Interested in building a pitching mound for your son to practice on? Check out this video where I walk you through step-by-step instructions. This took about 6 hours to complete on a $200 budget. Enjoy!
So I just finished building this and Chris is correct. The pitching rubber needs to be 6" from the slope and -1" every foot. Made those changes, and the mound is very nice and heavy. I used 4 - 2x4x8 pressure-treated wood (15" is the distance between 1x10s) for the supports which added a lot of weight I'm sure. I also added 3 wheels in the back of the mound, and a handle in the front. Other than those changes, I followed the instructions. I went through about 4 tubes of Liquid Nails (using a caulking gun) so prepare accordingly. I'm super happy with the finished product. Thank you.
Great video with clear instructions. Building one with my son using treated 2x10's. Planning on using turf as you did, but with horse stable mats underneath for extra padding.
Built this today. Stayed with the size described. Reinforced with 2X4s. Came out FANTASTIC!!!! Total cost was 165 ish. Wood,screws,liquid nails, 2 handles, 2 wheels and water proofing was 110. turf 40 and rubber strip 15. Yes its big, yes its heavy, its pretty easy to move around. Will he need another one? NO!! this is heavy duty. I'm 250lb and it does not budge. Solid and stable. I braced with 2X4s around 20 of them. ( he's 12 and already 5'9" and 172lb.) I did not include the 2X4s price as i had them already. Took about 5 hours. Will finish up the turf install and rubber strip tomorrow. Thank you John Judge for the video. This was fun and pretty easy.
Not sure if this was mentioned but i think the rubber needs to be 6" from the slope seam, then at 1 foot down slope it needs to be -1", then another foot -2", and so on. this would make your end height 3 1/4", not 2" and certainly more than what you show. Otherwise nice video, and basing my build on this video over others that ive watched. Good Job.
Its nice but im sure its heavy making it a pain to move around. To be more portable i suggest not as wide and not as long. If your plan is to leave it on the side of your house, this is pretty good.
Nice but I would make a few changes: Make it narrower...3 ft not 4ft and use 3 braces so most of the pitcher's weight will be on the brace, not between braces. Use a waterproof guard under the mat, or buy an outdoor carpet that has rubber backing. This will make your plywood last way longer. Making it smaller with less but critical brace positions will make it stronger and lighter. Waterproofing will make the mound last much longer.
The reason I didn't go narrow is that my son likes to use both sides of the rubber and he steps to the side. And with the current width, it's perfect without risking falling off or feeling uncomfortable. Good feedback and ideas though, especially for others. Thank you.
Hi, I didn't measure the degree of the slope, but you should see that covered around the 1:30 mark. I would recommend using a chalk line as well. Good luck!
So with the 2x4 supports the item list states cut those to 2 foot lengths. But that’s not correct is it? The distance between each slanted common board is less than 2 feet, so was curious what size you cut the supports? Thanks!
Rock solid. I'll look to cover it over the winter and with a little luck I'll get another few years out of it. No changes, but I would like to emphasize the importance of secure wheel mounts with bolts, washers, etc., especially if you plan on moving it around like I do. Good luck!
@@JacobMedinaBakoRealtor Yes, I believe so. My son used it at 10U and just moved up to a 11U. I would say its a lot better than some of the mounds we use in our games. I've also thrown off it and it doesn't feel small to me, so it if the wood holds up it should last as they grow.
The angled cut on the 1x10 looks like less than two inches from the bottom edge. Is it really supposed to be two inches as stated in the video? Thanks for this excellent plan.
I would say yes and close an accurate 2", but feel free to tweak as needed. I'm sure others have compromised along the way. My son was using it tonight and is almost 13 and still loving it. Thanks.
Thanks for posting this. This says its a Youth mound. Can a highschooler who is pretty tall use this? does the slope of the mount change by chance if it is to be used by an older, taller pitcher?
There is a "standard" height, but in reality... it depends on the youth league. A lot of them roll them out and they buy what they can get cheaper/in bulk. Dirt mounds unless perfectly maintained are always a little off. In general, as long as you have a flat surface up top and a decent slope you will get what you want out of it bullpen/practice wise. BIG tip is to have about 2 feet behind the rubber that is flat unless you only want the pitcher working out of the stretch on it. Don't want anyone stepping off the back and landing on their a**. Former college pitcher who went to a small high school and experienced a few different versions from the blue collar dads who put them together.
Hello I know this is kind of old...but do you or anybody know where do I put the pitching rubber? for example how far from the slope? Thanks for any info you may have thanks a lot...great video, I built ours today going by your instructions.
I am 6'3" 275 and can throw off the mound for instruction without issue. It really depends on how you build your supports and the quality of wood. You can always add length and width, but obviously this will add to the weight. I tried to balance that out so it could be wheeled in my yard. Good luck.
Hello, I'm doing a baseball film project on pitching and I wanted to know how I could obtain permission to use some of this footage. Please let me know of an email address that I can contact.
Thanks for the feedback and I'm happy you know your limitations. The video is a guide and more of a "How To", but does not include step by steps instructions you would see from something bought from a store.
I'm guessing built before the Covid lumber price increase. You could probably use a bunch of scrap from a construction sites and cut the price dramatically if you're worried about cost. It's a good project and quality time with your kid too.