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Until
pitchers master perfect force application techniques, catchers
only distract. Catchers whine about pitch locations, pitch movements,
dirt pitches and more. Pitchers focus on proprioceptive, not
external messages. Therefore, pitchers require throwing areas
on which they practice without catchers. Adult pitcher training
areas require seventy by forty feet areas. Adult pitching rubber
to home plate back tip distance is sixty feet six inches.
a. Pitching
Mound
Pitchers
require pitching mounds on which they can throw daily with a
minimum of maintenance. I recommend pitchers have the Astroturf
covered pitching mounds like the ones that I build.
1. Materials
1.
3 treated 10' X 2" X 10"'s
2. 1 treated 6' X 1" X 4"
3. 2 treated 8' X 1" X 2"
4. 1 5' X 10' piece of heavy-duty astroturf
5. 6 4" X 1/4" carriage bolts, fender washers, lock
washers and nuts
6. 13 3" wood screws
7. 18 2" wood screws
8. 1 yard of red clay dirt
9. 1 pint of oil base white paint
10. 11 1 and 1/2" roofing nails
2. Equipment
1.
Circular saw
2. Hand saw
3. One-half inch drill
4. Three-eighth inch drill bit
5. Phillips head wood screw drill bit
6. One-quarter inch wrench
7. Sledge hammer
8. Four foot level
9. Four inch paint brush
10. Hammer
3. Assembly
On
one 10' X 2" X 10" treated board, place a first mark
on one edge twenty-four inches from one end, place a second mark
six feet down the board and six inches down from that edge, place
a third mark ten feet down the board and six inches down from
that edge. Draw lines that connect mark #1 with mark #2 and mark
#2 with mark #3. Repeat this procedure on a second 10' X 2"
X 10" treated board. Circular saw from mark #1 to mark #2
and from mark #3 to mark #2, then hand saw on both sides of mark
#2.
From
left-over pieces, make six stakes. Use the circular saw to rip
three inch wide strips. Cut these three inch wide strips into
six two foot long pieces. At one end of these six two foot long
pieces, cut them to points from six inches down to the middle
of the end.
Cut
the remaining 10' X 2" X 10" treated board in half.
Rip one half into three and one-half inch and six inch wide boards.
From
one 8' X 1" X 2" treated boards, cut a five foot length
and a twenty inch length. From the remaining 8' X 1" X 2"
treated board, cut two three foot lengths and a twenty inch length.
White oil base paint these 1" X 2" boards and the 1"
X 4" board.
Using
three 3" wood screws per side, join the ten inch ends of
the two 10' boards to the edges of the ten inch high 5' X 2"
X 10" board. Using two 3" wood screws per side, join
the three and one-half inch end of the two 10' boards to the
edges of the five foot by three and one-half inch wide board.
Align the top and bottom edges of the remaining 5' board with
the top and bottom edges of the two 10' boards, use three 3"
wood screws per side to join the 10' boards to the edges of the
5' board.
With
the back edge of the practice mound's wood frame perpendicular
to the line to the receiving net, place the six 24" stakes
six inches in from the both ends and in the middle of the 10'
boards and sledge hammer them into the ground to one inch below
the boards. Next, shim the practice mound's wood frame side to
side and end to end to level. Drill three-eighth inch holes through
the 10' boards and the six wood stakes, place the one-quarter
carriage bolts outside inwardly through these holes and place
the fender washers, lock washers and nuts on the bolts and tighten
firmly.
With
the practice mound's wood frame secured, pack the wood frame
with red clay dirt. Lay the 5' X 10' section of astroturf over
the practice mound's wood frame. Align the 5' X 1" X 2"
board with the back edge of the wood frame over the turf and
secure with three 2" wood screws. Stretch the turf over
the front edge of the wood frame and secure with four 1 1/2"
roofing nails. With one 3' X 1" X 2" board over the
turf at the top off one slope of the wood frame, secure with
three 2" wood screws. Stretch the turf over the wood frame's
other top side slope and secure the other 3' X 1" X 2"
board to the wood frame with three 2" wood screws.
