September 13, 2007

Tennis balls: Little. Yellow. Useful - the tennis ball might be one of the most versatile and useful tools ever invented by ape-like bipedal creatures. Here are 17 useful things they can be employed for.

Apparently you can also play some kind of game with them. I don't know whether I was really told that or not, I dunno, I'll check it out. /scrutinizer

posted by Hank Mabuse 17 years ago
  • That was a great article, HM! I'll have to try both the cap snaffler and the laundry fluffinator. Plus, I just liked the writing style. So many of these types of articles are written in a faux-cutesy style that drives me nuts.
  • Hmm. No plooking.
  • wow /tonguerail
  • YES, I WILL MARRY YOUR DAUGHTER!
  • And won't all my dining room chairs look great with four tennis balls on the bottom!
  • they also make handy DIY rebar-caps for all your home-construction needs. /tennis balls not pre-punctured. not responsible for loss of limb or life due to tennis ball puncturing accidents. See indemnity clause below.
  • Tennis balls? I thought they were street hockey balls.
  • At burning man, people use tennis balls to cover rebar and tent stakes used to secure everything. Keeps you from gashing yourself when you are drunk/high/dustblind.
  • And on should-have-previewed, what Medusa said.
  • A tip for all you tennis-ball piercers out there: set the ball in the drain of your kitchen sink before attempting puncture from above with a sharp knife, with all digits kept well out of the way. The worst thing you can shred using this method is the rubber collar for your garbage disposal (if you have one). I speak from experience.
  • Tennis balls: 1 kinnakeet: 0
  • Move wet balls to a drying rack – you can use the rack under your dish rack holder or the rack you use to cool your cookies - anything where the water can drip down and the balls can air dry. I don't dry my balls where I cool my cookies. Unsanitary.
  • That's not what I've heard!
  • MonkeyFilter: furry yellow orb of happiness
  • We usually used tennis balls to play baseball when I was a kid. They didn't break windows, and it is very easy to throw a curve. Plus, they were a hell of a lot cheaper. We would rummage through the woods just beyond the fence of the local high school's tennis courts and find a summer's supply of balls
  • "To my surprise my dogs loved them, balls that tasted great!" Let's not pursue this any further.
  • it is very easy to throw a curve Seriously? I thought you needed the stitches for that.
  • Nope. I am guessing here, but I imagine I can think of three reasons. 1. With a very old ball, the rotation will actually cause the ball to become lopsided when it spins. Older, softer balls curve the most. 2. When the fuzz on a ball begins to come out so that the ball looks like it needs a shave, the fuzz provides the air resistance you need. 3. With a new ball that is firm and without fuzz, there are still seams. The fuzz sticks out past the seams, providing the air resistance. And remember that in tennis the topspin lob is a very effective shot. Topspin makes the ball drop faster. It is really a curveball that is curving straight down.