Those people who use walkers to walk on, always try to find out how to add tennis balls on walkers. If you go out and see a person walking with the help of a walker, then there is a 70% chance that you will see tennis balls attached to the walker they are using. You might find it crazy, but there is a scientific reason why people attach tennis balls to their walkers.
And in this article, I shall discuss this only, i.e. why people use tennis balls on their walkers. And also I shall tell you the process of adding tennis balls to a walker so that you can do it for yourself or your loved ones too.
How To Put Tennis Balls On A Walker
Before you can put a tennis ball on a walker, you need to know a few things. People add tennis balls to their walkers to make them more stable and to create better traction at the time of walking. The rubber tips used at the bottom of the walker could be a bit more fragile, and they can slip too.
Tennis balls make the walker tips larger so that they can cover more surface area and increase the traction. So if you are going to add tennis balls walker as the tips of your walker, read the rest of the article to know how to do it properly.
Ways To Cut The Tennis Balls
At first, you need to know how to cut tennis balls for walkers. If you are doing it for the first time, there are chances that the process could seem a complicated one to you. But if you do it with proper knowledge and follow the exact procedure, it is more like a piece of cake. In the beginning, you need to prepare tennis balls to fit on the tips of the walker.
And to do that, you need to cut the balls. You can cut the balls with just a knife. But it is better to use the proper tools for your own safety. Or you can do it by a nail and a hammer too. let me give you all the steps you need to follow in order to prepare the ball and set it on the tips of the walker.
Stabilize the ball
This is necessary. It prevents the ball from slipping down at the time of making the cut to make the hole. Set the balls tightly so that they cannot slip when you try to make the hole in it.
Make the hole
Again I would like to suggest you use some proper tools. But if you are confident enough, you can always use a knife or a nail & hammer to do that. Remember that this is the initial hole you are making on the ball.
Mark the X
Once the initial hole is ready, make an X on that. You can do it with a knife. The X should be 2 inches long. This is the size of a standard walker. When you do that, you are making total 4 numbers of openings on the ball. This will help you to attach the ball to the walker easily.
But always remember that walker tennis balls are very hard and durable. So always be prepared and take required safety precautions. It is recommended to cut the ball keeping it away from your body to avoid any accident.
Put the legs in
Now you can open the flaps up and put the walker legs inside the ball through the X mark. You can use glue or tapes to make the ball more tightly fitted with the legs of the walker.
Ways To Drill A Hole On The Ball
Here I shall explain how to drill a hole in a tennis ball properly. There are two steps for drilling a hole on a tennis ball to attach it with a walker’s leg. The first one is, to make the initial hole. And the latter is, to make the X mark. Before I explain the initial hole, let me warn you that tennis balls are extremely hard and durable beyond your imagination.
So whenever you go to take an attempt to make a hole in the ball, make sure that the ball is away from your body. It will prevent any chances of accidents that can injure you while making the hole.
You can choose a knife to make the initial hole, or you can use a nail & hammer to make the hole. But I would like to suggest you use some drilling machine or any other professional tool to make the hole. This will ensure your safety.
Once the initial hole is made, it comes to make the X mark on the ball. Take a knife, and cut it as the alphabet X, where the initial hole will be the crossing point of the two cuts. Each cut should be at least 2 inches in length, as this is the standard length of a standard walker.
Cut Tennis Balls For Chairs
In this section of the article, I shall brief you on how to cut a tennis ball for a chair.
Let me tell you first, that it is not depended on what you are going to attach the tennis ball. It depends on the size of the legs of that thing.
Measure the length
First of all, you need to measure the length of the legs of the chair on which you want to attach the balls. Note the length down you found after measuring.
Make a hole
Now come to the part where you need to make the initial hole on the tennis ball. Take all precautions, keep the ball away from your body, hold it tight, and use a knife, a nail & hammer, or a professional drilling tool to make the hole.
Mark the X
Next, take a knife and make an X mark on the ball. Remember that the initial hole must be at the center where the two cuts cross each other. One thing is there too which you need to keep in mind. That is, the length of both the cuts should be the same as the length you have measured of the legs of the chair.
Attach the ball
Now open the flaps up, put the legs of the chair inside the ball through the hole, and you’re done! You have successfully attached the walker with tennis balls to chair legs! Your chair is ready!
