Articles about Basketball Hoops – Page 2

What Kind of Basketball Hoop should I buy?

October 9, 2012 By Scott Gump

There are three times in a person’s life when they are generally in the market for a basketball hoop:

When they move into a new home.
When their children reach an age where they would like to start playing basketball.
When a Dad thinks his son is good enough to make the NBA.

Out of the three reasons, the #1 is the most common, followed by #2. My Dad is the the reason I wrote in #3 (and no I did not make the NBA or College, I did make my High School Varsity team and scored a career high 18 points in the first game). My love is shooting though. I figure on a statistical basis I can beat 7 out of 10 starting college basketball players in a game of Horse.

Home Owners Associations

Home owners associations are the bane of basketball hoop sales. Always check your home owners association bylaws prior to settling on a basketball hoop. Many associations will not allow you to put a “fixed basketball hoop” onto your property. Your only choice at this point is a Portable Basketball Hoop system of which at the current date, the highest rated Spalding portable basketball hoop is The Spalding Beast.

Driveway Basketball Hoops

Spalding pro image

Generally speaking, and more often than not, homeowners that want to put a basketball hoop onto their driveway will choose a Portable basketball hoop. However, this is not always the case. The benefits of having a portable hoop is that it can be stored away during the winter and can even be wheeled out into the street for a neighborhood basketball game. Often, a driveway is a perfect place for a smaller inground system like the Spalding Pro Image In Ground system. These are becoming more frequently seen in alot of neighborhoods. You get a lot of the benefits of an inground system, without overwhelming your driveway.

This is how your driveway would look with a smaller inground system Like the Spalding Pro Image In Ground system.

This is how your driveway may look with a portable basketball hoop Like The Spalding Beast.

Value over Price

Portable basketball hoop systems have a warranty life of about 5 years. However, if you buy a cheap one you will have to replace it within three years. My best advice, coming from a disinterested party, is to go ahead and buy yourself a nice portable system that will not need to be replaced so often. Our research shows that the Spalding portable hoop systems (although difficult to set up and occasional backboard problems) are the most reliable portable systems. Spalding Basketball Hoop System Reviews.

Really, if you are looking for a high value, high price portable hoop than you should go withThe Spalding Beast.

If you are looking for the Highest Value Highest Price inground system than you should go with Goalrilla.

Many of the cheap portable systems will have problems with leaking, cracking and general fatigue after the first few years, especially if they remain outside over the winter. Which brings me to the next point:

How to Winterize Your Basketball Hoop

Portable basketball hoops are much like sprinkler systems, you need to winterize them before they freeze and crack. If you have sand in the system, you don’t need to worry about it. If you have water in the base in the system than you should do one of two things:

If you are planning on using the hoop system over the winter, you should put Anti Freeze into the water. This is the Stuff that we have used. If you forget to put anti freeze into the base of the hoop system and it freezes, you will likely begin the spring with leaks and cracks in the base of the hoop. Once it starts leaking, it is not going to stop. You will need to throw away the hoop and buy a new one, or just live with the leaks.
You can drain the water, and bring the hoop inside the garage or shop.
Some people say that you need to take the net down for the winter. That is crap. The net can remain up over the winter. If it freezes off (which it wont), you can save up 5 bucks and buy a new net for the next year.

Do I need to Winterize my Inground basketball Hoop?
No.

What hoop should I buy for my outdoor basketball court?

You have an outdoor basketball court? You are luck and you are probably rich. We have a slanted driveway.
My friends had a full court basketball court in their paradise backyard when I was growing up. They had an overhead lighting system, They had Outdoor aluminum benches, and the Very best basketball Hoops. We would play there at least three times a week with Shaq rapping in the background.

This is basically what their backyard looked like:

So, when buying an inground basketball hoop, you should consider look, style, durability, cost and consumer reviews.

If you have the city’s best basketball court and are looking for the best looking basketball hoop, Goalrilla is for you. It not only looks the best, but it is the strongest, biggest and most like a real indoor gymnasium hoops on the market.

If you have an upper middle class basketball court and are looking for a high level hoop than the Spalding Arena View Hoop is the best hoop for you. It is sweet looking and very high class. To tell you the honest truth, some people prefer the look of this hoop over Goalrilla.

If you have a middle class basketball court than you need a really nice middle class inground basketball hoop. The Mammoth 98874 is the best hoop for you. It is perfect. Trust me, I own it.

If you have a lower class basketball court and still want a good hoop than you need the Spalding 88880G. It is middle of the road cost and high quality.

Basketball Hoop for Young Children

We have three children under 8 years old. They don’t have the strength to throw a ball up to a 10 foot high hoop. They prefer, with their friends to play on a smaller hoop that still looks and functions like a grown up hoop. The best, non expensive basketball hoop that I have found for younger children is the Lifetime Youth Portable Basketball System. It was easy for me to set up and I suck at setting up. It is sturdy and plays well. The older neighborhood boys were at our home playing with it and it stood up to their dunking and hanging on the rim. Really a good option.

