Alright, so yesterday I tackled this idea I had bouncing around my head: could I actually build a temporary hard wooden floor for basketball practice in my garage, something I could actually remove? Not just nail stuff down permanently.

The Spark

It started simple. My regular driveway concrete is brutal on the knees and the ball bounces weird. I remembered seeing pro courts with wood, but duh, those are fixed forever. Got me thinking… how could I get that kind of feel without wrecking my garage floor? Needed it cheap, sturdy enough to dribble and cut, but able to store away when I need parking space.

Digging Around for Stuff

Went down the rabbit hole online, looked at what others might have done. Didn’t want fancy interlocking tiles – too expensive and honestly, the bounce felt kinda fake sometimes. Real wood seemed the way to go for that authentic response. Found some decently priced 3/4-inch plywood sheets – thick enough not to feel like cardboard, thin enough not to be crazy heavy or expensive. Then the ‘removable’ part hit me. I needed something to lift it off the concrete just a smidge for a little give. Grabbed a bunch of those puzzle-piece EVA foam squares people use in gyms – cheap, shock absorbent, and easy to cut.

Prepping and Cutting

First, hauled the plywood sheets and foam mats into the garage. Had to measure the space I wanted – a half-court kinda size. Used my circular saw to cut the plywood sheets into manageable panels. Aimed for 4×4 foot squares. That way, they’re heavy but one person can just about lug them around. Cutting all that wood took longer than I figured – sawdust everywhere, wore me out!

Then tackled the foam mats. Needed a solid base layer. Used a utility knife to cut them to match under each plywood panel. Messy job, little foam bits static-clinging to everything.

Laying it Down Piece by Piece

Here’s where it got interesting. Swept the garage floor real good. Laid down the cut foam squares in the pattern, fitting them together like giant jigsaw pieces on the concrete. This was the cushion layer.
Next step: Plopped the plywood panels on top, carefully one by one, making sure each one sat flat on the foam underneath. Had to shift a few panels around to get the edges lined up reasonably well. They aren’t interlocking, just sitting flush side-by-side.

The First Test Drive

Finally, grabbed my ball. Walked on it first – felt solid! No crazy wobble underfoot. Then bounced the ball. Whoa! Totally different from concrete or tiles. That solid thump, predictable bounce height – felt like playing indoors. Took a few dribbles, made a hard cut. Grip felt secure, the little bit of give from the foam underneath saved my knees a lot of impact. It wasn’t floating around, stayed put where I laid it.

Why Bother with Removable?

Here’s the kicker: later that day, we actually needed to park a car in the garage. Seriously! Just lifted each plywood panel off, stacked them sideways against the wall. Rolled up the foam mats and shoved them in a corner. Floor space was clear in maybe 15 minutes. This wouldn’t work if it was glued or nailed down. Next time I want to shoot around? Probably next weekend? Just unstack, lay the mats back out, plonk the panels down. Done.

• Did it cost a fortune? No, the plywood and foam were way cheaper than pro tiles.
• Is it perfect? Nah, panels shift maybe 1/4 inch after heavy play, needing a little nudge with your foot. Not a deal breaker.
• Is the bounce legit? Absolutely. Best part.

So yeah, removable wood floor? Totally possible. More sweat than a store-bought solution, but way cheaper and feels fantastic. Gonna keep using this setup for sure.