So last month I decided to finally fix my busted driveway basketball hoop setup. The concrete slab near the garage was cracking and killing my knees every time I landed. Saw this idea online about making a “shock absorbing” base board thing using timber. Sounded fancy, right? “Engineer board” my foot – turned out it’s just plywood and some rubber pads. But hey, cheaper than professional court tiles.

How This Whole Mess Started

First I hauled my lazy self to Home Depot. Grabbed:

• One big sheet of 3/4 inch plywood (the “engineer board” apparently)
• A pack of those squishy rubber furniture pads (labeled “heavy duty shock absorption”)
• Outdoor wood glue that promised to survive the apocalypse
• Waterproof sealant because rain exists

Got home and realized I forgot screws. Borrowed some rusted ones from my neighbor’s junk drawer. Classy.

The Glue Disaster Phase

Measured the plywood against the concrete slab. Too long. Pulled out my jigsaw. Cut two corners crooked. Whatever, the hoop legs would cover it. Slapped those rubber pads on the bottom side of the wood. Used that “apocalypse glue” to stick ’em down. Pro tip: Don’t do this at noon in August heat. Three pads slid right off like greased pigs. Had to clamp them with random garage junk overnight. Half a cinderblock on one corner, dumbbell on another, paint can holding the last. Real professional engineering here.

The “Shock Testing” (Mostly Just Me Falling Over)

Next morning, pads seemed stuck. Flipped the board over onto the cracked concrete. Jumped on it. Squeaked like a stepped-on mouse. Zero bounce. Just felt… spongy? Like jumping on old carpet. Still beat concrete though. Hosed it down with waterproof sealant anyway. Looked like I painted it with glue stick. Dried all streaky and bubbled. Whatever. Basketball don’t care about looks.

Where We At Now (Spoiler: It Works But Looks Awful)

Been three weeks. Board warped a little in the rain. Corners stick up like a sandwich missing half the filling. Jumping feels like landing on a slightly softer rock. Probably those cheap pads squashing dead already. Still… knees ain’t screaming after games. Saved like $300 versus buying real sports tiles. Neighbor called it a “trashy engineering miracle.” Might just screw it down permanent before next storm washes it away. Lesson learned? Next time spend the damn money.