Space and site requirements
| Sport | Footprint | Also plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball / softball | About 10 ft x 10 ft | Overhead clearance for a full swing, plus distance from windows, vehicles, and fences |
| Pickleball | About 5 ft x 5 ft | Room for a short step in and out of the shot |
| Reference: batting cage | About 40 ft x 14 ft, one player at a time | Why a station fits where a cage never will |
Setup, step by step
- Pick the spot. Choose a level area with roughly a 10 foot by 10 foot clear footprint for baseball or softball, or about 5 foot by 5 foot for pickleball. Check overhead clearance and anything within bat reach that you would rather not hit.
- Paint the metal first. Backyard kits ship as unpainted raw metal on purpose so you can paint them your favorite color. Unpainted metal will rust if it is not painted, so paint the upright and arm before the kit lives outside full time.
- Set the upright. Mount the 6 foot upright plumb and solid. For a portable setup, use a base that is weighted or anchored for your surface. For a permanent installation, concrete mount it.
- Install the arm assembly and bearings. Bolt the Beast Hack arm assembly to the upright with the supplied hardware and install the swivel bearings. Tighten fully, then check the hardware again after the first few sessions.
- Attach the ball assembly. Attach the baseball, softball, or pickleball assembly for the sport you are training. Give the swivel bearing one drop of lubricant so it rotates freely from the first swing.
- Set the height for the hitter. With the hitter in their normal stance and normal distance from the plate, set the ball in the middle of their strike zone, roughly belt high. The arm adjusts from 8 inches to 60 inches, so set it for the player rather than asking the player to adapt.
- Add netting only if you need it. If the station is near a house, a fence, a car, or a neighbor, add the hitting station netting or an enclosure. A turf mat protects the stance area and keeps footing consistent.
What it looks like in a real backyard
A customer taking live swings on her Backyard Full Starter Kit at home. What to watch for: the ball returns to the same spot after every swing so there is nothing to reset, the arm is set in the middle of her strike zone, and the whole session runs in a normal backyard with no feeder and no bucket of balls.
A short owner review covering setup and day to day use at home.
Portable or permanent
| Configuration | Best for | Mounting | Price point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arm-only Starter Kit | Existing post, tree, wall, or upright | Bolts to what you already have | $199 |
| Backyard Full Starter Kit | Families, kids 14 and under | 6 ft upright, portable or set in place | $399.99 |
| Portable Beast Hack | Travel teams, temporary training areas | Move and set up as needed | See product page |
| Permanent station | Parks, schools, leagues, facilities | Concrete mounted | From $1,171.33 per station, volume pricing available |
Wear parts and maintenance
Two parts are consumable by design: the ball assembly and the swivel bearings. They are built to last and made to be replaced, and both are stocked for baseball, softball, and pickleball. Parks and recreation facilities are seeing ball assemblies last an entire recreation season with use from hundreds of kids under 14 years old. The older the kids using them, the more force goes into the ball assembly, so the life cycle is shorter.
| Task | When | How |
|---|---|---|
| Lubricate swivel bearing | When it starts getting squeaky | One drop of oil lubricant, or one short spray of WD-40 or 3M penetrant |
| Check hardware | After the first few sessions, then occasionally | Retighten bolts and nuts |
| Replace swivel bearings | When rotation is uneven or sluggish | Swivel bearings, 3-pack |
| Replace ball assembly | At end of wear life | Sport-specific ball replacement |
| Touch up paint | When bare metal shows | Repaint bare spots to prevent rust |