Ethan Clarke
Balls are one of the most familiar spherical objects to humans and have been used in play for thousands of years. As early as 1200 BC, Central Americans created rubber balls for ritual games, and balls made from other materials have been discovered in ancient China, Greece, and Rome. In the 1960s, the Super Ball, a bouncy ball made of synthetic rubber, was invented by chemist Norman Stingley and sold by toymaker Wham-O, becoming a popular toy. Around the same time, another plastic ball toy called Clackers, consisting of two plastic balls attached to a string, became popular, but was eventually banned in some countries due to safety concerns.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of invention | 1964 |
| Inventor | Norman Stingley |
| Company | Wham-O |
| Material | Plastic, polymer zectron |
| Sales | 20 million in the 1960s |
| Peak production | 170,000 per day |
| Other names | Super Ball, SuperBall |
| Use | Toy bouncy ball |
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What You'll Learn
- Clackers: A 1960s toy with two plastic balls attached to a string
- Super Ball: The world's best-selling bouncy ball, made from Zectron
- Rubber balls: Used in Central America as early as 1200 BC for ritual games
- Ancient Greek ball games: Balls were used for athletic exercises and violent games
- Balls in Roman baths: Romans played ball games in baths, using different-sized balls
Clackers: A 1960s toy with two plastic balls attached to a string
Balls are one of the most familiar spherical objects to humans and have been used as toys for millennia. As early as 1200 BC, Central Americans created rubber balls for ritual games. In the 5th century, the Chinese played with wooden balls and long golf-like clubs. The Greeks and Romans also played ball games, which involved tackling ball carriers, much like modern football.
In the 1960s, plastic balls were invented and sold as toys. In the early 1960s, chemical engineer Norman Stingley accidentally created a plastic with an incredible bounce. Stingley took his creation to the toy company Wham-O, which purchased the product and renamed it the SuperBall. Over 20 million SuperBalls were sold in the 1960s, with peak production reaching 170,000 balls per day.
Clackers, also known as Clankers or Ker-Bangers, were a toy that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They consisted of two plastic balls, each about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, attached to a sturdy string. The player swings the balls back and forth, creating a clacking sound. Clackers were inexpensive and their popularity spread like wildfire. However, they were also dangerous, with reports of children becoming injured while playing with them. The fairly heavy and fast-moving balls were made of hard acrylic plastic and would occasionally shatter upon striking each other. Due to safety concerns, Clackers were taken off the market in the United States and Canada and were officially banned from store shelves in 1985.
In the 1990s, a redesigned version of Clackers was introduced, using modern plastics that would not shatter. This new design featured two free-swinging, opposing triangles attached to a handle, with weighted balls at the ends. In 2017, the original form of the toy was revived in Egypt and gained popularity among schoolchildren.
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Super Ball: The world's best-selling bouncy ball, made from Zectron
Balls are one of the most ancient and universal toys, with some form of game involving a ball appearing on Egyptian monuments, and ancient balls discovered in China, Greece, and Rome. However, the bouncy ball is a more recent invention, with rubber balls first appearing in Central America as early as 1200 BC. These balls were solid and not inflated. The inflated rubber ball was unknown outside of the Americas until after the voyages of Columbus.
The Super Ball, invented in 1964 by chemist Norman Stingley, is a toy bouncy ball based on a type of synthetic rubber. It is made of Zectron, a synthetic polymer polybutadiene, which also contains hydrated silica, zinc oxide, stearic acid, and other ingredients. Stingley coined the term Zectron, as he feared that no one would want to buy a ball with "made with amazing polybutadiene" printed on its side. The name Zectron sounds scientific and futuristic, which helped with marketing the product.
The Super Ball was an instant hit, with over six million sold by December 1965. The ball was marketed by Wham-O, who continue to manufacture and market the product today. Wham-O executive vice-president Richard P. Knerr was aware that fads are short-lived, but believed in the Super Ball, stating: "Each Super Ball bounce is 92% as high as the last. If our sales don't come down any faster than that, we've got it made."
The Super Ball has had a significant cultural impact, with composer Alcides Lanza using the sound of the balls when rubbed along piano strings to compose the 1971 piece Plectros III. Furthermore, the term "Super Bowl" was coined by Lamar Hunt, founder of the American Football League (AFL) and owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, after he watched his children play with a Super Ball.
The Super Ball is still available today, although consumers must be wary of imitations.
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Rubber balls: Used in Central America as early as 1200 BC for ritual games
Balls are one of the most familiar spherical objects to humans and have been used as playthings for thousands of years. As early as 1200 BC, Central Americans created rubber balls for use in their ritual games.
Rubber balls were first invented by the Mesoamericans sometime before 1600 BCE. The Olmecs, Aztecs, and Mayans of Mesoamerica are known to have made rubber using natural latex, a milky, sap-like fluid found in some plants. They harvested latex from rubber trees and mixed it with the juice of Ipomoea alba, a species of morning glory vine. This process, which preceded Goodyear's vulcanization by several millennia, created a bouncy and resilient rubber.
