Article
5 Things to Know Before Buying a Basketball Hoop
August 17, 2011
CLEARFIELD, UTAH — Playing basketball outside is a great way to have fun, burn calories, and improve coordination. But, purchasing a residential basketball hoop can be overwhelming and confusing. Whether you plan to shoot hoops for fun, play competitive games of 3-on-3, or practice team drills, these quick tips will help you decide which hoop is right for you.
1. Determining Your Basketball Hoop Location
Before you buy, make sure you have ample space to play. A large, flat, paved surface like a driveway is ideal. Keep in mind it is unsafe (and often illegal) to place a basketball hoop on a street or sidewalk. Whether you have the space in your driveway or backyard, location is going to be the first place to map out when determining the best hoop for your home.
2. Portable Basketball Hoop or In-Ground Basketball Hoop
Now that you have a location, it’s time to evaluate whether a portable or in-ground basketball hoop is best for that space. A portable basketball hoop has a large plastic base with wheels that provide the flexibility of rolling it to a different area. If you determined you’d like more flexibility with location, a portable hoop gives you the option to easily move your hoop. It is also easier to take with you to a new home if you ever decide to move.
In-ground basketball systems take up less ground space and provide more stability for aggressive players. There are several different options for in-ground systems. You can either cement the pole directly into the ground, use a ground sleeve for your system, or opt for a bolt-down system. Opting for a ground sleeve or a bolt-down pole will make it easier to remove the system and move it in the future. This is a great option for those who move to new homes but want to keep their basketball hoop when they do so.
3. Backboard Material
Once you have settled on the location and type of hoop, it’s time to determine the specifics for the hoop to find the appropriate level for the player. Lifetime has a large variety of backboards available for any skill level. Impact backboards are ideal for young players who are learning to play basketball. Shatterproof Fusion™ and Acrylic Fusion™ backboards are virtually unbreakable and are great for beginning to intermediate players. They can be a great long-term option through childhood.
Lifetime also has many options for intermediate to advanced players. The Shatterproof V-Framed, Shatterproof Steel-Framed, and Acrylic Steel-Framed backboards give a much more professional look and feel. If you want arena-style performance, Tempered Glass backboards give you professional quality for advanced players. Determine the level that best suits the players in your household, and you can enjoy your hoop for years.
4. Backboard Size
There are different sized backboards that cater to players at different levels. For kids, 32-inch backboards provide a great foundation for learning the game. 44-inch backboards are excellent for young players learning to shoot. Young teens practicing drives to the basket and a wide range of bank shots will benefit from the rebound space of a 48-52" backboards.
For more advanced players looking for realistic arena-styled play, larger backboards can provide that type of playing surface. Large 54 to 60-inch backboards and regulation sized 72-inch backboards give players a surface designed for high level play.
5. Height Adjustment Mechanism
All Lifetime Basketball Hoops come with height adjustment mechanisms. While some are designed for shorter, more child friendly heights, the majority can be raised from 7.5 feet to the regulation height of 10 feet. Some hoops raise and lower in 6 inch increments, but others give you the ability to raise and lower the hoop in infinite increments. The biggest advantage of height adjustment is having a hoop that grows with the player. As they develop their skills, they can raise the hoop and continuously challenge themselves to improve.
Find Your Basketball Hoop Today
Lifetime is a leading manufacturer of residential basketball systems and offers a wide variety of basketball hoops that will fit your needs. From portable and in-ground hoops to backboard sizes and adjustment mechanisms, we’ve got a wide variety of selections that allow you to get the best basketball hoop for your home. Take a look at Lifetime’s selection of basketball hoops today!
7 Things People Forget to Consider When Choosing an Outdoor Basketball Hoop
A basketball hoop is not only aesthetically pleasing but also adds value to your home. Having a personal basketball hoop can be very exciting. All that shooting, dunking, and playing games is a fun way of getting the family together and spending quality time with them- something that you cherish forever.
It's not until you start the actual purchasing process, that you realize the amount of detail that goes into that seemingly simple basketball hoop. We know that the process can be overwhelming with so much information and detail.
For this reason, we have compiled 7 factors that you need to keep in mind before going for your outdoor basketball hoop shopping.
1. THE RIGHT KIND OF BASKETBALL HOOP
When you are going to survey the market for a basketball hoop, you will find out that there is a range of hoops with specialized features for different purposes and to cater to various needs. You must be well informed about these types.
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There are three kinds of basketball hoops that you will find in the market.
- IN-GROUND HOOPS: This type of hoop is fastened into the ground with cement, making it a good option for families who expect this to be a part of their families for many years to come. A lot of these hoops come with adjustable height to accommodate players of different sizes and skills.
- PORTABLE HOOPS: These units have wheels for portability to easily move them around to accommodate your needs. Portable hoops have bases that range in size and capacity, usually between 27 and 42 gallons, while others come with a base to be weighed down with other materials. These too sometimes come with height adjustability settings to cater to different preferences.
- WALL MOUNTED HOOPS: These hoops are typically a backboard and hoop mounted onto a structure, like a garage or exterior wall of your home. These hoops are most stable among all types and also allows you to make a court with limited room. These are usually set at a fixed height, though some can be adjusted.
2. THE BACKBOARD SIZE
The right backboard material and size is crucial to the success of this project. The size of the backboard is going to affect your performance. The sizes can range from 44" up to 72", which is the regulation size for high schools, colleges, and at a professional level. The smaller-sized backboards, typically 54", save space and are good for a small one or two-car driveway. The 60" backboard is a great midway point, saving space but still offering a larger size for banking shots.
