As spring nears, coaches are pushing to get on their infields as soon as possible.
Regardless of the infield mix, the material will frost heave over the winter. You need to roll your infield in the spring, ideally before you have any traffic on your infield. Now, the questions are: When, why, and how?
When?
You will want to roll your infield when there is still moisture in the mix, but the mix is not too wet. When is this? When you can walk across the infield and you settle the frost heave, but there is no material sticking to the bottom of your shoes. Roll the conditioner and mix in multiple passes.
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| Infield Not Ready To Roll |
| Infield Ready To Roll |
Why?
Rolling accomplishes a few goals. First, it settles your infield so your mix will hold its grade and you will not have your conditioner or topdressing migrate into your base material. Rolling will also make the infield mix firmer. This will allow for the ball to play down and true from the beginning of the season. Lastly, rolling the infield helps prevent minor divots or chunking following heavy play.
How?
It is best to roll with a three-ton dual drum roller. If you can’t get a three-ton roller, any roller is better than not rolling at all. Pay particular attention to the transition areas between the infield and the turf to prevent a hard edge. For a smooth transition, extend the roller partially over the turf area. Remember to also roll your infield as often as possible with a small pull-behind roller all spring until the weather moderates.
Good luck to those groundskeepers and coaches looking to get their fields ready for spring!
