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.

     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.

     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.

     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.

     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.

     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.

     Rebound walls require concrete footers that are four foot eight inches wide, sixteen inches long and sixteen inches deep.

     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.

     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.

     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.

     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.