The rubber was then formed into strips, which were wound around a solid rubber core to build the ball. These balls were used in the Mesoamerican ballgame, which was a ritual deeply ingrained in Mesoamerican cultures. The game had important ritual aspects, and major formal ball games were held as ritual events. The ballgame also served as a way to defuse or resolve conflicts between rival groups.
The size and weight of the balls used in the ballgame varied, but they were often roughly the size of a volleyball and weighed between 3-4 kilograms. The game was played by striking the ball with the hips, although some versions allowed the use of forearms, rackets, bats, or handstones. The ballcourts where the game was played varied in size but had long, narrow alleys with slanted side-walls or vertical walls against which the balls could bounce.
In addition to their use in ritual ballgames, rubber balls were also used as offerings. They were burned as offerings in temples, buried in votive deposits, and laid in sacred bogs and cenotes.
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Ancient Greek ball games: Balls were used for athletic exercises and violent games
The use of balls made from inflated animal bladders in ancient Greece dates back to at least the 8th century BC. These balls were utilized not only for playful recreational activities but also for athletic competitions and even violent, combative games. Ancient Greek ball games varied widely, from simple games of catch to more structured and competitive sports.
One of the most popular ball games in ancient Greece was known as "episkyris" or "ure," which closely resembled modern handball or volleyball. Players would stand in a circle and attempt to keep a small ball in the air by striking it with their hands or fists. This game required skill, coordination, and quick reflexes. It is believed that this game may have originated as a training exercise for athletes, helping to improve their agility and hand-eye coordination.
Another game, called " phéninde," involved two teams attempting to keep possession of a small ball filled with air or sand. Players could strike the ball with their hands, feet, or a stick, and the objective was to keep the ball within a designated area or drive it into the opposing team's goal. This game could become quite violent, with players allowed to physically challenge their opponents to gain possession of the ball.
In addition to these team sports, ancient Greeks also enjoyed solo ball games. One such game, "sphairistike," involved players skillfully bouncing a ball off a wall and catching it. This game is believed to have contributed to the development of later sports like tennis and squash.
Ancient Greek ball games also included more combative and violent forms of entertainment. "Pygmachia," or ancient Greek boxing, involved combatants wearing protective leather straps on their hands and forearms, known as himantes, and punching their opponents with closed fists. The game closely resembled modern boxing, with the objective being to knock out the opponent or force them to submit.
While the ancient Greeks are known to have used balls made from inflated animal bladders, the use of plastic for toys and balls is a more recent development. The invention of plastic occurred much later, with the first synthetic plastic, Bakelite, being created in the early 20th century. So, while ancient Greeks certainly enjoyed their ball games, the introduction of plastic balls had to wait for the advancements in chemistry and the development of synthetic materials.
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Balls in Roman baths: Romans played ball games in baths, using different-sized balls
Balls are one of the oldest and most universal playthings, with some form of a ball game portrayed on Egyptian monuments and mentioned in Homer's Odyssey. The ancient Greeks played ball games, seeing them as useful for keeping the body supple and graceful, and the Romans inherited this tradition.
The Romans played ball games in their bathhouses and gymnasia, and these games were adapted to the ages and health of the players. There were three main types of balls used in Roman bathhouses: the pila, or small ball, used in catching games; the paganica, a medium-sized ball stuffed with feathers; and the follis, a large leather ball filled with air. The game of trigon was played with three players standing in a triangle and using the follis, while harpastum was a form of scrimmage with several players fighting for the ball. The Romans also played a game called follis, which involved striking a large ball into the air with the fist or forearm, perhaps similar to modern volleyball.
Ball games were a common sight in Roman bathhouses, and they are mentioned by several ancient writers, including Pliny the Younger and the satirist Martial. The second-century AD medical writer Galen also refers to ball games in his work, "On Exercise with the Small Ball". He gives detailed instructions for exercises with small balls, which he saw as beneficial to the body.
The Romans' balls were made from leather stuffed with moss or feathers, or hair in the case of the trigon. These materials were used for balls in various sports around the world before the voyages of Columbus, after which rubber balls from the Americas became known in Europe.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic balls were first used as toys in the 1960s. Clackers, a toy made of two plastic balls attached to a string, became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Super Ball, a bouncy plastic ball, was also invented in 1964.
Before plastic, balls were made from materials such as animal bladders or skins, stuffed with various materials like hair, moss, or feathers. In ancient times, balls were also made from rock-like rubber.
Some popular plastic ball toys include Clackers, Super Ball, and Nerf Ball. Clackers are made of two plastic balls attached to a string, creating a clacking sound when swung together. Super Ball is a highly bouncy ball made of synthetic rubber. Nerf Ball, introduced in 1969, was the first ball marketed as safe for indoor use due to its soft and spongy material.
Besides plastic, balls can be made from a variety of materials such as rubber, leather, hair-filled leather, or wood.
