I’ve been seeing more and more folks using walkers with tennis balls on the bottom lately, and it got me thinking, “Why are they doing that?” So, I did a little experiment of my own to find out.
Setting up
First, I grabbed an old walker from my grandma’s garage. It was pretty standard, nothing fancy. Then, I went to the store and bought a can of tennis balls. I picked the bright yellow ones, just for fun.
Prepping the Tennis Balls
Back home, I took those tennis balls and, using a utility knife, carefully cut an “X” shape on the top of each one. This was a bit tricky, but I managed to do it without slicing my fingers off. I made sure the cuts were big enough for the walker’s legs to fit through.
Attaching the Balls
Next, I slipped the tennis balls onto the bottom legs of the walker. They fit snugly, which was good. I pushed them up a bit to make sure they wouldn’t just fall off when the walker was being used.
Testing It Out
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First Impression: I tried pushing the walker around my living room, and right away, I noticed it was way quieter. Usually, those things are noisy, especially on hard floors, but the tennis balls really muffled the sound.
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Smooth Gliding: The walker glided much more smoothly. It felt like less effort to move it around, which I imagine would be super helpful for someone who has trouble walking or gets tired easily.
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Floor Protection: I also noticed that the tennis balls were gentle on my floors. No scratches or marks! That’s a big plus, especially if you have nice hardwood floors you want to protect.
The Result
After trying it out, I totally get why people put tennis balls on walkers. It’s a simple trick, but it makes a big difference. It’s quieter, smoother, and protects your floors. I even called up my grandma and told her about it. She was so excited that she asked me to do the same thing for her walker. So, yeah, it’s a thumbs-up from me and grandma!
