So, I was sitting at home one afternoon after a game of volleyball with my buddies, and man, my wrists were killing me. Every time I’d smack that ball, it felt like my bones were rattling. I thought, “Why can’t someone make a volleyball that doesn’t hurt like hell?” But nope, nothing good out there. That’s when I got this crazy idea to build my own shock-absorbing thing, using larch timber because it’s supposed to be sturdy and cheap. I just went for it, even though I’m no expert.

First off, I grabbed my old tape measure and sketched out some rough plans right on a napkin—yeah, real high-tech. I decided the ball needed a core for bouncing and an outer layer for the shock stuff. Larch wood was the main material, since I remembered it from my uncle’s shed ages ago. I drove down to the local hardware store, picked up a few planks of larch timber, and tossed in some cheap foam padding for good measure. Total cost? About 20 bucks, which was way better than buying some fancy gear online.

Starting the build

Back in my garage, I cleared a spot and started cutting the larch wood. With my rusty saw, I hacked it into small strips, aiming for pieces about palm-sized. Let me tell you, it was a mess. Wood chips flew everywhere, and I almost nicked my finger twice. Then, I sanded down the rough edges using sandpaper, just to make sure it wasn’t all splintery.

• Next up: I layered the larch pieces with that foam padding I bought. I slapped on some glue, stuck ’em together like a sandwich, and pressed down hard. Left it to dry overnight with a stack of books on top, hoping it’d hold.
• Shaping the ball: After the glue set, I trimmed it into a roundish shape with a knife. It looked more like a lumpy potato than a ball, but hey, progress.
• Testing bounce: Took it out to my driveway and gave it a few test drops. First few tries, it barely bounced—just thudded down like a rock. I was like, “Crap, what went wrong?” Realized the foam wasn’t thick enough.

I tweaked the design by adding more padding between the wood layers and squeezed it all tight. This time, when I tossed it, it actually bounced a bit, and when I whacked it with my hand, the shock didn’t travel up my arm as much. Still, it felt heavy and awkward.

Finishing touches and real-world test

To smooth things out, I wrapped the whole thing in an old t-shirt for covering, sewing it on by hand—super crude, but it made it less messy. Then, I rounded up my pals for a real volleyball game at the park. We used it in place of a regular ball for a quick match.

Honestly, it wasn’t perfect. The larch timber made it heavier, so we had to adjust how we hit it. But the shock absorbing? It worked alright. When it hit your wrist, it was more like a soft tap instead of that sharp sting. One buddy even said, “Hey, not bad for a DIY job!” We laughed about how it looked like a Frankenstein ball.

In the end, I learned that larch timber is tough, but it needs a lot of cushioning to actually absorb shocks right. Next time, I’d use thinner wood and maybe better padding. For now, it’s just sitting in my garage, a reminder that even if things turn out a bit rough, it’s fun to try and fix your own problems.