So I got this idea to build a shock-absorbing volleyball court in my backyard after my knees started screaming from jumping on concrete. Went full DIY mode with hard maple wood because that stuff lasts forever. Here’s how it went down:

Digging In and Prepping the Base

First, I ripped out the old grass and weeds with a shovel. Took me two whole weekends just to level the ground properly. Rented a compactor machine from Home Depot – that beast vibrated so hard my teeth chattered. Laid down crushed stone for drainage, about 4 inches thick, then hammered wooden perimeter boards into place.

Laying the Shock Layer Mess

Bought these rubber shock pads online, figured they’d be easy to install. Wrong. Had to cut every dang piece with a utility knife because they didn’t fit right. Sweat pouring down my neck while I wrestled with them for hours. Used industrial glue to stick em down, got sticky gunk all over my fingers. Looked like a jigsaw puzzle gone wild.

The Maple Wood Fight

Had three pallets of hard maple planks delivered. Each plank weighed a ton! Measured and cut them with my jigsaw – sawdust flew everywhere, coated me like powdered sugar. Used spacers for gaps, but kept messing up the alignment. Swore at least fifty times trying to nail them straight. The wood was so hard my hammer bounced back twice and whacked my thumb. Still hurts.

Sealing the Deal

After sanding every inch raw (arm still tingles thinking about it), I applied sealant with a roller. Wind kicked up halfway through, leaves stuck in the wet goop. Had to redo two sections. Waited 3 days for it to cure before testing.

Does It Actually Work?

Did some test jumps with my kid.

• Good: No more joint pain! Landings feel soft
• Bad: Had to re-glue two warped planks after rain
• Ugly: Looks more like a Frankenstein court than professional

Overall? Totally worth the blood and blisters. Played our first game yesterday – zero knee pain today. Would I do it again? Probably not tomorrow.