So I got this crazy idea to build a shock absorbing basketball court in my backyard last month. Mainly cause my knees been killing me since I turned 40, and concrete floors just murder your joints during pickup games. Saw some pricey engineer boards online and thought nah, I can DIY this cheaper.

Getting Started

First off, I cleared out the whole garage to make space. Swept like crazy cause dust ruins wood adhesive. Went to Home Depot and grabbed:

• Those thick rubber pads they put under gym equipment – got 24 squares
• Plywood sheets rated for outdoor use, half-inch thick
• Pressure-treated 2x4s for the base frame
• A whole bucket of exterior-grade wood glue
• Enough screws to sink a battleship

Building the Base

Measured the court area with measuring tape and almost tripped over my own feet twice. Cut the 2x4s with my jigsaw – man that thing vibrates like crazy. Laid them out in grid pattern, one foot apart. Drilled pilot holes everywhere cause wood splits easy when you’re screwing near edges. Got sweat dripping into my eyes the whole time, gloves got glued to my hands twice.

Shock Absorption Layer

Here’s where it gets tricky. Placed the rubber squares directly on the grid frame, left quarter-inch gaps between pads. Sounds simple but each piece needed exact trimming. Used spray adhesive to stick ’em down, which got all over my workbench – still peeling that crap off. Checked bounce by dropping basketballs from different heights. Took three tries to get the gap spacing right so balls wouldn’t get stuck.

Pro tip: Wear goggles when spraying adhesive. Got some in my eye and screamed like cartoon character.

Wood Flooring Installation

Cut plywood into big panels with circular saw. Clouds of sawdust everywhere, looked like a snowstorm in July. Applied wood glue in wavy lines across each panel – this part actually felt like frosting a giant cake. Pressed them onto the rubber layer carefully, weight distribution matters big time. Let my heaviest buddy stand on each panel while I screwed them down through existing frame holes. Wiped excess glue fast with damp rag before it hardened.

Final Touches

Sanded the entire surface with orbital sander attached to shop vac. Looked like a yeti after this step – totally white from dust. Applied three coats of polyurethane finish over three days, still smells like chemicals in there. Marked court lines with painter’s tape and blue court paint. Almost botched the free throw line when my dog bumped me.

Result? Ball bounces crazy consistent, knees don’t ache after two hours of play. Saved about 60% versus professional install costs. Whole thing took three weekends and twelve bandaids. Totally worth every splinter and cuss word.