Pre-Cut Tennis Balls
Now I shall tell you about the pre-cut tennis balls for walkers. If they are available, and if yes, then where to find them.
Let me tell you that if you are not confident enough to cut the tennis balls and attach them on walkers, but still you want to fit tennis balls on your walker, then there are tennis balls available in the market which are previously cut and ready to fit on your walker feets!
Yes, pre-cut tennis balls for walkers are very much available. You can buy them from your nearest stores, or order them online from your favorite online shopping sites.
Tennis Ball’s Alternatives For Walkers
Here in this part of the article, I shall tell you about the alternative to tennis balls on a walker. Is there really any effective alternative which you can use on your walker instead of tennis balls? Yes. There is an alternative which you can use on a walker instead of tennis balls. Those are called Walker Coasters. These walker coasters are way cleaner and safer than the tennis balls you use on walkers.
These walker coasters’ mobility prevents the walkers from grabbing the surface, especially on rough ones like concrete surfaces. These walker coasters glide over the surface making your walker safer and preventing you from any kind of accident.
Walker Glides Vs Tennis Balls
Here I shall give you a brief comparison between walker glides vs tennis balls. Which one you should use, and why. It is clearly established that walker glides like the Walker Coasters are much safer than tennis balls when it comes to fitting them under your walker legs of yours. gliders for walkers do not grab the rough concrete surface like the tennis balls, hence it gives you more safety.
But it is also a fact that these glides are a bit expensive, and tennis balls are way easier to get and fit under the legs of your walker. So it depends totally on you whether you want to invest in the walker glides, or you want a cheap solution like tennis balls for your walker.
FAQs
Q1. Is It Safe To Put Tennis Balls On Walkers?
Ans. If you put a tennis ball on a walker, it will be safer than a normal walker, but there still will be a chance that the walker could grab rough surfaces like concrete.
Q2. Why Do People Put Tennis Balls On Walkers?
Ans. People put tennis ball for walker on the walker’s legs to make the walker quiet, and to make them a bit safer. The balls help to grip the surface so that the chances of slipping off can be reduced.
Q3. How Can I Make My Walker More Quiet?
Ans. You can put tennis balls on the walker’s legs to make the walker quieter.
Q4. Do You Put Tennis Balls On The Front Or Back Of A Walker?
Ans. People usually fit tennis balls on the rear tennis legs of the walker. It helps in the pushing procedure and prevents scuffing the floors to make a smoother walk.
Q5. How to put tennis balls on walker ?
Ans. If You Willing to know the easiest and best way to put tennis balls on a walker so here you find how do you put tennis balls on a walker read The points given below :
- Slightly deflate the tennis balls for easier installation.
- Cut a small slit on one side of each ball.
- Slide one ball onto each back leg of the walker.
- Slide one ball onto each front leg of the walker.
- Inflate the tennis balls back to their original size.
- Adjust the position of the tennis balls as needed.
Q6. Where to buy tennis balls for walkers ?
Ans. Tennis balls for walkers can be purchased from many different retailers, including medical supply stores, drug stores, sporting goods stores, and online retailers such as Amazon and Walmart.
Q7. How to cut a tennis ball and Explain what is pre cut tennis balls for walkers ?
Ans. Pre-cut tennis balls for walkers are tennis balls that have already been cut and are ready to be placed on the legs of a walker.
To cut a tennis ball, Here Are best way to cut tennis balls for chairs in following steps:
- Use a sharp utility knife or a pair of scissors to make a small cut in the ball.
- Once you have made the initial cut, carefully continue to cut around the ball, keeping the knife or scissors as close to the surface of the ball as possible.
- After you have cut all the way around the ball, remove the excess material.
- Smooth out any rough edges with a sandpaper or file if desired.
Q8. best alternative to tennis balls on chairs ?
Ans.
- Furniture Pads
- Chair Glides
- Socks
- Tennis Ball Sliders
- Pool Noodles
To Finish It Up
Many people in this world depend on walkers to move around. They are patients, older people, or physically challenged ones. Safe walks are a major issue for them. And in these cases, people can use tennis balls to make the walker safer, quieter, and easy to use by attaching them under the legs of the walker.
Here in this article, I have told you all the processes of attaching a tennis ball to your walker. Hope this article will help you in doing that.