How to Build a Pitching Mound
Building a pitching mound to regulation specifications is more than just piling soil up to create an elevated space. To build a pitching mound properly, you will need specific materials. A regulation pitching mound is 10 1/2” in height and 18’ in diameter. It is important to remember the measurements, as the amount of material you require will depend on it.
Required Materials
- rubber mat - 24” long x 6” wide
- clay
- sand
- silt
Required Tools
- shovel
- wheelbarrow
- rake
- roller press
- stakes
- string
- tape measure
Instructions
- Mixing the Material - To build a pitching mound, you must layer your ground material an inch at a time. Start by mixing your soil materials with equal parts sand and clay. It is advisable to use a measuring container.
- Laying the Foundation - Cover an 18’ diameter with the material prepared previously and use a roller press to firm the soil until it is 1” in height. Measure 10’ from the front of the 18’ circle and place a stake at this point. Tie your string to the stake. Measure 17’ from the stake on the string and attach another stake at this point. Keeping the string taught, walk a circle around the first stake - allowing the stake at the free end to mark the area covered. You will find that the back of your pitching mound has a more pronounced slope when you are finished. Fill this area with 1” of packed mound material as before. For every inch of mound you build, you will need to move in towards the center stake by 1’; eventually the height of the mound will be 10” from ground level.
- The Last Layer - For the last layer, measure 10’ 6” from the front of the pitching mound and place a stake at this point. Measure another five feet at the back of the mound and place a second stake at this point. Place four more stakes directly to your left and right at the edge of the top layer of your mound and fill the area with 1/2” of mound soil material. Roll until firm. When completed, you will have a plateau that is 5’ wide and 10 1/2” from the ground level. It will slope downwards at a rate of 1 inch per foot.
- Placing the Pitching Mat - Measure to the center of the mound and mark the point with a stake. Once this is done, measure 2’ from the front of the mound inwards to the stake you just placed. Center the front of the pitching rubber at this point and roll it into the top layer of soil.