When it comes to buying a basketball, things might not always be as straightforward as they seem. With lots of basketball brands like Molten, Baden, Spalding, Nike, Wilson, and Adidas, indoor and outdoor versions, and a range of sizes to choose from, you should consider what you need your basketball for in order to buy the right kind.
Here’s just a short guide to what to consider before purchasing your basketball.
Indoor / Outdoor Basketballs.
There are 3 main types of basketball. Indoor, outdoor, and indoor/outdoor. In case you just want your basketball for playing around the local park or courts, then an outdoor type will certainly be more durable on the tougher playing surfaces, and last longer in the long run.
If you want a basketball for training on a proper indoor court, then an indoor ball will be more tactile and suited to the smoother indoor court surface.
If you just want an all-around basketball that you’re happy to get dirty, but can also use indoors, then opt for an indoor/outdoor ball. They’ll be tougher than your average indoor ball for sure.
Basketball Brands
There are lots of brands of basketballs with different Basketball Sizes, such as Molten, Baden, Spalding, and Nike, just to name a few. When it comes to choosing a brand of basketball it really comes down to personal preference.
You might have played with a Baden basketball at your local basketball club and liked the weight and how it felt in your hand, and therefore want to buy one of your own, you might be a big BBL fan and want a Molten GG7 basketball to play like the pros, or you might be a huge NBA fan, and therefore want to go with the big US brand, Spalding.
Along with the brand, there’s also the price to consider. £30 – £40 is pretty standard for a good quality basketball, although you can easily pay above and beyond £60 for top-of-the-range balls, and down to £10 for a very basic rubber basketball. If you only play basketball a few times a year, it might not be worth spending a lot on something that isn’t going to get used very often, but if you play every week, you’re also not going to want to get something cheap that will need to be replaced in a couple of months.
Basketball Sizes
There are 3 main basketball sizes to consider, size 5, size 6, and size 7. The size that suits you best tends to depend on age and sex generally.
Size 5 is designed for younger players, up to around 11 years of age. The ball has a circumference of 27.75″ and a weight of around 18oz.
Size 6 is designed for players up to around 16 years of age, and is also used in the women’s game due it’s smaller circumference and weight compared to the size 7 ball, which is used in the men’s game. The ball has a circumference of 28.5″ and a weight of 20oz..
A good reason to get the right size ball is that, if you are going to be involved in basketball league matches, then you should practice with the right size ball for that league. Otherwise, your muscles and grip will become accustomed to a certain size and weight, but when you play in a game you may end up playing with a heavier, or lighter ball, and therefore your shots, passes, and dribbling will be slightly off.
It’s important for younger players to also play with a small ball, as the better grip and more manageable weight will ensure that they can develop their skills and confidence more easily.
How To Handle A Basketball With Control
Handling a basketball is certainly hard in the beginning, and in addition, may seem strenuous to progress on, but it’s an important aspect of the . The best method to improve your ball-handling ability is to train hard.
Controlling the basketball is vital to your ball-handling success. There are many basketball players who can dribble the basketball very well but struggle to control it in tight situations. A Famous basketball player Kawhi Leonard has the biggest hands among many players. There are many different reasons why someone may struggle with handling the basketball with control.
One specific reason for the inability of handling the basketball with control may be a lack of experience. Experience comes from playing basketball in different competitions and also playing basketball in different environments. You want to find different competitions and challenge yourself. For example, if your local basketball court has the same competition pretty much every day, then you should look to visit different basketball courts with different competitions.
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When you play basketball against harder competition it will force you to improve your ball-handling control. If you don’t improve your ball-handling control then the defense will strip the basketball from you. When you play against the more difficult competition you will realize that you need to work harder and you may also get some motivation from your realization.
One of the vital neglected components of dribbling a basketball is always keeping your head up. This really is one of the subtle differences between an incredible ball handler and a good basketball handler. If you wish to handle a basketball even better you will want to always maintain keeping your head up.