Woke up today with my volleyball net wobbling like crazy on the wooden floor after last night’s game. The rubber tree bases slid everywhere whenever someone dove for the ball. Total pain.

Checking the Mess

First thing, I flipped the whole assembly upside down. Saw rubber pads peeling off the bottoms of those tree-shaped bases, and screws rattling loose in their holes. No wonder it felt like playing on ice.

Gathering Fix Stuff

Dug through my garage stash for supplies. Grabbed:

• Coarse sandpaper (that smooth rubber wasn’t gripping)
• Super glue gel tube
• Extra anti-slip pads from old shelves
• Hex wrench from my bike tools

The Fix Process

Started roughing up the bottom of each rubber tree base with sandpaper. Didn’t go crazy—just enough scratchy texture. Cut those spare anti-slip pads into circles matching the base shapes. Pressed them down with glue gel, held each for a minute while humming some random tune.

While the glue dried, tightened every bolt connecting the poles. That hex wrench clicked on each turn till they stopped wiggling. Propped it all upright again—felt way sturdier already.

Testing the Setup

Slid the net back into place and deliberately kicked the base sideways. Solid! Jumped near the edges where it used to tilt. Nothing budged. Called my neighbor over to slam a ball against it sideways—still stood firm. Victory dance happened right there on the spot.

Lesson? Never underestimate worn-out rubber pads on slick wood. Quick sanding + proper pads make all the difference. Saved myself buying a whole new setup too. Just need more spare pads before next game night!