Backboards generally come in two shapes - rectangular and fan-shaped. Rectangle backboards are more common and offer players more space to spin the ball off the glass. The fan-shaped board tends to take less space. If you can afford it, go with a rectangle backboard since it's the standard you see at the middle school, high school, college, and pro levels.
3. THE STABILITY AND SAFETY FACTOR
If you were to ignore everything and still want to consider just one thing, then this is it. You want to make sure that your basketball space is risk-free and safe for everyone including your children. Not to mention, stability allows for the most realistic results when shooting -- a shaky rim can cause the ball to bounce out and the backboard to require a different feel for layups and bank shots.
Certain factors that ensure that your basketball hoop is sturdy and stable include:
- One-piece pole: Some in-ground systems have two or three-piece poles. For maximum stability, the one-piece pole is more resistant to vibration and shake. It will also better handle those inevitable dunk sessions by the entire neighborhood.
- Shape of the pole: Basketball poles come in single or multi-piece systems and square or round poles. A square pole offers the most rigidity or stiffness for your basketball system.
- Attachment brackets: You want to avoid narrow attachment brackets. Some hoops have narrow brackets that attach the backboard. This greatly minimizes stability and increases backboard shake which you don't want. Generally, a steel frame with sturdy wide-angled attachment arms for the backboard will ensure your hoop is providing the best possible feedback to players by reducing backboard torque.
- Steel thickness. You need strong components and sufficient steel thickness for stability. Generally speaking, 7-gauge steel is about the right thickness without overdoing it, yet making a very stable pole. Many poles use 11-gauge steel, where 7-gauge is 1.5X thicker than 11 gauge.
- Proper Installation: Installing the in-ground anchor is critical to the overall stability of your system so the proper depth of the hole and leveling the anchor is very important.
For extra caution, basketball hoop safety padding is an excellent way to make gameplay safer and more spirited than before. For safety reasons, you need to look into basketball pole padding and ballast box padding (if you have a portable hoop) for enhanced safety during the most intense games. Consider a soft, cushioned basketball padding to protect players.
4. THE SUN FACTOR
This factor is exclusive for in-ground and outdoor wall-mount hoops. When picking your location to install the hoop, don't forget to consider the sun. Go into your driveway late in the day and see where the sun is going down and how that might impact your ability to shoot based on where the hoop would be. Ideally, you should face the hoop towards the north to make sure you have the sun behind your back as much as possible. There is nothing worse than throwing hoops with the sun in your eyes.
5. HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT
Height adjustability is especially important for families that want their goal to grow with their children. This premium feature allows you to adjust the height of your rim from the NCCA and NBA regulation- height of 10' down to 7.5' for younger players. Some adjustable basketball hoops allow you to lower to 6'. Which many young kids love when dunking for fun and mimicking their favorite NBA and WNBA players. Not to forget that a hoop lowered to 6' is a safety hazard when backing a car (and particularly trucks) out of your garage. So be careful when leaving if lowered!
6. OVERHANG DISTANCE
Overhang is the measured distance from the front of the main pole (or wall plate) to the front of the backboard. Overhang distance is going to impact the space you have to work with and the players that use the hoop. Regulation overhang is considered 4 feet. Many players prefer a 5-foot overhang to give some distance from the main pole to the baseline.
When it comes to playing, the more overhang the better (as long as the hoop system is designed and built to handle it without losing stability). More overhang is preferred because this offsets the pole further from the playing area. If there's a small amount of overhang, then it's both annoying and somewhat dangerous when shooting layups and playing games like 1v1 since it's easier to run into the pole. If there is plenty of overhang, then the pole is further away and you don't have to worry about hitting it when shooting full speed layups. For good balance and safety, 2 feet to 4 feet of overhang is ideal. Anything greater than that could cause shaking because the weight of the backboard would be suspended too far.
You can use our basketball hoop comparison tool to see how the overhang and pole size varies depending on the size of the hoop.
7. INSTALLATION- DIY VS HIRE A PROFESSIONAL
There are a few things to look out for when considering a DIY hoop installation versus having a professional to install your new hoop. Consider these points before choosing the right option for yourself.
- Do you have time? the amount of time involved in researching and understanding what needs to be done can be seriously underestimated. Assess how much time you have and how much time the project will take and whether or not it's worth it for you to handle the job on your own.
- Are you good at following instructions? Let's face it, not all of us great at following instructions. A lot of mistakes can be made due to our impatience and our need to go on gut instinct.
- Installation tools: If you have proper equipment which includes a backhoe or post hole digger, leveling equipment, cement mixture, then it can be a doable DIY project. But if keeping costs low is a priority then you might want to reconsider your options here.
- Are you patient? On average, installation is going to take two working days with three to four waiting days in between. Sometimes, we seriously overestimate our patience level when it comes to completing tasks around the house. If you are an impatient person, this might not be the job for you considering the amount of potential errors you can make.
- Do you have extra help? On your first day of this DIY project, you will be digging around 4' deep and 18'' around the hole. On your second day of work, the pole and backboard are installed on the anchor which will call for some certain outside assistance. If you don't have the chance to find some help, then this idea better be revised.
For the majority of us, having a professional install our new hoop will save us time. On average, installation will cost around $450.00 for an inground system if you have it professionally installed. This usually includes two trips, labor and materials. Roof and wall-mounted basketball systems can sometimes cost less because there's no material cost and assembly can be done in only one trip.
What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...