Were you, for several very good reasons, interested in playing a game of Ladder Ball, would you not prefer to be using the finest in Ladder Ball/Golf equipment?
I, General Fun himself, am a long-time fan of Ladder Golf/Ball, both in concept and practice. In practice, it is a lovely, gentle game, as inviting to children as it is to parents and grands. Tossing the bolas delights the eye, and is even more delightful when you watch them wrap around the rung of your choice. An underhand toss of modest enthusiasm is all that is required. Perhaps the most strenuous part of the game is picking up the bolas at the end of the round.
It is natural and convenient to adjust the challenge of the game to the players’ expertise. Place the ladders further apart or closer together, or, better yet, allow players to stand wherever they feel most like standing. Ladder Ball is a backyard game. You don’t hear about Ladder Ball tournaments or see people dressed in Ladder Ball uniforms. So it really doesn’t matter how you play it, or how good you are at it. What matters is the fun you’re having. And everything about the game reminds you that fun is what it’s for.
On the other hand, if you really appreciate the game, you want to be able to take it seriously. You want bolas that are tied together with just the right kind of cord – one that doesn’t tangle, that isn’t so long that it can wrap around anything vital, that doesn’t knot (unless you really want it to), that is firmly seated in both bola balls. And you want the balls to have just the right heft so that they travel as far as you think they should, and yet just the right firmness, so that they can bounce, if needed, and don’t hurt in case someone gets in their way.
And you want the ladders (optimally, two ladders so you don’t have to walk too far each time you want to start a new round) to be as sturdy as they are attractive. The plastic, or even wooden versions just don’t have the heft, the ability to withstand the force of the well-flung bola without so much as a wobble. But a metal version, with strong steel posts and enameled rungs held together by easily adjustable, comfortably turnable, carefully crafted fasteners – ah, and again, ah. Hefty, but still within the range of what one might describe as portable, in a convenient carrying bag. And, considering, quite modestly priced.
The Maranda Enterprises Metal Ladderball Game. Quality fun.