Cimarron 55x12 Suspended Frame, Space and Parts Guide

A 55x12 batting cage is the size many indoor spaces can actually hold. It gives a hitter a full tunnel without asking the building for a 70 foot run. The tradeoff is real, and so is the planning. The room, the ceiling and the net all have to agree before the frame goes up.

The Cimarron 55x12 Suspended Frame hangs from overhead structure and stays in place. This guide covers what the size means, how much room to plan for, what the manufacturer lists in the kit, and how the hanging layout works at this length.

What 55x12 means on a suspended frame

The numbers are the nominal length and width in feet: 55 long and 12 wide. Cimarron's instruction sheet carries a third number, written as 55'x12'/14'x12'. That sheet covers the 12 and 14 foot wide versions together. Do not treat the last 12 as a measured ceiling height for your room. Final height depends on your attachment points and the way the net hangs.

The size name also leaves out everything around the frame. It tells you the shape of the tunnel. It does not tell you whether a door swings into it, a light hangs through it, or a column sits where the lane needs to go.

Plan the room first

Cimarron recommends 3 feet of clearance from other structures in its batting cage frame guidance. Apply that to all four sides and a 55 by 12 frame becomes a rough 61 by 18 foot box on your floor plan. Use that box as a first sketch, not a final layout.

Then mark what the box has to live with:

• Columns, doors and paths that players use during a session.
• Lights, heaters, ducts and anything else hanging from the ceiling.
• The place hitters wait, and where buckets and bats sit.
• Any protective screen or machine that will sit inside the tunnel.

A room can pass on paper and fail in use. Walk the lane with a tape measure before you order. Stand where the coach will stand. Find out what the hitter sees and what gets in the way.

55 feet or 70 feet

This is the first decision, and the building often makes it for you. Cimarron states that a 70 foot cage is required to practice full distance live pitching. A 55 foot tunnel does not give you that. It suits a space where the work is tee sets, soft toss, front toss, and machine or short distance hitting.

Cimarron also notes that the ratio of pitch speed to pitching distance can replicate any reaction speed. In plain terms, a shorter tunnel can still train timing when the machine speed is set for the distance. It cannot give a pitcher a full distance mound session.

If full distance live work is the plan and the building has the length, compare the Cimarron 70x12 Suspended Frame. Our 70x12 suspended frame guide covers that version. If the room stops short of that, the 55 is the honest fit. A lane that fits gets used every day.

What the manufacturer lists in the kit

Cimarron describes this frame as 1 1/2 inch USA galvanized steel on its suspended frame page, with installation hardware and beam clamps provided. The 55 foot suspension frame instructions list these parts:

• 17 lengths of 10 foot pipe and 2 lengths of 5 foot pipe.
• 4 two way corners and 10 three way corners.
• 14 beam hanger clamps or J hooks.
• 14 support cables, 1/8 inch.
• 14 long eye bolts, 14 short eye bolts, 28 smaller bolts with nuts, and 56 U bolts.

The same sheet covers both widths, and the corners differ between them. The 12 foot frame uses 4 by 16 inch two way corners and 9 by 16 inch three way corners. Check those dimensions against what arrives before you start.

The batting cage net is sold separately, as the product image states. Cimarron pairs this frame with its #42, #45 and #60 nets. Match the net to the frame length and width, and budget for it from the start.

How the hanging layout works

The two 5 foot pipes are the detail that sets this length apart. Sections run in 10 foot steps down the frame, and the last section is 5 feet. That gives you seven support lines along the length, one every 10 feet and one at the 5 foot end section. With two sides, that is the 14 hangers in the kit.

Across the frame, the holding eye bolts sit 10 feet apart, even though the frame is 12 feet wide. So your overhead attachment points form a grid 10 feet wide, not 12. Draw that grid on your ceiling plan.

The instructions assume ceiling joists. If yours run across the net instead of along it, Cimarron says to attach the hangers as close to 10 feet apart as you can. Joist spacing will decide the real positions, so measure it. Cimarron calls the frame adaptable to most ceiling structures and notes that anchor points vary by project. Neither statement confirms your building. Have the person responsible for the structure review the load and the attachment points before anything is hung.

Plan the install day

The sequence is simple. Hang the clamps. Lay out the frame on the floor. Put the net over it. Then raise the frame with the cables until some netting rests on the floor. Secure each cable with two U bolts, adjust the height and cut the extra.

Cimarron suggests a ladder or lift, and two or more people raising the center as the unsecured end comes up. Set up the crew and the equipment before the day starts. This frame is not a one person job.

Cimarron lists pallet truck freight for this frame, so plan where it lands and how 10 foot pipe gets to the lane. Also expect the net to settle. The manufacturer says a net naturally relaxes over its first 60 days, so a final height check after that period makes sense.

Fixed lane or shared floor

This frame hangs in place, which Cimarron describes as a fit for full time practice facilities. It is not a drop down system. Cimarron's Air Frame is the separate option paired with an industrial winch for raising and lowering. If the floor has to turn back into a gym by evening, settle that question before you buy.

For the gear that goes around the lane, browse our baseball equipment collection.

Frequently asked questions

What does 55x12 mean for a batting cage

It means a nominal 55 feet long and 12 feet wide. It does not include clearance around the frame, and it does not confirm a ceiling height or attachment layout for your building.

Is a 55 foot batting cage long enough

For tee work, soft toss, front toss and machine hitting, it can be. Cimarron states a 70 foot cage is required for full distance live pitching, so a 55 will not cover that.

How much room does a 55x12 batting cage need

Start with about 61 by 18 feet, based on Cimarron's 3 foot clearance recommendation on each side. Then adjust for columns, doors, ceiling equipment and player paths.

Does the Cimarron 55x12 suspended frame include a net

No. The net is sold separately. Cimarron pairs this frame with its #42, #45 and #60 batting cage nets. Confirm the size matches your frame.

How many hanging points does a 55 foot suspended frame use

The instructions list 14 beam hanger clamps or J hooks, two rows of seven. They sit 10 feet apart across the width and about 10 feet apart along the length, with a 5 foot end section.

Measure the room, then build the lane around the Cimarron 55x12 Suspended Frame.