Backyard Batting Cage Question

I got my hands on a nice, used pitching machine yesterday so now I'm looking at some different batting cages that we can use outside while it's warm, then move into the garage once the snow flies. (The ones I'm looking at use the fiberglass poles to make an arched cage.)

My question is about cage length. I am debating between a 24' or 36' length. My garage is 40' long, so I can use either one inside. My completely uneducated first thought is that a longer cage will more accurately simulate a ball coming from a pitcher. Is that valid, or doesn't it matter?

I don't know if it matters, but my DD's are 11 and I have an 8 year old DS, so I would like something that we can use more than just a couple of years.

Thanks!

Our cage is 70 feet and is a permanent installation of chain link. Family of 3 girls and 3 boys. Hindsight being 20/20, I now know that:

I would be pretty fine with half that length.
and
I would never buy a pitching machine again.
but rather
some very sturdy screens.

IMO, and my 'O' has evolved over the last decade of cage ownership, is this with regard to length:
A long cage is nice when your BOY ages up to the BIG diamond and 60.5' pitching distance. The jump in pitching distance in that case and the suddenly required heavy bats really takes some getting used to. It seems like most middle school aged pitchers just lob the ball, very few with any gas, or at least that is what it appears. The 'gassers' from little league mostly arch pitches from 60'. It really messes with timing. Anyway, I find it helpful if Dad can get in the cage and toss balls from 60' (or even slow at 50)...reps! Hitting is TIMING, and btw this is also a big reason I don't like pitching machines. So, for boys younger than teens and for girls of all ages, a 36' cage would serve pretty well, but yes, more length is occasionally nice for all. Somewhere around 9th grade the pitching strength improves and that awkward phase of little boys on a big diamond goes away.

Some say 'but my kid is a pitcher and I need such and such length.' Yes, pitchers need practice at full distance. Since you are talking netting, Carol, understand that your pitcher (if there is 1+ in the fam) doesn't need to pitch 'IN' the cage. (S)he can pitch TOWARD the cage. IOW, stand in the yard and use the netting as a target or backstop for the catcher.

That's enough rambling and my opinions are far from universal, so take it for what it's worth. In case I didn't answer the question in all those words, go with the 36' over the 24'. You can set up smaller than 36' inside if you want, even if the net size is 36'.

Here are some photos of my old one I sold. It was 12 x 12 x 60...Had allot of good pratices. Had a single wheel jugs. Wish I could have bought the dual wheel.
Used it for bunting, inside, outside hitting. Fly balls out of the cage, was perfect for that.
The first picture was fully set up. I used to slide it in, like a shower curtain when the grass needed cut.
The last pictures was when I was taken it down for the winter to store in the garage to save the net...
Homemade net I welded together for pitching machine hole
Turnbuckles on each end and plastic coated aircraft cable. Spring loaded clips


SL

If your garage is an option... go to
customnets.com and look into a 36'x _x_ custom cage. You could easily hang 2 cables across the 40' and install a net like a shower curtain with cheap d clips. That's what I did in my basement.