So, I finally got around to tackling the baseball backstop padding. It’s one of those jobs I’d been putting off, you know? The old stuff was looking real sad, all torn up and faded. Honestly, it was probably more dangerous than no padding at all, with bits hanging off.
Figuring It All Out
First thing, I had to measure up the backstop. Went out there with my tape measure, jotted down all the lengths and heights. You’d think it’s straightforward, but our backstop has a few weird angles. I double-checked, then triple-checked, ’cause I really didn’t want to order the wrong amount of padding. That stuff ain’t cheap, and sending it back would be a pain.
Then I spent a good while looking at different padding options. Some were super thick, some thinner. Some had grommets already in, others you had to add yourself. I ended up going for a decent mid-range one, pre-grommeted, because, let’s be honest, I wanted to make the install a bit easier on myself. Picked a color that wouldn’t show dirt too much either. Smart, right?
Getting Down to Business
When the new padding arrived, it was like Christmas for a DIY guy. Big rolls of it. The first job was ripping off all the old, nasty padding. That took some doing. Snapped a few zip ties, wrestled with some stubborn bits that were practically welded on by sun and rain. Made quite a pile of rubbish.
Once the frame was bare, I gave it a quick clean. Wiped off the grime and bird poop. You gotta start with a clean slate, I reckon. Then, I unrolled the first piece of new padding. My son gave me a hand holding it up while I started attaching it. We decided to use heavy-duty zip ties. They’re strong and pretty easy to work with.
We started at one end, lining up the padding with the top bar of the backstop. Pulled it snug, but not too tight, and threaded the first zip tie through a grommet and around the pole. Snip! First one done. Felt good. Then we just worked our way along, top edge first, then the bottom, then the sides. It was a bit like lacing up a giant shoe, in a way.
- Lined up the top edge.
- Secured it with zip ties every foot or so.
- Pulled the padding down to attach the bottom.
- Did the sides last to make sure it was all straight.
Some sections were easier than others. The corners were a bit fiddly, trying to get the padding to sit right without bunching up. Had to redo a couple of zip ties here and there when I wasn’t happy with how it looked. Patience, I kept telling myself, patience.
The Finished Product
After a few hours of pulling, tugging, and snipping zip ties, we finally finished the last section. Stood back to take a look. Man, what a difference! The backstop looked almost brand new. Solid, clean, and properly padded. No more ratty bits hanging down.
The real test was a few fly balls. The sound of the ball hitting the new padding was much better – a dull thud instead of a weird rattle. Plus, it just feels safer knowing there’s good cushioning there, especially with kids playing around. It wasn’t the hardest job I’ve ever done, but it was definitely satisfying to see it finished and looking so good. Sometimes these simple upgrades make the biggest impact, you know?
