This simple 3D printed mount I designed using Tinkercad will make you able to swing your baseball bat in virtual reality! Combining this mount with state-of-the-art baseball simulations like WIN Reality will allow you to hit realistic pitches and train your plate discipline and timing at home!

Works with most baseball & softball bats

Mount is compatible with Oculus Quest 1 & 2 controllers

⚠️Disclaimer: using this mount may result in breaking stuff if you're not careful.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

Tools:

3D Printer
- If you don't have one:
  - Use a 3D printer at a school or organization
  - Use a 3D printing service near you (example)
Standard Screwdriver

Materials:

2x M4 * 16 bolts and nuts (optional)
A good amount of zip ties ;)

Step 2: Print the Baseball Mount

There are two baseball mount STL files available: "OBM(R)" is for the right controller, "OBM(L)" is for the left controller. If you are a right-handed batter, print "OBM(L)" for WIN Reality and "OBM(R)" for Totally Baseball. If you are a left-handed batter, print "OBM(R)" for WIN Reality and "OBM(L)" for Totally Baseball.

Keep in mind that the top part is a little finicky to print, so I recommend printing it separately.

My print settings on my Ender 3 v2:

Bed Temp: 60C
Nozzle Temp: 200C
Layer & Initial Layer Height: 0.2mm for a faster print, 0.12mm for better quality

Step 3: Assembling the Parts

Assembling is quite straightforward:

Push in the nuts.
Slide in the controller till it's snug.
Slide the controller, ring-first, into the knob of the bat, followed by sliding the safety strap in.
Tighten the safety strap at the top of the taper and use screws (or zip-ties) to fasten the mount.
Use zip-ties to fasten the oculus controller ring through the holes at the top of the mount.

Step 4: The Software

I found two baseball sims/games that were unique in their own separate ways: WIN Reality and Totally Baseball.

WIN Reality (Baseball Version)

Win Reality is developed by some pretty serious people. It is more of a training software than a game! (But it's pretty fun). An account costs $24/mo but the app offers some pretty helpful features:

Pitch recognition
50-95mph pitchers with all pitch types
Batting practice (what this is used for)
Quick decision
And many more to come since it's in beta

Note: To find WIN Reality in the Quest store, make sure to scroll all the way down to App Labs. It will be hidden since it's in beta.

Totally Baseball (Only Baseball)

Totally Baseball is a lot more like a game. The game is extremely fun with unique features though. You get to play a full game. While the batting is less accurate, you can bat with runners on base and face different situations. You can also field as all the players on the field with 1st person view. Making a VR double play is pretty satisfying. Totally Baseball also has training modes for batting and pitching only. The game costs $15 on the Quest store.

Step 5: Progress

I have been using this tool for 2 weeks now and I can't believe it's improving my hitting already! The virtual pitchers have been challenging me with those low pitches for a while, so I practiced swinging in a lowered position in VR, which translated to in-game results!

I am honestly so excited that I made something that really helped me and I am sure this will benefit you too! 😊

Step 6: Ending Remarks...

I hope you enjoyed making this project and I hope you have even more fun playing/training with it! Please post some suggestions and questions below or send some of your own modified designs of the mount so we can all make this project better. This is my first time using CAD, so I love some feedback.

Also, comment about the bombs you hit using this mount! 💥