Review: Spalding In-Ground Basketball System

Spalding In-Ground Basketball System

Many affordable in-ground basketball systems give you the essentials of the game, but don’t really support a pro-style of play. You can put up a few shots and have some fun, but it’s tough to work on the serious fundamentals. The Spalding in-ground basketball system changes everything. Not only do you get the key features that are needed in a modern basketball hoop for the home, but you’ll also give yourself the equipment you need to take your game to the next level.

What Are the Features of the Spalding In-Ground Basketball System?

This system from Spalding is centered around the height adjustment mechanism. It’s a company specific pro-glide lifting system that gives you a range of 7.5 feet to 10 feet for your rim height. Instead of just giving you one height or the other, however, Spalding has built into the lifting mechanism several stopping increments. The equipped 6-inch increments allow you to place the rim at 8 feet, 9 feet, or the half-foot stops to give you whatever height the current players need to perfect their game.

You can also expect to take advantage of these additional features when you finish the installation of the Spalding in-ground basketball system.

  • It comes with a 3.5-inch vertical steel pole that comes in three pieces, making the installation of the system a lot easier to complete. The pole thickness is strong enough to reduce vibration and lateral movement so you can take follow-up shots consistently.
  • The regulation rim offers compression springs to support dunking, while the net release system allows you to simulate pro-style action at home so you can really begin to work on your skills in the paint.
  • Its backboard is made from acrylic, so you receive a transparent pro-look with your basketball hoop that requires a minimal amount of maintenance.

Because the backboard is acrylic, the rebounding that occurs on this hoop can be somewhat deadened if the ball comes off of it. Bank shots also require a bit of a different angle compared to other types of backboard material. Otherwise this system plays with high levels of authenticity.

How the Spalding In-Ground Basketball System Could Be Improved

The one thing we noticed immediately with this basketball system was that the backboard tends to fog up quite a bit. Whenever the temperature cools down, especially in early Spring or Fall, you’ll notice the appearance of the acrylic changes. Fading and cracking doesn’t seem to be much of an issue.

We would also recommend pouring some of the cement into the pole itself to give this basketball system some added stability. It does come with a ground sleeve, but using that on its own does not make for a very sturdy system.

If you’re looking for a kid-friendly hoop that is more permanent than portable, then we highly recommend the Spalding in-ground basketball system. It is affordable, has good durability, and will help players at any level to have a court where they can begin to improve their game immediately.

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