Homemade Equipment Ideas

Equipment Name: Suspended Whiffleball Strike

Materials Needed: One five inch Whiffle ball, One Drill Bit Casing Thin Rope

Estimated Cost: $2.00

Rationale: Young children may not be accurate strikers, thus, hitting off of a tee or hitting a small ball may not be a successful task for the children to attempt. By inserting a longer drill bit casing through the center of a whiffle ball the hitting surface has been extended from five inches to 10' - 20'. Suspending the ball from a basketball hoop or other higer place the teacher can then vary the height of the ball to the desired position.

Directions For Making:

Select a whiffle ball and drill a whole directly through it (enlarge two existing wholes) using a regular wood drill bit (usually either 3/4 or one inch). Go to local equipment rental store and inquire about drill bit casings. Typically when the stores purchase drill bits for their rental equipement, the casings that the bits are stored in are thrown away. I was able to obtain twenty in one stop last week. Insert the drill bit casing through the whiffle ball and secure it at the desired position using floor tape or duct tape. Most of the casings have a "hanger" on the top of it where a rope can be attached. Make sure the rope is long enough so that the height can be ajusted to meet the needs of each child.

Picture of Equipment:

Submitted by Darren Robert at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willamantic, CT. Thanks for contributing to PE Central! Posted on PEC: 12/20/00.

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