Review: Spalding Hybrid Portable Basketball System

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most portable basketball systems are just unable to support aggressive game play. They are built more for the portability factor than the basketball playing factor. The Spalding hybrid portable basketball system proves that you can play aggressively in the driveway with the right equipment in place. It features a height adjustment mechanism between 7.5-10 feet with infinite adjustment, allowing you to have the right rim height for any player at any time.

Here are some of the additional advantages that come when you make the investment into this high caliber Spaulding portable system.

  • It features a breakaway rim. Many cheap portable basketball systems cannot take any dunking, even if it comes from a kindergartner. With this unique breakaway system, you’re going to be able to dunk on a regulation rim whenever you want, especially with the included board pad.
  • There is a 16-inch­ board offset. The front cover for rebounds during play gives up 16 inches of a board offset, allowing you to work hard for those rebounds. Perfect for at-home instruction about boxing out and tracking ball spin so rebounding skills can be improved.
  • It features a strong steel frame with aluminum trim. This support reduces the amount of vibration that is received whenever the ball strikes the rim or the backboard. It also reduces lateral movement. Follow-up shots can be taken with relative ease thanks to this added strength.

So what makes this basketball system a “hybrid” system? It’s not because it has elements of an in-ground basketball system built into it. The hybrid description comes from the design of the base, which accepts both sand and water. You can put up to 200 pounds of sand and gravel into the base and then 19 gallons of water as well. This way you have the most stability possible for this hoop, even in high wind situations.

What Life Is Like with the Spalding Hybrid Portable Basketball System

This was easily the most difficult portable basketball system we encountered in terms of assembly. Because of the higher quality of the parts, everything with this basketball hoop is a lot heavier. This made it impossible to put together with just one person. You’re going to need some help in a couple of place. Expect the assembly to take at least 3-4 hours. Once you’ve finished, everything is nice and solid and this system is easy to move around, but it takes time to get there.

We also found the height adjustment to be someone difficult to complete. You’re going to be tempted to set it to the 10-foot height and let the kids use lighter balls to work on their shots.

From a portable standpoint, there isn’t a heavier duty system out there than the Spalding hybrid portable basketball system. It’s the closest we came to having an experience that was close to comparable with in-ground systems. It is a complex product, but supportive once complete, and that is why it earns our recommendation today.

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What’s Next

Be sure to read our reviews of all the best portable basketball hoops before you pull the trigger on your big purchase!