Friday, October 9, 2009

Selecting A Basketball Hoop Is Easy

By Baracus Kindlestein

The first thing to consider when when searching for a hoop is, who will be using it - people who are serious members of a team, or people who just occasionally play around with it? Next, chose a backboard style - they are available in different styles and colors from plastic, wooden and acrylic backboards. Selecting a basketball hoop has changed a lot from they early years of ball playing in the yard with a rim nailed up on a tree.

A regulation sized hoop is 72 inches across and 42 high, but there are non-regulation hoops available. The choice is yours - some will say the bigger the better, and most stores have different sizes available.

When selecting a basketball goal consider your families needs. With rims the main option is either spring or non-spring. Most now choose rims with springs, as these make the hoop last much longer since they don't break on slams.

The breakaway rim has give when you slam a ball. If you choice the non-spring rim, when you dunk it will not give making the rim simply break from the backboard. To be honest the rim you choose can save you money or break the bank. If you don't get an adjustable system you must pick a height. A traditional goal should be regulation sized, and non-portable hoops are typically mounted within cement, or are wall/roof mount hoops without a pole.

For a consumer the variety of choices can be confusing, with playground systems, portable system, roof mounted goal and others. And once you bring it home, you still need to setup the court - the free throw and 3-point lines. It's not hard to mark these off though. The free line is 15 feet from the background, while the high-school and college 3-point lines are 19 feet 9 inches. The pro 3-pointer is 23 feet 9 inches, and 22 feet on the baseline area.

If you have a growing family you probably want to go with an adjustable basketball hoop. Within the last few years adjustable basketball hoops have gone down a lot in price, and become the most popular style. Being able to adjust the height is great for your kids as they get older. The adjustable basketball hoop comes in 2 types, the crank system and the pneumatic system.

Both pneumatic systems can work fine but over time a lesser pneumatic system might start leaking gas or air. A crank system usually has the durability advantage, but can be tough to adjust, especially for young children. A good pneumatic system will however last you a long time, and you can find one by reading online reviews. The more prestigious brands will typically have high-quality pneumatics which will last, and also have solid warranties backing up their product.

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