When I was a little kid, maybe around the age of ten, I got it in my head that I could be a professional basketball player. Don’t ask me why I got this fool-hearty notion in my noggin (maybe it was the fact that I was a good foot taller than everyone in my class) but I ended up convincing my Dad to buy me a brand new stand alone basketball hoop for our drive way. I’m not talking about a little tikes basketball hoop either, I’m talking about a fully fledged inground basketball hoop.

We all know how the story ends though. I stopped playing with the basketball hoop after about three days and moved on to other silly money-making schemes (like writing…) and the basketball hoop lingered around until my father sold it. Now, I wasn’t the only kid with delusional notions of grandeur in my day and I’m sure there are plenty of kids out there in the universe who are just waiting to convince their parents (i.e. you) into buying them a brand new basketball hoop that they will hardly ever use.

That day may have already come for you, or maybe you are experiencing the need to practice the good ol’ game of b-ball out in your front yard, and that’s why you’ve come to the internet in search of information about basketball hoops. Let me tell you, you’ve come to the right place.

This article is all about basketball hoops and the things you need to consider before you jump in and buy one. It assumes that you’ve been convinced, conned, or otherwise persuaded into purchasing a basketball hoop so we’re not going to try and sell you on an idea you’ve already bought into. We just want to give you as much advice about buying this particular product so that you feel good about the one you do eventually choose.

There are four main variables you need to consider in every single basketball hoop you look at. If the hoop doesn’t meet the standards it isn’t worth purchasing (I don’t care how cheap you think it is) because you’re just going to be cursing at it the whole time you play the game. Basketball hoops should be fun and entertaining, they shouldn’t be annoying. Here’s what you need to know about basketball hoops while you shop:

How Difficult is the Basketball Hoop Installation?

All home basketball hoops require some kind of installation. You want to first decide which type of basketball hoop you’re going to use, whether it’s a stand-alone basketball hoop or one of those basketball hoops you hang over your garage door, and that decision should be based on the layout of your court area.
Basketball hoops aren’t the most difficult pieces of sports equipment to install but they can become a hassle quickly if you get one that’s over complicated. Keep in mind that, generally, the more difficult a basketball hoop is to install the higher quality the hoop is going to be. Kid’s basketball hoops, mini basketball hoops and portable basketball hoops are usually pretty easy to put together, some just come right out of the box already set up, but they aren’t going to withstand a full game of three on three with your buddies.

The rule of thumb is this: decide how intense you’re going to be with your basketball hoop and then try to match up the installation features with the difficulty level. The harder it is to install (if it requires you to dig a hole, fill it with cement, rig up an elaborate system of pulleys, etc.) the sturdier and more authentic the basketball goal will generally be.

How Durable is the Basketball Hoop in Question?

Durability is a huge factor in basketball hoops. These goals need to be able to take all sorts of weather (if you’re putting it outside anyway) and they need to be able to hold out while you play. Again, like with installation, you need to gauge the amount of durability you need with the style of game you play.

If you’re buying a basketball hoop for your kids like my Dad was then you probably don’t need the most elaborate metals and polymers for your basketball hoop, maybe a nerf basketball hoop would do just fine, but if you are going to be shooting hoops every day with the gang than you might want to consider something of a higher quality.

So how can you tell if the basketball hoop is going to be a durable one? Well, it’s pretty simple really. You just have to look at the steel gauge. All basketball hoops are made out of steel and the thicker the steel the more durability the hoop is going to provide. Most high quality basketball hoops will have a steel gauge of eleven or more while the lower quality ones will be around eight or nine.

What Kind of Overhang Does the Basketball Hoop Provide?

The overhang of a basketball hoop, the distance between the steel pole and the netting, determines a few different features. You want to have as much overhang as possible in your basketball hoop because that will generally make the hoop a safer one to play with. The less overhang your basketball hoop has the more likely you will be to run into the support beam on a breakaway play and the more likely you will be to hurt yourself.

Overhang also helps determine the stability of your basketball hoop. The more overhang your hoop has the more weight you are going to need at the bottom for support. The last thing you want is for your basketball hoop to topple forward onto all of the players during a game.

What Kind of Rebound Does the Basketball Hoop Have?

Rebound is possibly the most important feature to consider when purchasing a basketball hoop. The most professional backboards are going to have rebound that allows you to bounce a basketball off the backboard and have it come straight back to you. If a basketball hoop is poorly constructed it will be able to absorb the force of the basketball and instead of sending it back to the player it will drop it dead to the ground.

When considering the rebound of your basketball hoop’s backboard try to get the rigidity and flex as close to that of pavement as possible. The two factors that go into basketball hoop rebound potential are the thickness of the support beam and the rigidity of the backboard. You generally want to look for square support beams and glass backboards to provide the best possible rebound on your basketball hoop.

These features are all important to consider when buying a basketball hoop but you must always remember that as long as you’re having fun with the basketball hoop you’ve purchased you’ve made a good decision.

If you think we’ve missed anything or can recommend some good basketball hoops for sale to our readers please feel free to leave us a message in the comments.

Filed Under : Basketball Navigate : / Next post TAG(s) : basketball hoop reviews, inground basketball hoops, little tikes basketball hoop, mini basketball hoop, nerf basketball hoop, portable basketball hoop, portable basketball hoops