Table tennis is one of the most well-known and popular games worldwide. You can also play it at home and on the international level. Undoubtedly you will want to have the best accessories on f the game in your playing kit, like ping pong balls, especially Stiga 3-star white table tennis balls and many more.
Sooner or later, you want to know how you can fix your dented ping pong ball after being hit many times or mishandled. The process for doing so is not very difficult; you will get the required result after a few minutes. You can choose from the methods below and see which will work for you effectively. Also, check the How To Seal Your Table Tennis Blade.
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How to Fix Dented Ping Pong Ball?
While playing table tennis, the worst thing you might come across more often is when the opponent player hits a ball a little too hard, and it gets a dent, especially when you have only one in your playing kit. But there is still room to repair your dented ball and regain its old glory.
The Hair Dryer Method
You can try the hair dryer method to repair the dented ball, as it needs a towel to hold a ball and a hair dryer.
You should be careful while doing this method as there are many chances of burning your hand if you do not hold the ball with the towel. Hold the ball with the towel and point the hair dryer towards it at the high-temperature level. This will have a similar effect by heating the air particles inside the table tennis ball thus results in pressure build-up and changing and popping the dent out.
If you see that the ball is going to change and go to deform shape, turn off the dryer for less time and allow the ball to cil down before the method to try again. When the ball is fixed and you have finished, place the ball in the tissue.
The Hot Water Method
It is one of the easiest methods to pop the dent out from the ping pong dented ball. It is used for cars to get the dents out of them. It can be done for table tennis balls by heating the air inside the ball, which leads to its expansion. The relation between the temperature and pressure will do the whole process; you will need only hot water and a cup to proceed.
Step 1: Boil some water in a container until bubbles appear and pour it into a cup.
Step 2: Place your dented table tennis ball in this water but do not drop it in the water directly as it can get damaged
Step 3: With the help of a spoon, push the downward ball slightly under the water. The pressure will increase and lead to the heat up the air faster, and the dent in the ball will remove.
Step 4: Now with the spoon, take the ball out of the water but do not try this with your hand as it will still be hot and can burn your hand.
Step 5: In the end, let the ball dry up, as you can with the towel, or hang the ball inside the tissue paper for a few minutes. Do not let it dry on the tabletop, as it can heat up again and cause the dent to appear again.
Result
If you have followed the right steps and do not have the too much-dented ball, you will get your ping pong ball back to its original shape, and it can bounce well. It is noticeable that the dented ping pong ball, after fixing, will not be as good as a new one because the heating effect will impact its roundness.
You will also find that it will not bounce when used many times but it will last a quite longer and can offer you a few more rallies.
Reason behind it
While trying this method, you will think of this as magic; how can a dent pop out magically and disappear. The reason behind this is that as the air particles inside the ball get heated up, they start to expand; this will change the pressure in the ball and start to put pressure on the dent and thus leading to the dent pop out. Also, check the How to Choose Ping Pong Paddle?
The thumb method
If the methods mentioned above do not work, there is one more alternative method to fix a flat for balls. However, the thumb method is not very glamorous. It involves pushing the dent of the ball with your thumb to try it to pop out and get in back in its original place. You Can Also check the Table Tennis vs Ping Pong.
Most of the time, this method will not work but can cause a dent to be a bigger one, so it should be the last resort method to try.
With a lighter
Though most experts do not recommend this method, you must be very careful while doing this. The ping pong balls have explosive properties, so you should place the lighter far away from the dented ball to avoid accidental lighting and destroy it completely. Also, read the How To Hold A Ping Pong Paddle?
Take the ball in one hand and the lighter in another one. Keep the flame of the lighter away from the ball. Move it back and forth to avoid too much heat on one side of the ball. Wait until the air inside the ball expands to fix the dent. Remove the heat and let it cool down to prevent the dent from creating again.
Conclusion
Many ping pong balls and other accessories are needed in the pong game, including paddles, a net, and even ping pong robots when your opponent players are not available to play with. The important is the ping pong ball, without which you cannot play your game anyway. The drawback with ping pong ball is that it will get damaged and have dents when you play many times with it. That is why you should learn How to fix dented table tennis balls; by doing so, you can make its life long-lasting. Also, check the Table Tennis Injuries.
