How to Fix a Ping Pong Ball: Simple Tricks to Regain Its Shape!

Ping pong balls dent easily, especially during rough gameplay sessions. This article will tell you the best methods to fix your ping pong ball and how to use them.
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Last updatedLast updated: July 17, 2023
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One of the most common ways people damage their ping pong balls is by hitting them a little too hard during a match or practice session. Ping pong balls are light and easy to dent, but they’re also really easy to fix if you use the right methods. So, you may be wondering how to fix a ping pong ball. If you dent your ball during gameplay or in another situation, you can fix it instead of purchasing replacement ping pong balls. You can fix your ping pong balls using heat methods to repair the damage. However, fixing a dented ping pong ball is extremely difficult without heat. Please continue reading to learn everything you need to know about the best methods you can use to fix a dented ping pong ball. We will guide you through each method to help you avoid purchasing replacements every time you damage your balls.

Best methods

You can use several excellent methods to fix a dented ping pong ball that will help your wallet by preventing you from buying a new one. The following methods are the main ones we will discuss in this article to teach you how to do them.

  • The hot water method
  • The hair dryer method
  • The lighter method
  • The thumb method
  • The round stick method

Ping pong balls are made from a thin plastic that you can repair with heat or flex back into place. Thankfully, the plastic of the ping pong ball is thin, so you don’t require extreme heat methods to repair damaged balls. Throughout this article, we will walk you through all of the above methods and give you tips to make the repairs go smoothly.

Use hot water

How to Fix a Ping Pong Ball Using Hot Water

The hot water method requires minimal materials you will already have at home.

The heat from the water will reinflate your ping pong ball as long as there aren’t any holes or tears in it. Follow these steps to use the hot water method to repair your dented ping pong ball.

  1. Boil a pot of water and transfer the boiling water into a heat-safe container. If you’re reinflating more than one ping pong ball, you’ll want to use a large container.
  2. Add your ping pong balls to the water and let them sit until they’re reinflated.
  3. If you don’t notice your balls are inflating within the first 20 seconds, use a tool to submerge them into the water to maximize the effect and wait another 20 seconds.
  4. After your balls are round, you can remove them and transfer them into a paper towel or cloth bag. It’ll only take about 10 minutes for your ping pong balls to dry or 30 minutes if you’re drying a lot of them.

Most people have boiling water handy and can use this method wherever they’re, so we listed this one first. If this method doesn’t work for you, then you should try the other methods below until you find one that works.

Use a hairdryer

Hairdryers are another common heat method people use to fix their dented ping pong balls. This method is excellent for people on a time crunch because you don’t have to wait around for water to boil or for the balls to dry. Follow the steps below to use a hair dryer to fix a ping pong Trusted Source Tennis – health benefits - Better Health Channel A game of tennis involves a variety of types of play, including serving the ball over the net, rallies (when the ball is hit back and forth between opponents), fast movements and strategic game play. www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au ball.

  1. Adjust the heat on your hair dryer, so it’s at the highest heat possible. Lower heat settings will not get the job done.
  2. Hold the ping pong ball 6 inches away from the nose of the hair dryer between your fingertips. Holding it in your hand helps you monitor the heat of your ping pong ball so it doesn’t catch on fire. Ping pong balls are made of plastic and flammable if you’re not careful.
  3. Hold the ping pong ball in front of the hot air until it re-inflates. You might need to take breaks with the dryer if it takes longer than expected.

Always remember when using these high heat methods that the plastic can alter from the heat, so you shouldn’t set it on a flat surface while it’s still hot. Instead, use a cloth bag to suspend the ball in the air until it cools down to avoid further denting. You only need to suspend it for about a minute until the ball’s plastic is no longer malleable.

Use a lighter

How to Fix a Ping Pong Ball Using Lighter

The lighter method is a little finicky than the prior methods because it can take longer and is less likely to work.

Follow the steps below to use the lighter method if you’ve had difficulty with the previous methods.

