Why I Went For Shock-Absorbing Volleyball Flooring
Got super annoyed with my backyard volleyball games messing up the lawn and twisting my ankles on uneven dirt. Started researching cheap DIY solutions and found these pine interlocking planks marketed as shock-absorbing. Skeptical but desperate. Grabbed my credit card and ordered 50sq ft worth.
The Dirty Unboxing Disaster
Tore open the boxes expecting neat little planks – big mistake. Sawdust EVERYWHERE. Those pine planks were rougher than sandpaper with splinters sticking out like porcupine quills. Shoved everything onto my patio, sat on an upturned bucket, and started sanding each plank while coughing up sawdust clouds. Two hours later, my arms felt like overcooked noodles.
Assembly Nightmares
Locked the first row together thinking “this ain’t so bad”. By the third row, realized the ground wasn’t level. Had to rip up everything and spend another hour flattening dirt with a rusty garden rake. The tongue-and-groove connectors were stupidly stubborn. Half wouldn’t click no matter how hard I stomped. Ended up using my old dumbbell as a hammer – crushed one plank corner to mulch. Had to saw off the mangled bit and hide it in the corner.
The Test Run
Jumped around like an angry kangaroo checking for squeaks and wobbles. Heard this disgusting crunch when I landed wrong on that cut-off plank corner. Replaced it with a leftover piece and reinforced the edges with construction adhesive squeezed straight from the tube. Looked messy but held when I body-slammed the spot. Played actual volleyball with buddies later – didn’t bottom out when diving for spikes, even if pine still felt harder than a Walmart parking lot.
Final Thoughts
It works… sorta. Pros:
- Kills weeds and grass
- Dirt cheap compared to real sports flooring
- Survived three weekend games without exploding
Cons:
- Zero real cushion unless you add foam underlay
- Spending all Saturday assembling feels like punishment
- My “shock absorption” test left bruises
Next time I’m buying turf. Or moving near a beach.