Place
the 6' X 1" X 4" treated board equally against the
top of the 1" X 2" slope boards and secure it to the
wood frame with two 2" wood screws on both ends. Place the
20" X 1" X 2" boards on the wood frame behind
the 1" X 4" board and secure with two 2" wood
screws. Below these slope boards, secure the turf to the wood
frame with three 1 1/2" roofing nails on both sides. Leaving
the lower five feet of the turf secured with only roofing nails
permits pitchers to remove the nails, lift the turf and maintain
a smooth landing area.
b. Receiving
Net
Because
umpires call pitches from where they cross the front edge of
home plate, place the pitch receiving net fifty-eight feet eleven
inches from the front edge of the 1" X 4" board that
serves as the pitching rubber.
1. Materials
1.
Three treated 12' X 4" X 4" boards
2. One treated 10' X 2" X 4" boards
3. Three 1' X 1" X 1" wood stakes
4. One 10' X 10' weather-treated net
5. Four 16 penny galvanized nails
6. One 1 1/2" roofing nail
7. Ten 1' long pieces of nylon rope
8. Sixty feet of string
2. Equipment
1.
One post hole digger
2. One hammer
3. One level
4. One twenty-five foot tape measure
5. One 10' step ladder
3. Assembly
In
the middle of the rear board of the pitchers practice mound,
use a 1 1/2" roofing nail to hold one end of the sixty foot
string. Stretch the string perpendicularly to the wood frame's
rear board through the middle of the front board of the pitchers
practice mound fifty-eight feet eleven inches from the front
edge of the simulated pitching rubber. Place one wood stake at
that distance. Place the other two stakes four feet ten and one-quarter
inches from this stake at right angles to the string.
Dig
2' foot deep post holes at the two outside stake locations. Drop
one end of the 12' X 4" X 4" poles into each holes.
Replace dirt into these holes and, with the level, make sure
these poles stand vertically. Place the ends of the 10' X 2"
X 4" board at the outer edges of these two poles and nail
two galvanized 16 penny nails through the 2" X 4" board
into the 4" X 4" poles.
With
four 1' nylon ropes, tie the ten foot square weather-treated
net to the top board. With three 1' nylon ropes, tie one side
of the net to one pole. With the remaining three 1' nylon ropes,
tie the other side of the net to the other pole.
c. Rebound
Wall
Adult
rebound walls require thirty-two by ten foot areas. Coaches should
place these walls within pitcher throwing areas perpendicular
to the line between the pitching rubber and home plate at ten
feet from and ten feet to the side of baseball receiving nets.
1. Materials
1.
Three 4'x 16" wire fence pieces
2. One 4' x 10' wire fence
3. One cubic yard poured concrete
4. Ten ready-mix concrete bags
5. Five bags mortar mix bags
6. Six 96" x 1/2" reinforcing rods
7. Twenty-five 16' x 8" x 8" concrete blocks
8. Ten 8" x 8" x 8" concrete blocks
9. Two 4' x 8' x 3/4" treated plywood sheets
10. One 8' x 2" x 4" treated lumber
11. Ten 8' x 2" x 10" treated lumber
12. Two 6' x 4' x 3/4" horse stall mats
13. One 4' x 1/2" electrical conduit
14. Four 18" x 1/2" threaded rods
15. Four 1/2" fender washers, lock washers and nuts
16. Four 36" x 2" galvanized pipes
17. Eight 2" threaded galvanized pipe fasteners
18. Two 4" heavy-duty door hinges
19. Twenty-eight 1" galvanized deck screws
20. Thirty 1 1/2" galvanized deck screws
21. Sixty 3" galvanized deck screws
2. Equipment
1.
