DIY Youth Baseball Pitching Mound

[@markhowell183]

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.

[@jonnylozano4496]

How high did you go on the platform where the pitching rubber is?

[@johnbedell2376]

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.

[@mikelacross1496]

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.

[@firewall72]

Nice job! Thanks for the feedback.

[@ericbezares177]

So you made it the same dimensions? I just want to make sure this will work for my son from now until his senior year. He’s 5’8 now and is in 10th.

[@livinginbuckeyearizona976]

Great build!

[@chriscastelein2260]

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.

[@619sandiego8]

Good job man!!!

[@theyetimangroup2833]

Thanks for posting this.

[@MrBloodklot]

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.

[@keithlawson7469]

Would it be easier to secure the plywood to the 1x10’s then flip over and install the stabilizer 2x4’s?

[@RB23isGOATED]

How do you know the angle of the mound to build it at

[@firewall72]

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!

[@Yahgoodad]

What cutting tools would I need? A circular saw enough?

[@GGSF28]

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.

[@firewall72]

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.

[@gfunkgadanko5703]

Turf I found at Depot appears to have rubber backing. You recommending another layer to insulate plywood?

[@aidanharnois4536]

@@firewall72 keep it wide, if you ever see the perfect game mounds those things are at least 7 feet wide

[@fernandabellrealestate4791]

Just curious on price for materials and time for the project to decide if better to make or buy Thanks

[@JacobMedinaBakoRealtor]

Good job how has the mound been holding up? Would you make any new changes to it?

[@firewall72]

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]

Cool, my son is 10u is this a good size for him?

[@firewall72]

@@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.

[@JacobMedinaBakoRealtor]

About how much in materials did this cost?

[@firewall72]

@@JacobMedinaBakoRealtor I would say under $200 for sure, but don't recall the exact amount.

[@bobromito8621]

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.

[@firewall72]

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.

[@bobromito8621]

Outstanding. Thanks John. My kid is super excited to get this going, and learn some carpentry skills on the way!

[@gfunkgadanko5703]

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!

[@firewall72]

I made this a while back, so probably just an estimate size as those should fit tight and cut to fit as needed. Good luck.

[@martyschmidt6288]

Supports should be cut to 15"

[@mmichaelsmith619]

Great vid. Thank you.

[@natepeterson4731]

How did you end up fastening the rubber to the mound?

[@bielkaliriano9627]

Do you have any specific store for buying the materials instead of me chasing Home Depot, Lowes, Lumberland etc?

[@boriskogan7837]

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?

[@TFreshour08]

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.

[@joerogers7359]

Youth height mound is 8" above home plate. High school and older is10"

[@brennaweir5936]

@@joerogers7359 Is this 8"? I am searching all over the comments here to check if it is 8". Thanks!

[@paulcassell5747]

Very clear, thank you.

[@TrentConnor2010]

How tall is the mound

[@firewall72]

10.25"

[@vasal955]

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.

[@firewall72]

I would recommend starting in the middle of the platform and then move towards the rear or back based on preference. I'm glad the video helped!

[@AbleOneThree]

6” from the beginning of the slope.

[@carmenpatterson2897]

Did you consider using treated lumber? In my state the difference in cost is minimal

[@firewall72]

Yes, especially if you're storing the mound outside year round.

[@thomasyeo2539]

Could I get a photo?

[@km59j1]

My kid is 9 years old and already throws 60+ fastball! The mound will definitely help out. Thanks.

[@firewall72]

Awesome, good luck.

[@HowieHal]

60+??? I'm sure.

[@HowieHal]

Nice job on the mound though John. That Surf kid will prob be throwing upper 90s next yr.

[@ryanheyward1441]

This is great. I modified it based on boards I had laying around. No extra cuts were needed to the turf on the sides where the slope begins??

[@catfudge8558]

Howie busse I will be throwing in the 90s

[@jmikajr]

How did you attach the pitching rubber, I’m using the same one ? Any help would be great ! Thank you

[@firewall72]

The liquid nails worked well for me. Good luck.

[@jeffbrux]

Has anyone added hinges and made this even more portable.

[@ericbezares177]

My son is 5’8 and still growing. Can this be used for a high school aged player?

[@firewall72]

I would say so, especially if you use quality wood. You can also make it a little bigger if you like.

[@ericbezares177]

@@firewall72 So I can do 4- 1x10x10 I guess. Nothing else changes, right?

[@firewall72]

@@ericbezares177 that should work. I would recommend testing the strength before screwing the plywood down. Good luck!

[@ericbezares177]

@@firewall72 Thank you!!

[@LOUDMOUTHFLAVORS]

This is 👌 awesome! But very expensive these days lol. I'm still gonna do it.

[@cbwlwiffleball6145]

Hey by any chance do you know the dimensions of the pitch of rubber you used?

[@firewall72]

18", good luck

[@keithlawson7469]

Official size is 24” x 6” if you’re looking for that

[@itsforzy4771]

How much did it cost to do it

[@markhowell183]

~ $300.00 The 1x10x8s x4 and the 6x8 astro turf cost the most.

[@angelestrella3318]

don’t mounds like this cost a lot more than 200 a mound like that on the internet how much would it go for ?

[@firewall72]

I know mounds can get pricey, but I'm not sure how much you could sell them for. This was for personal use.

[@aa-ron1596]

Would you have a ballpark on what you spent on this? Thinking about $100

[@firewall72]

I would say between 1-200 depending on where you shop. If you can try and use some wood lying around. This would help keep the cost down.

[@916officiallygabe]

does this mound work for teenagers/adults?

[@firewall72]

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.

[@michaelyarber1]

Did you use a table saw for the cuts?

[@firewall72]

I used some clamps, horses, and a circular saw. If I had a table saw I would have used that though. A lot safer.

[@michaelyarber1]

John Judge Ok thanks!

[@AbleOneThree]

Is all outdoor turf non-slip? Don’t want to grab the wrong stuff.

[@firewall72]

To be honest I'm not sure. I grabbed whatever was available and just tested it out at the store. Good luck!

[@jfjjfjfjfjfjfjfjfjfj4223]

@@firewall72 what store did you buy the turf at?

[@firewall72]

@@jfjjfjfjfjfjfjfjfjfj4223 I believe I found the turf in Home Depot.

[@MMcCree7]

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.

[@ryanthomas8955]

You’re good

[@D0dgerdog314]

Your saying alot of numbers and words, but no showing .. not God for meh

[@firewall72]

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.

[@bwbaseball1371]

This costs $305 with tax. It’s a ripoff

[@edtorres7140]

Try buying one... your looking at about $600-$1000 online.. plus building it with your son is priceless!!!

[@linksl1]

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.