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Sports netting and more importantly the material it is made out of is subject to a variety of tests before it is put to use in its chosen application. In the sporting world, we see this applied with golf cage, batting cage and barrier netting applications.

Testing the strength of the net is done in a couple of different ways; break strength testing and burst strength testing. Here we will explain the differences between the two types of testing.

Break Strength

In its simplest form, break strength testing determines the how much tension a strand can endure before “necking”. Necking is simply when the material’s cross section begins to bend significantly. Basically identifying the materials tensile strength by pushing it to its limits is what is accomplished by using Break Strength testing.

A common misconception is that break strength coincides with the netting’s long-term durability. It is often a matter of what exactly that piece of netting will be used for that will determine how important break strength is to you. For example, a batting cage netting system is designed to hang loose and absorb the impact of the baseball. In this example, break strength would not be of utmost importance.

Burst Strength

Commonly expressed in pounds per square inch (psi), burst strength testing is used as a measure of resistance to rupture by pressure. In an application to sports netting, think of pressing your thumb or other object forcefully into a piece of netting or mesh. The amount of pressure before it “bursts” is considered its burst strength.

Commonly with sports netting, the break strength is the most important measurement, but it is also helpful to consider the long-term durability of netting and its materials. More often than not, golf, batting cage and barrier netting is located outdoors, hence why durability should be your facilities deciding factor.