How to Build a Baseball Field Drag

An important part of maintaining a baseball or softball field is dragging the infield. Dragging the infield levels out the top layer of dirt on the infield skin and helps to break up any areas where the dirt is compacted. While some teams and leagues use hand-pulled, factory-made drags or even motorized drags, that can cost hundreds of dollars, you can build your own drag for much less. Listed below are instructions for how to build your own drag.

Things You'll Need

• 3 boards, 2 x 4 cut to three-foot lengths
• 3 boards, 2 x 4 cut to five-foot lengths
• 3 boards, 1 x 4 cut to five-foot lengths
• Tape measure
• Hacksaw
• Clamps
• Power drill
• Wrench
• 2 eye bolts
• 7 bolts
• Hammer
• 100 40-penny nails
• 10 feet of chain

Instructions

1. Build a 3-foot by 5-foot frame with 2 x 4s. The frame will consist of the outer frame and a T-shaped section in the middle, with the 3-foot boards going on top of the 5-foot boards.

2. Build a mock-up of the frame by laying the boards on top of each other. Measure and mark a spot in the middle of the areas where the 3-foot (top) boards meet the 5-foot (bottom) boards.

3. Clamp the frame together and drill where you marked the spots, drilling through both boards at the same time.

4. Attach the boards using the eye bolts in the corners of the front 5-foot board.

5. Drive 100 nails through the 1 x 4 boards. Use two rows in each board and use a staggered pattern with a space of 1 3/4" between the nails.

6. Nail the 1 x 4 boards to the 5-foot 2 x 4s with the nails facing down.

7. Attach the chain to the eye bolts and you're ready to drag the infield.

References

• Major League Baseball
• Pony League Baseball