On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 18:41:03 -0700, John Larkin
Gave us:

How about an intermediate case, say two golf balls that are
imperfectly springy? That's also inelastic. What happens?

You forgot to notice that it depends on their location. In my hand,
no rebound on the golf balls. Against a ball laid on the floor,
rebound.

So you would call it "less perfectly springy" when on the floor?

Also, the steel balls behave in the opposite manner. In my hand, I
get a rebound. Against a ball laid on the floor, no rebound, just a
side deflection from the not quite so centered hit.