Equipment Needed to Groom a Softball Field

Maintaining a softball field for a girls' school fast-pitch team or a park district's slow-pitch league requires consistent care. An all-dirt infield quickly hardens and dries up if left untreated. The outfield grass requires regular mowing and watering. The best softball fields are the ones where the dirt and grass are groomed with the proper equipment.

  1. Field Rake and Push Broom

    • A field rake is needed to loosen the dirt around the batter's box and the bases, along the baselines and on the pitcher's mound. The head of the rake features long metal spikes to dig into hardened soil. When the rake is flipped over, the shorter spikes can be used to level the dirt. A push broom is ideal for smoothing the dirt and breaking up dirt clumps.

    Water Hose

    • Use a quality water hose that will not kink easily. Keeping the dirt infield watered at least daily, especially in windy areas, prevents the soil from becoming dried out.

    Drag Mat

    • Drag mats come in a variety of sizes, often 6 feet by 3 feet. A riding mower or ATV can be used to pull them around the infield, breaking up the soil and smoothing the field so ground balls will be less likely to take strange hops.

    Riding Mowers and Weedeaters

    • Groundskeepers need to mow the outfield grass consistently and clip weeds along the outfield fence. Using mulch blades on the mower finely cuts the grass and helps feed the turf.

    Batter's Box Template

    • Groundskeepers use a batter's box template on each side of home plate to make the lines for the batter's box. Templates are made of wood or a steel material.

    White Line Markers

    • White line markers come in various styles, but usually with two or four wheels. A groundskeeper pushes a marker filled with white chalk to make the outfield lines and the batter's box lines.

    Anchor Clean-Out Tool

    • A clean-out tool is used to dig dirt from the inside of the base anchors. Cleaning all the dirt out allows the bases to fit securely in the anchors.