So, I’ve been playing volleyball for years, and man, my feet were killing me every time I jumped or landed on that stupid hard court. It felt like hitting concrete every game. Last month, after another painful session, I thought, why not try to build something to soften the blow? That’s how this whole shock absorbing volleyball engineer board timber idea kicked off.
The Starting Point
Okay, I ain’t no fancy carpenter, but I figured wood might do the trick since it’s flexible. I started by raiding my garage for old scraps. Found some cheap pine timber from an old shelf I tore down ages ago. Grabbed a tape measure, marked out a rough square shape—about the size of a small doormat—and got my rusty saw out. First cut? Messy as heck. I sliced it crooked, ended up with jagged edges everywhere. Had to sand it down with coarse paper for like an hour just to make it smooth.
Then came the shock absorbing part. I know nothing about real engineering, so I just winged it. Went to the hardware store and bought a bunch of rubber mats. Thought I’d glue them under the board, but the adhesive didn’t stick worth a darn. It peeled right off after a test bounce. Ugh, total waste of time and money. I almost threw in the towel that day.
Fixing the Mess
Since glue was a bust, I brainstormed like a madman. Remembered those foam puzzle pieces my kid plays with—figured why not? Dug ’em out of the attic, cut ’em to fit under the timber, and drilled holes around the edges to bolt everything down. Used heavy-duty screws this time. But guess what? The foam compressed too much when I stepped on it, felt all mushy and unstable. Nearly twisted my ankle during a trial jump. Not cool.
- So I ripped out that foam, grumbling under my breath.
- Next attempt: I layered up some old yoga mats instead—thicker and denser.
- Stapled ’em tight to the wood base with my staple gun. That actually held for once.
Still, the whole thing wobbled like crazy when I slammed a volleyball on it. Was frustrating as heck. Tweaked it over and over—added more layers, cut ’em smaller, and screwed in extra support beams underneath. Finally, after like a week of trial and error, it started to feel solid but springy. I mean, not perfect, but hey, progress.
Testing It Out
Time for the real test—played a game on my “engineered” board. Set it down on the court, took a big leap, and landed… boom! Felt way softer. The shock absorbed nicely, no sharp pains. My buddy tried it too, gave a thumbs up. We played a full match, and my feet barely ached afterward. Success!
In the end, it’s a bit rough around the edges—looks homemade, sure—but it works for me. Learned a lot about not overcomplicating stuff. If you ask me, stick with simple materials and expect tons of fails before it clicks. Anyway, now I’m enjoying volleyball pain-free, and that’s what counts.
