eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.

How To

How to Buy a Basketball Hoop

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(15 Ratings)

The hoop you choose depends on where you intend to install it.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Basketball Hoops
  • Adjustable Wrenches
  1. Step 1

    Stake out an area for your court. Look for somewhere flat, paved and spacious, such as a driveway or vacant lot.

  2. Step 2

    Decide whether you will be mounting the hoop on a building or from a freestanding pole.

  3. Step 3

    If mounting the hoop on a building, look for a hoop with an opaque backboard. A transparent plexiglass backboard is difficult to see against a house's roof or an apartment wall.

  4. Step 4

    Look for a rounded backboard made of wood or fiberglass and painted a light color.

  5. Step 5

    See if the backboard has a bank-shot target - usually a rectangle painted behind the hoop. Choose this whenever possible.

  6. Step 6

    Examine how the hoop attaches to the backboard. See if the orange hoop is "fixed" to the backboard with a single piece of metal or if it has a spring-loaded "breakaway" section. The breakaway design allows the hoop to bend slightly under weight. If you intend to dunk or hang on the rim, choose the breakaway model.

  7. Step 7

    Make sure all hardware - nuts, bolts and decals - is included in the box.

  8. Step 8

    If buying a freestanding pole, make sure bolts for the base are available.

  9. Step 9

    Check for measurement marks on the pole to ensure the hoop is the proper height above the ground.

Tips & Warnings
  • Make sure the backboard can fit the space where you intend to mount it. Some steep or shingled roofs will not hold a backboard straight.
  • Try to mount the hoop in a place where you can paint a court - or at least a free-throw line - below it.
  • If you decide to make your own backboard, don't use plywood. It will crack. Use a thicker, harder wood.

Comments  

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 If you have decided to make your own backboard, I recommend that you not use plywood. Plywood will crack a lot sooner than other materials.

Subscribe

Post a Comment

Post a Comment

Related Ads

  • Have you done this? Click here to let us know.
I Did This
Get Free Sports & Fitness Newsletters

Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.   en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

eHow Sports and Fitness
eHow_eHow Sports and Fitness