Circular saw
2. One-half inch drill bit
3. Three-eighth and five-eighth inch wood drill bits
4. One-quarter inch concrete drill bit
5. Phillips head wood screw drill bit
6. Four inch glue brush
7. One-quarter and one-half inch wrenches
8. Portable Concrete mixer
9. Concrete finishing tools
10. Rubber hammer
11. Hacksaw
12. Carpet knife
3. Assembly
a) Concrete
Slab
Rebound
walls require concrete footers that are four foot eight inches
wide, sixteen inches long and sixteen inches deep.
b) Rebound
Wall
While
the poured concrete remains slightly moist, coaches should lay
the first row of three concrete blocks. Then, before the concrete
hardens, coaches insert ninety-six inch long one-half inch steel
rods with seventy-two inches showing into the six concrete block
openings.
The
next day, coaches lay the second through ninth concrete block
rows alternating eight inch and sixteen inch concrete blocks
to insure that the seams of one row do not line up with the seams
of the rows above or below. After coaches lay each row, they
mix one bag of ready-mix concrete and fill the concrete blocks
openings even with their tops.
Between
the sixth and seventh rows and the ninth and tenth rows, coaches
place four eight inch long one-half inch diameter electrical
conduit pipe eight inches in from both sides of the rebound wall.
c) Rebound
Boards
Coaches
need to attach boards to their rebound walls to absorb the force
of the thrown iron balls. Coaches cut one 4' x 8' x 3/4"
treated plywood sheet in half. Then, they cut one three 2"
x 10" x 8' treated lumber in halves. Next, coaches place
the two halves of the 3/4" plywood together over five vertically
placed 4' x 2" x 10" lumber pieces and use the 3"
galvanized deck screws to bind them. Lastly, with powerful wood
glue, coaches glue a six foot by four foot sheet of 3/4"
rubber horse stall mat to the four foot wide plywood sheet surface
with the extra two feet hanging downward.
d) Mounting
Boards to Concrete Block Rebound Wall
Coaches
place the four 18" x 1/2" threaded rods into the rear
side of the four 1/2" electrical conduits embedded in the
impact wall. Next, coaches align the rebound board's bottom edge
with the fifth row's top edge and clamp the rebound board to
the rebound wall. By gently tapping the rear side of the threaded
rods with rubber hammers, coaches mark the rebound boards where
they drill 5/8" holes.
After
drilling the required 5/8" holes, coaches again clamp the
rebound boards to the rebound walls. Then, coaches gently push
the threaded rods through the drilled holes. Next, coaches place
large 1/2" fender washers, 1/2" lock washers and 1/2"
nut over each front side threaded rod. Coaches tighten the nuts
flush with the threaded rod front side ends. Lastly, coaches
place large 1/2" fender washers, 1/2" lock washers
and 1/2" nuts over each rear side threaded rod and tighten
flush with rear concrete wall surface.
e) Rebound
Wall Return Ramp
To
return iron balls to athletes, coaches construct rebound wall
return ramps. Coaches place the remaining treated 8' x 4' plywood
sheet over five 8' x 2" x 10" treated boards and bind
them together with thirty 1 1/2" galvanized deck screws.
Coaches glue the remaining eight feet of 1/2' rubber conveyor
belt to the plywood face. On the back side of the iron ball return
ramp, coaches attach one 4' x 2" x 4" treated board
to the middle and two 4' x 2" x 4" treated boards two
feet on either side with twelve 3" galvanized deck screws.
On
these outside two 4' x 2" x 4" treated boards, coaches
secure four 36" long 2" threated galvanized pipes with
their 2" threaded receivers twelve inches in from the sides.
Coaches place the rebound wall return ramp against the rebound
board. Coaches secure rebound wall return ramps to rebound wall
boards with two heavy-duty 4" door hinges. At the end of
the six foot by four foot rebound wall rubber horse stall mat,
coaches place another mat that covers the remainder of the rebound
wall return ramp. |