  • Hold your dented ping pong ball with a pair of tongs to avoid burning your fingers while using this method.
  • Turn on your lighter or light a candle if it’s easier. You’ll need to engage the flame for a while, so the candle might be easier to maneuver.
  • While holding the ball with your tongs, pass it over the open flame until the ball reinflates. You’ll need to hold the ball a few inches over the flame to avoid catching your ping pong ball on fire.
  • Suspend the ball in the air without applying too much pressure while you allow it to cool so it doesn’t become misshapen after you set it down.

This method will work over a gas stovetop if you don’t have a lighter. If you pass the ping pong ball over an open flame by a few inches, it should become round again. However, it is crucial that you keep it above the flame and you don’t catch the ball on fire.

Use your thumb

If you’re running out of options or are a little wary about using any heat methods, you can try using your thumb to restore your ping pong ball. This method is not as efficient as the above but is safer because you don’t risk catching anything on fire. Follow the steps below to use your thumb to fix your ping pong Trusted Source Introduction - Ping-Pong Craze: Topics in Chronicling America - Research Guides at Library of Congress Love! Advantage! A “seductive influence!” It’s 1902, and America is going crazy for the new British pastime called ping-pong. With articles on who was playing, how to play, and even the dangers of too much play, the newspapers of the day covered every aspect of this new-fangled fad. guides.loc.gov ball.

  1. Hold your ping pong ball between your index finger and your thumb with one hand.
  2. Use your other hand to poke around the raised areas surrounding the dent in your ping pong ball and apply pressure to pop it back into place.
  3. Repeat these steps and apply different pressure levels using your thumbs to try shaping your ping pong ball back to normal.

This method doesn’t have as high a success rate as heat methods, but there is still a chance it will work. Using your thumb is excellent if you don’t have any supplies around you or if you’re running out of options.

Use a round stick

If you have a round stick like a chopstick or similar device, you can use that to repair a dent in your ping pong ball. All you need to do is hold the ping pong ball in one hand firmly and use the stick to press on the side of the ping pong ball without the dent. This method can help you pop the dent back out without heat.

When nothing helped

If none of these methods work, then the good news is that ping pong balls are cheap. Eventually, ping pong balls get worn out, and you can’t do anything to replace them, so you need to buy a new one. Since you can’t always guarantee that the above method will work to restore your ping pong ball, you should always keep a couple of spares on you so you don’t have to end your game.

Final thoughts

All of the above situations can teach you how to fix a ping pong ball So that you don’t have to rule by replacements every time you dent them. It is easy for you to dent a ping pong ball during gameplay Trusted Source CDC - BAM, Physical Activity, Table Tennis The balls used in tournaments and during professional competitions are made of plastic and are hollow inside. Paddles, sometimes called rackets, are mostly made of wood. Each side is covered with a sheet of rubber. www.cdc.gov , especially if you’re hitting hard. you can use most of these methods anywhere you go, which makes them great if you only have a limited supply of ping pong balls handy. If none of the methods and this article help you, then your ball is at the end of its lifespan, and it’s time to buy new ones. Some ping pong balls are beyond repair, especially if they get holes.

References

1.
Tennis – health benefits - Better Health Channel
A game of tennis involves a variety of types of play, including serving the ball over the net, rallies (when the ball is hit back and forth between opponents), fast movements and strategic game play.
2.
Introduction - Ping-Pong Craze: Topics in Chronicling America - Research Guides at Library of Congress
Love! Advantage! A “seductive influence!” It’s 1902, and America is going crazy for the new British pastime called ping-pong. With articles on who was playing, how to play, and even the dangers of too much play, the newspapers of the day covered every aspect of this new-fangled fad.
3.
CDC - BAM, Physical Activity, Table Tennis
The balls used in tournaments and during professional competitions are made of plastic and are hollow inside. Paddles, sometimes called rackets, are mostly made of wood. Each side is covered with a sheet of rubber.
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