How to Set a Tetherball Pole
Tetherball remains a playground favorite because it's easy to set up and doesn't require a lot of space. A lightweight ball hangs from the end of a line, attached to a tall metal pole. The object is to wrap the tether entirely around the pole by striking it with your hand while preventing your opponent from doing the same. Because the ball can be struck quite forcefully, the pole needs to be firmly inserted in the ground before the game can be played.
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Things You'll Need
- 12-foot length of steel pipe, 2 inches in diameter
- 2-foot ground sleeve for the pole
- Wooden stake
- Shovel
- Rocks
- Carpenter's level
- Concrete
- Trowel
- Metal hole punch
- Tether
- Tetherball
Instructions
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1
Measure a 10-foot-diameter circle where you want the playing surface to be. Tetherball tends to grind up any grass on the playing surface, so be sure to factor that into your calculations.
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2
Mark the center of the playing surface with a stone or wooden stake; this is where you will place your pole.
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3
Dig a hole 2 to 2.5 feet deep with a 2-foot diameter in the center of the playing surface.
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4
Mix and pour 6 inches of concrete into the hole. Level the surface with a trowel, and then wait for the concrete to set.
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5
Place a 2-foot ground sleeve for a steel pipe upright in the middle of the hole, and then place rocks around the sleeve to hold it in place. Use a carpenter's level to ensure that it is completely perpendicular to the ground; the top of the sleeve should poke slightly above the ground (though not enough to interfere with a lawnmower or similar device).
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6
Fill the rest of the hole with concrete, leveling it off with a trowel before leaving it to set.
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7
Slide a 12-foot steel pole into the ground sleeve; it should be able to slide firmly into the sleeve without wobbling. The pole needs an eyebolt, 4 to 6 inches from the top, to attach the tether. (You can buy the pole this way or use a metal hole punch to create the eyebolt hole.)
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8
Tie a length of rope to the eyebolt. The end of the rope should be approximately 2 feet off the ground.
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9
Tie a tetherball to the end of the rope, and start playing.
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Tips & Warnings
Always purchase the pole and the ground sleeve together so you can be sure they fit with each other.
This setup allows you to remove the tetherball pole during times when you're not using it. If you want to make the tetherball pole a permanent fixture, modify Step 5 to use the 12-foot pole rather than the 2-foot sleeve and adjust Step 7 accordingly.