In Summary…

So there you have it, the basics of buying a basketball hoop system for your backyard or driveway. Really, the goal should be, what kind of basketball hoop can I get that will allow my family to have a good time playing together? For that is the key.

Reasons To Buy A Basketball Hoop

January 10, 2012 By Scott Gump

Basketball is a wonderful sport. It can be played with others, or can be enjoyed by shooting around on your own. It’s a sport that is played all around the world by people of all ages. You can play 1 on 1, 2 on 2, 3 on 3, and so on. You can play side games such as HORSE, 21, free throwing shooting contests, among others. What’s more, shooting a basketball is an activity that you can do for the rest of your life.

Here are some of the benefits of buying a basketball hoop.

Exercise

Basketball involves jumping, cutting, running, sliding, and is an excellent cardiovascular activity. It involves using just about every major muscle group the body. Playing builds muscular strength in the legs. Not to mention that it’s a good way to relieve stress and get away from the world for awhile. Shooting by yourself is still enough to get your heart rate up and burn some calories.

Family Activity

Basketball is one of the few sports that an entire family can play together. Doing activities is what brings a family closer together. Everyone gets a chance to get some exercise and enjoy each others company. If you buy an in-ground basketball hoop, then the family can spend time installing it together. An adjustable hoop is ideal if you have children under 10 years old.

Allows For Playing at Home

If you want to play basketball but don’t own a hoop, then you have no choice but to go to a playground or someone else’s house. The problem with playgrounds is that the courts may be occupied, or may not be in a safe area. If you have a hoop at your house, then you can play anytime you want and there will be no concern about safety. If you have children, they can play with you still being able to keep an eye on them.

Gets Everyone Outdoors

So much time is spent indoors anymore. Back in the day, kids were always outside in the summertime having fun. They would be at the parks, riding their bicycles, and being active. Nowadays, I rarely see any children outdoors. A basketball hoop will get children outside and give them something to do when the weather is warm. The same runs true for adults who work inside all day.

Improves Motor Skills

Basketball is arguably the most skilled sport you can play. It involves shooting, passing, dribbling, and rebounding. It also develops good footwork, which can help their performance in other sports as well. This provides a wonderful way for children to develop hand-eye coordination.

Buying A Basketball Hoop: What To Look For

January 9, 2012 By Scott Gump

The first step when deciding which basketball hoop to purchase is to determine what requirements you have. For example, where is it going to be installed? Do you have enough space for an inground model? How often will it be used? Are serious games going to be played, or will the hoop mainly be used for shooting around? Also, who will be using it? If you reside in a housing community, check to see what type of basketball hoop is allowed. A lot of times, only portable ones are allowed.

When you buy a basketball hoop, here are the three types to choose from:

3 Types of Basketball Hoops

Inground Systems

An inground hoop is pretty self-explanatory: the pole is buried into the ground using cement, either directly or it’s placed into a mounted anchor. Directing burying the pole makes it completely permanent, while using an anchor does allow for it to be removed. While the installation is work, this type is the most stable and durable. You can always hire a contractor to help or do the job for you. What’s nice about these hoops is that they have an overhang (distance from front of the pole to front of the backboard). This allows for play under the hoop, and no other type allows for this. If serious games are going to be played, then a premium inground hoop is the best choice; especially if there is going to be dunking. The price range for these models is around $800 into the thousands. This is also a good option if you are looking for a long-term solution. For a basketball enthusiast, there is no better option.

Mounted Systems

This type involves a backboard being mounted on a garage or the side of a house. This is also a more stable option. It’s ideal if the driveway lacks space for a pole. It’s also a good choice if you mainly plan on just shooting around, and only want something basic. They can be taken down and re-installed, which is nice if you don’t want it up forever. The only problem is that unless the hoop is extended out a few feet, it could be inconvenient when playing games.

Portable Systems

Portable basketball hoops include a base, pole, backboard, rim, and a adjustable bracket. The height is typically adjustable, and the base has wheels so it can be moved. For this reason, they are quite popular. No real installation is required, as all you really have to do is fill the base with sand or water so it’s stable. The downside is that they are not as rigid as the other options. The best portable units also fold up so they can be moved easier. This is the ideal choice if you want nothing to do with installation and want to move the hoop around. What you lose however is the realism that comes with an inground hoop.

Additional Considerations

Adjustability

Do you need an adjustable hoop? If people of various sizes and skills are going to be using it, then it should be considered. It’s really only necessary if children around 10 and under are going to use it, or you are an adult who wants to dunk. The adjustment is usually done with a broomstick or by hand, so this won’t be difficult. You will pay more for this feature, so keep that in mind.

Backboard

You will have to decide the size and material you want the backboard to be. Some of the most common materials include acrylic, tempered glass, graphite, and fiberglass. The best is tempered glass, as it’s used in the NCAA and NBA. Acrylic is fine, but it’s not as heavy and will begin to show signs of wear and tear over time. If you can get tempered glass, it’s a no brainer. The regulation size backboard is 72 inches across, 42 inches high, and 1/2 inch thick. The rule of thumb is to get the biggest and thickest backboard you can afford, as it will provide the most playing surface.