How to Cut a Checkered Lawn

Remove all trash, twigs or debris from the yard. Pull out any weeds with over-sized leaves that may detract from your grass pattern.

Mow the perimeter of your yard, keeping the wheels of the mower parallel to the edge of the property. Keep mowing until you've created a ring or "O" around the entire lawn. Stop at a corner such as the bottom left corner of the yard.

Align the mower's left tires inside the tire tread along the left up-and-down row you've already cut. Position the mower so it is over the uncut grass, pointing upward into the yard. Cut a vertical line, keeping the left tires in the old tire marks. Stop when you reach the perimeter ring.

Reposition the mower so it is pointing down the yard with the right tires in the previously cut tire treads. Mow downward until reaching the perimeter cut.

Continue mowing in the up a row, down a row pattern until the entire yard has been cut in this manner.

Turn the mower at a corner and position the tires in the original left-to-right tire marks on the perimeter row. Cut a row straight across, keeping the tires in the old tire treads. Cut another row in the opposite direction just below or above this row -- depending on your position in the yard -- keeping the tires in the old tire treads. Continue until the entire yard has been cut side to side.

Mow the perimeter once more to clean up any stray grass along the edges of the rows.