You want to be able to quickly and easily remove the bolts and adjust the tee height.

• Keep an extra couple lengths of the black rubber hose on hand. They can get beat up, bent and cracked from the wear and tear of a bat whacking them constantly.

• Take the pieces with you if shopping for the material. For example, take the threaded PVC pipe to the store to make sure it fits into the flange and accommodates the rubber hose.

• You also can thread a metal pipe into the flange and slip the PVC pipe over it.

References

• Youth Baseball Basics: How to Build a Home-Made Batting Tee

Resources

• Hi Pro Speed: Performance Silicone Hoses
• Baseball Corner: Tips from the Pros