There is no sport more American than baseball, and whether it’s overhand or underhand, most anyone can throw a ball. Batting, however, can be a challenge, and nobody’s better than a New Yorker for knocking that challenge out of the park. Practice makes perfect, so send the family out to the best batting cages in New York for hard-hitting action without that ballpark pressure.

Photo Credit: randallsislandgolfcenter.com

Randall’s Island Golf Center
1 Randall’s Island
New York, NY 10035
(212) 427-5689
www.randallsislandgolfcenter.com

Price: 20 pitches per token/$40 per half hour, per cage rental/$60 per hour, per cage

Randall’s Island Golf Center, a premier outdoor facility on a 25-acre country club setting overlooking the East River and uptown Manhattan, offers batting cages and so much more. Enjoy nine stalls in its softball/baseball batting cage area, and choose from fast and slow-pitch softball or baseball machines. Batting lessons and clinics are available to help perfect your game as well. Also enjoy a 36-hole landscaped miniature golf course, WiFi patio lounge, a beer garden and grill and a 4,000-square-foot special events tent.

Related: By The Numbers: You Play Ball Like A Girl!

Photo credit: ascsports1.com

Astoria Sports Complex
34-38 38th St.
Long Island City, NY 11101
(718) 729-7163
ascsports1.com

Price: $40 for 60 minutes of baseball, softball or curveball/$23 for 30 min $23/$13 for 15 min fielding tunnel or ground ball machine/$20 for 30 minutes

Skip the ball pick ups and machine feeds for a fun, friendly facility right in Long Island. Ball speeds range from 40 miles per hour to a fast 95 miles per hour. In addition to the batting cages, the full range of sports activities at this complex include boxing, basketball, weight lifting, soccer, swimming and aerobics. Enjoy the relaxing whirlpool and sauna rooms as well as on-site snacking and parking.

Photo Credit: dnainfo.com

The Field House at Chelsea 
23rd St. & Hudson River Park
New York, NY 10011
(212) 336-6500
www.chelseapiers.com/

Price: $2.75 for 10 pitches/$5.50 ProBatter for 16 pitches/$55 batting cage rentals 30 minutes/$85 for 60 minutes regular/$90 for 60 minutes on the ProBatter

With four batting cages that offer slow, medium and fast pitch softball and baseball, The Field House at Chelsea is a guaranteed hit for everyone. Play like the pros with the ProBatter Simulator featuring a life-size screen showing the pitcher throwing the ball toward the batter. These are the same simulators that the Major League Baseball stadiums and training sites use. All rentals must be made at least 24 hours in advance. The field house is 80,000 square feet of fun, with two artificial-turf fields for indoor soccer, the largest gymnastics training center in New York City, two hardwood basketball courts, dance studios, a rock climbing wall, a martial arts mezzanine and dance studios.  

Related: Best After School Enrichment Activities for Kids in New York

Photo Credit: the baseballcenter.com

The Baseball Center NYC 
202 W. 74th St.
New York, NY 10023 
(212) 362-0344
www.thebaseballcenter.com

Click here for prices

For baseball fanatics, the Baseball Center is purely about baseball and softball. Learn from trained professionals in private lessons or team training in programs geared toward kids, including youth leagues. Check out the Iron Mike automatic baseball pitching machines, which fire baseballs from 40 to 100 miles per hour and softballs from 20 to 70 miles per hour on a JUGS Super pitching hand-fed machine featuring arc, slow and fast pitches. The Pro Batter Ultimate Pitcher’s machine baseball pitching machine pitches balls at 40 to 100 miles per hour with video simulation of pitcher’s wind up before firing a slider, cutter, fast ball, sinker, curve, change up or splitter.

Photo Credit: brooklynsports

Brooklyn Sports and Party Center
800 3rd Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11232
(718) 965-0004
www.3rdavenuesportscenter.com/home

Click here for prices

At Brooklyn Sports and Party Center, four cages are set up specifically for baseball with speeds available from 30 to 80 miles per hour. The two cages for softball offer pitches from 30 to 60 miles per hour. Rental speeds can be even higher. Its live hitting and pitching tunnel is a sure hit with any player, especially players who take advantage of the center’s seasonal clinics, party packages and tournaments. After hitting the cages, test out that hand-eye coordination in the arcade, check out the basketball courts, or have fun playing dodge ball, kickball, volleyball and soccer.  

Carol Ruth Weber began her career as a Theatrical Costume and Set Designer and segued into the world of Interior Design. As an interior designer she has twenty-eight years of experience in all phases of the business. You can read more of her work on Examiner.com and she can also be contacted at WeberLifeDesign.