Maintaining your synthetic hockey pitch

Regular maintenance of your hockey pitch will ensure ideal playing conditions right through the year. It can also reduce the risk of injuries for players and keep drainage at optimum levels. Removing litter and debris from the pitch on a regular basis will help, and this includes pulling up any weeds from the pitch perimeter. The good news is, artificial pitches can fully meet the challenge of the British weather.

Caring For Artificial Turf

The use of a drag brush to push the synthetic surface in different directions is highly recommended, to keep those all-important fibres upright. This is vitally important in busy playing areas such as goal-mouths and pitch entrances. It’s a good idea to have the pitch deep cleaned on a regular basis to keep any tears or discrepancies down to the bare minimum. Water based surfaces can be prone to things like moss and algae around the edges, depending on both where and how the pitch is situated. “Organisations considering the installation of new pitches or refurbishment of existing pitches can use current products with confidence,” says GB Hockey.

Sand-filled And Sand-Dressed Surfaces

This particular design has always been popular with clubs and schools for its silica sand and perfect pile height, allowing for superb cushioning of the ball. You can discover more in this excellent case study. Over time some damage may occur as part of the natural playing process. Both surfaces can be prone to flooding when contaminated, so taking great care over your investment will pay dividends in the long run. We can rejuvenate the surface by using an efficient compressed air system to both remove and replace infill.

Water Based Pitches

Dense and with a short pile, keeping this type of pitch wet will both prolong life and make for smoother and more exciting play. Thorough irrigation is imperative in order to keep the surface in tip top shape. Constant watering is key here, so keeping on top of any accumulated mould is essential with regular cleaning vital in all weathers.

Best Foot Forward

There’s little doubt you can help things along by encouraging players to don boot-wear appropriate for the surface. Sports companies have plenty of advice and styles available. Quality play can also be enhanced alongside a consistent pitch maintenance programme. In fact, they can long outlast a surface warranty with the right care and attention.

The Benefits of a Quality Contractor

Any contractor with a good reputation will also offer guidance on landscaping to help the pitch itself. This might include a separate warm up area, tarmac paths and carefully selected trees. There are lots of ways to help safeguard the life of your artificial surfaces as England Hockey are very aware of.

Testing For Perfection

At Artificial Grass Cambridge, we’re very familiar with techniques used to assess the condition of your hockey pitch, including ball roll testing, slip resistance and even water drainage. All of these things can help both to increase the quality of your sports facility and help us create the perfect maintenance programme, to keep you pitch in the best possible condition.