Basketball Hoops Buyer's Guide

First you should decide whether you want an in-ground unit or a portable unit.  For in-ground units, make sure your home-owner's association allows it. 
 

	In-Ground Hoops	Portable Hoops	Gym Wall Mounts
Slam Dunking	YES, but hanging on the rim is not recommended.	NO, hoops that are not secured to the ground should not be dunked on.	YES, but hanging on the rim is not recommended.
Raise and Lowering Hoop	YES	YES	NO
Portability	Can be removed from permanent mount when moving, a mounting kit can be purchased separately.	All portable hoops come with wheels for portability. The Hydra Rib 900 series can also be folded and stored easily.	Not portable, but the 165 Wall Mount is hinged to go left, right, or up when not in use.

The main features to consider are:

1) Width of the backboard - NBA Regulation width is 72" (6 feet). Regulation backboard height is 42". In comparison, most of the portable basketball hoops with plastic backboards you see in front of people's houses are 44" wide and 36" tall. For residential in-ground hoops, 54" or 60" are the most popular. The wider the backboard the better play you get because you can do a wider array of bank shots. Most portable basketball hoops are 48" wide except for a few 54", including the Hydra Rib 74001 and the Lifetime Competition 72000.
 

2) Offset - This is the distance from the pole to the backboard. This defines the play area underneath the basket. Short offsets are dangerous because when you run in for a lay-up but only have 1 foot or no offset, you'll run right into the pole.  The longer the offset, the better and safer the hoop is.  Most high-end hoops range from 2' to 4' offset.

3) Padding - There are two places for padding. There is frame padding, which goes along the bottom of the backboard, and there is pole padding, which goes around the pole. Most Hydra Rib models come with pole padding, and most Lifetime or Mammoth hoops come with pole and frame padding. 
 

4) Adjustment Mechanism - There are many ways to adjust basketball goals, and most hoops range from 7' to 10'.  Gas Assisted make it very easy to move the backboard up and down, and are great for frequent adjustment. Others have a crank, which takes longer but has a finer degree of adjustment. Hydra Rib cranks can be removed to prevent tampering.  Hydra Rib offers both, but Lifetime usually only offers the gas assisted versions.

Gas Assist Crank Adjust

In-Ground Installation - Most in-ground hoops these days come with the J-Bolt pattern mounting kit. This is a mounting kit that you cement into the ground, then bolt your hoop on top of it. Some people do it themselves, while others hire a contractor or local handyman. 

To the right you can see the mounting kit pattern. a hole 2 feet round and 3 feet deep is filled with concrete, and the J-bolts are slid into place. The mounting plate puts the bolts in the right position so the hoop can be bolted onto it. If you move, you can purchase a new mounting kit take your hoop with you. Some smaller hoops only require 2' by 2' holes, please check your installation instructions carefully when installing your hoop. Installation Services: We recommend: 1-866-278-4211 They can find a local installer - tell them you bought your hoop from JumpUSA! Other installers: Premier Delivery Indianapolis, IN 46220 317-225-7340 If they cannot find an installer, our recommendation is to check your yellow pages for concrete companies, check local hardware stores for contractors who sometimes post their info on bulletin boards, or try www.craigslist.org to post a job or look for people offering their services for labor.