Okay, let’s talk about that whole shock-absorbing volleyball floor project. Man, my knees were screaming after playing on regular concrete last summer – felt like jarring my teeth loose every time I dived for a ball. Needed something portable but with actual give, y’know?

Starting Point & Failures

First, I grabbed some cheap plywood sheets from the garage. Slapped two together thinking thickness would help. Total disaster. Ball bounced weird, and when my buddy landed after a block? Sounded like a gunshot! No shock absorption at all, just carried the impact straight into our ankles. Felt so dumb.

Realized I needed separation between layers. Cut up some old rubber car floor mats into little squares. Placed them between the plywood sheets like tiny pillars. Added decent cushion… until we played more than 10 minutes. Rubber bits squished flat permanently under foot pressure. Basically became solid again. Wasted a whole Saturday.

The Rubber Ribbon Idea

Stared at bungee cords in my toolbox – lightbulb moment. What if I used wide rubber strips LONG ways under the floor? Grabbed these thick industrial rubber belts from an old farm auction stash. Cut four 6-foot strips about 3 inches wide each.

Here’s the assembly:

• Laid two thick plywood panels side-by-side as the base.
• Screwed heavy-duty metal L-brackets along the long edges.
• Stretched each rubber belt TIGHT across the base, hooking ends over the brackets like giant rubber bands.
• Bolted the top plywood panels directly onto the brackets, squishing the belts underneath.

Instant win. The tension made the whole floor float slightly. Jumped on it – felt springy but stable. No more ankle-jarring landings!

Making It Actually Portable

Problem? Thing weighed a ton. Cut the top layer into smaller 2×2 foot squares. Sanded edges smooth so they wouldn’t catch knees. Added pull handles cut from an old duffel bag strap. Now I can stack the squares vertically in the truck bed like pizza boxes, rubber belts coiled separately. Takes me under 5 minutes to lay down and lock together with simple wood clips.

Tested it last weekend at the park – played 3 hours. Knees only complained when I forgot to hydrate, not from the floor! Sweat and sand make the surface slick though… maybe adding grip tape next time. Overall? Beat dumping money on expensive mats that don’t travel well.