Good pitching mat for concrete?

[sarge117]

My daughter has been pitching in the backyard and am finding it is not the best.

It is grass which is fine, but we have to continually change were the rubber is set because we wear through the grass and get to the topsoil. Unfortunately we do not have clay directly under the grass so as soon as the grass wears away (which takes a practice or two) she is sliding all over the place struggling to keep her balance. She ends up focusing more on not falling then proper mechanics.

I have a long concrete patio that she does the knee drill with kneeling on a cushion.

Was thinking of either making my own pitching mat or buying one. Which ever works and is cheaper.

The concrete patio is semi rough. Just rough enough that you would typically not slide on it if it were wet and you were wearing flat bottomed shoes.

Not sure though if you layed a mat on it if it wouldn't slide around. I have no familiarity at all with pitching mats. Would hope they are heavy.

Would even be happy with one if I could lay it on the grass but I assume that would be slippery bigtime.

Any help would be appreciated.

This one looks like a decent price,

3' x 10' Green Softball Pitchers Mound

anyone know something else I could use.

 

[shockcoach]

Go to your local box hardware store and look through their rug runners. Buy a strip of carpet there and you can save about $100.

 

[halskinner]

Used 3 ft wide rubber conveyer belt makes an excellent mat. Find a 1/2 inch thick one 10 feet long, so it is heavy enough it wont slide.

By a pitchers rubber and cut a hole for it near one end. Paint a power line down the middle. They last like forever!

 

[Mr T]

Where can you buy this?

Used 3 ft wide rubber conveyer belt makes an excellent mat. Find a 1/2 inch thick one 10 feet long, so it is heavy enough it wont slide.

By a pitchers rubber and cut a hole for it near one end. Paint a power line down the middle. They last like forever!

 

[inde53546]

I tried getting conveyer belt from a ciuple quarries without success. I just bought some carpet runner w a rubber backing at menards 2.88 a lineal foot. Havent put a rubber on it yet

 

[halskinner]

In my area its Delta Rubber Co. Dont know if they are outside of Nor Cal or not.

 

[knightsb]

I purchased an Artificial Turf Remnant three years ago and it has held up very well. It is heavy, about 1 - 1.5 inches thick with a heavy padding. I spray painted a power line. A friend went to a local indoor soccer facility where the owner had put down turf. The guy gave him a scrap piece at no charge. With the heavy pad it does not slip on the concrete or the garage floor.

 

[Ken B]

Stall mat can be found at many farm supply stores. Makes good pitching rubber as well.

 

[FrozenRope]

Obviously you're in an area where the climate is conducive to pitching outside in the winter months. So I ask.. why bother with the investment in a pitching mat for the patio as opposed to some material to make for a natural pitching circle in the yard? Check with the league your DD plays for and ask them if you can grab a couple of 5 gallon buckets of the material they use to surface the infield. Offer a small donation to the league in exchange. If you're in an area that has excessive rain, just buy a cheap tarp and stake it down over the circle to prevent excessive water an mud when you're not using it. I WISH it was warm enough in PA to pitch outside all year round.

 

[quincy]

That is what I was thinking too. If you don’t need a portable pitching mound and you can pitch outside most the year I would look into building one in the backyard. A few posters here have done it and can help you. Probably cost a few dollars more but it would be worth it to me if I could do it.