Imagine playing this sport without using the best indoor basketball for you…
Sounds pretty boring, right?
Now imagine playing WITH that type of ball. The superior grip, the natural smooth feel makes you one with the ball. Shooting threes with ease and dribbling like Kyrie Irving all over the court.
One problem – which one do I go for!?
For me, basketball is the best hobby you could ask for. I admit, I may not be the best player out there, but I hate playing with crappy unusable balls. Not picking the right one might result in you quitting on this beautiful sport.
Choosing the right one from this list does not matter as I think all of them will make for a better time playing indoor basketball.
I want this article to provide you with an honest and accurate answer saving you from doing lots of research yourself and getting overwhelmed by so many choices.
Before Buying The Best Indoor Basketball for Hobbyists
Basketball is one of the world’s most popular sports, starting indoors, with many leagues outside of college and high school (secondary school).
Even just playing with friends on an indoor court, these basketball’s will bring enjoyment.
Playing Sport as a Hobby With The Best Indoor Basketball
- Health Improvement – It’s a great way to stay healthy, keeping cardiovascular fitness levels up, and staying in shape.
All it takes is an hour, playing with the best indoor basketball for maximum enjoyment, to burn almost 1,000 calories, and getting a sweaty workout in through dribbling up and down the court; working on your jump shot is good for your stamina.
- Stress Relief – By staying focused on basketball skills such as shooting, dribbling, and passing, you will feel the stress start to go away after shooting a few hoops.
Not only that, but it will help you stay focused at work, channeling that energy to overcome challenges and tasks, etc. And picking the best indoor basketball will make sure you don’t get frustrated whilst balling.
- Socializing – The sport of basketball is great for making new friends! When there are other fellow hoopers playing ball on the same indoor court as you, making friends will be easy, adding them on social media afterward, and meeting up for more fun games.
Also, playing ball with people you already know (friends or family) strengthens those relationships for a tighter bond.
But… don’t force yourself to like it.
If indoor basketball doesn’t excite you or bring you any enjoyment, don’t play it and don’t buy a ball.
Feeling like you have to play a sport will only make you miserable, so I wouldn’t advise forcing it.
However, by investing in the best indoor basketball and giving it a chance, learning the game will make for an awesome hobby!
All in all, a hobby is supposed to be fun. So, picking the right one from this list isn’t as important as getting better, and growing in this sport is what brings excitement. Also, taking days off will make sure you don’t get bored and help rest your muscles.
Choosing the right size basketball for hobbyists
Picking the right size for a hobbyist does not have any significance in having fun, in my opinion. Then again, switching between different sizes could hurt your shooting and dribbling, ruining competitive play for you. Without further ado, here are the sizes for both genders:
- Size 6 – Official ball size for Females with a 28.5-inch circumference (72.39 centimeters) usual weight = 20 ounces.
- Size 7 – Official ball size for Males with a 29.5-inch circumference (74.93 centimeters) usual weight = 22 ounces.
Molten GL7x
The first one on this list was the official 2015-2019 game ball for international FIBA competitions and other international leagues. It comes in a size 6 and a size 7, perfect for Male and Female hobbyists, and is priced anywhere between 100 to 150 pounds and dollars. Although, I have found out you can get it for a cheaper cost of 80.
Let’s first talk about the material. This ball’s produced with a premium real leather cover made just for indoor use. Since it’s real leather, it’ll become much softer and pliable once broken into. One thing I want to mention, don’t worry about its pebbles since they don’t make much of a difference to your play, no matter what ball it is.
Molten has said that the parallel pebble design makes for better fingertip control and overall better performance giving you a high level of grip because the seams and pebbled surface are flat due to the 12-panel (12 rubber laces all together) Giugiaro design. This design gives you a more consistent touch and helps you in judging backspin.
At first, the Molten GL7x had a firm and rough grip because of the real leather material. But, once broken into, it becomes nice and smooth, giving you a tremendous level of grip, faking shots like Michael Jordan. People have said the grip worsens with the white parts staying the same in terms of grip. For a stronger shot, that’s where you should place your fingertips.
Now, once fully broken into, it has a completely different feel to it, almost dream-like. It feels so much smoother and nicer, becoming much better than that of a composite leather ball. Feel is probably the most important factor as it can determine bounce too.
It does not have the best indoor basketball durability but is still at a decent level, not affecting your basketball skills in a negative way whatsoever. Cleaning the basketball by using a cloth and soapy water is my advice, but it doesn’t get as dusty as composite leather balls.
Lastly, it does not have the most consistent bounce when it comes to dribbling moves, sometimes bouncing a bit too high for a player’s liking. So, if the ball comes inflated, I recommend you let a bit of air out. The structure of its strong nylon wound butyl bladder helps keep air into the max, having the best air retention for indoor play. To find the correct air pressure of this indoor basketball, it’s imprinted around the valve area.
Nike Elite Championship Airlock
This Nike product is famous amongst indoor hoopers but only comes with an official size 7 so, not the best choice for Females or children and is made for indoor use. It comes in at around 60 dollars or 50 pounds, and I think this is the best indoor basketball for hobbyists if you’re the kind of player who likes to have fun shooting mid-range, free throws, three-point shots.
It’s made with a game dry composite leather cover (keeping it dry), which they’ve said sweat slides right off the ball. No matter what position you play, its grip will help out loads with shooting and dribbling. Having wider channels (deep-pebble grip) makes it a better choice for shooters by making it easier to align the fingertips with grooves for better shot accuracy and control, pulling off a quicker shot.
They make this ball with a leather microfiber backing to which Nike said provides you with a nice soft-touch with moisture absorption keeping sweat away. It has a rotationally balanced butyl carcass to stop the ball from getting out of shape, no more worries about getting lumps on the ball.
Now, having a woven microfiber backing gives you a smooth and consistent (almost real leather-like) feel. It’s harder on your hands than other indoor composite leather basketballs but maintains a great soft feel. The Nike Elite Championship Airlock has a similar feel to the all mighty Wilson Evolution game ball but will become very slippery if used outdoors.
The Nike Elite Championship is VERY washable. So, for an easier time cleaning, use a bucket of hot soapy water and a cloth. Having some of the best indoor basketball durability, you can expect it to last you for as long as half a decade before replacing it for a new one (no joke). However, you should avoid using this ball outdoors as elements like concrete will change it for the worst!
Bounce is pretty consistent and reliable on this ball, equaling an easier time with crossovers and ankle breakers. It’s said to hold in air very well because of Nike’s Airlock Technology providing a great versatile air pressure (imprinted around the valve area). Adding in the Airlock was a good idea as its previous counterpart lost air consistently.
Spalding TF-1000 Legacy
Another ball designed for indoor play is available in official NBA size 7 and official WNBA size 6, being a mate to both genders. It comes inflated and ready to go for games, and when talking about cost, I’ve seen it priced anywhere between 50 to 80 pounds and dollars, so a pretty high-quality indoor ball. Also, it used to be very popular amongst indoor players.
When the material comes to mind, the Spalding TF-1000 Legacy is produced with a ZK Microfiber composite leather cover, with a deep channel design for incredible controllability when combining dribbling moves and helps with jump shot mechanics. The nylon windings on this ball help keep its structure. They’ve done a great job with this ball as it’s very sturdy and does not get out of shape.
Having super absorption, it improves your grip on this indoor ball when hands get sweaty, flicking sweat right off the basketball. Straight out of the packaging, it has a nice strong grip but is known to get a bit slick over time, making it harder to palm. Another thing is, the channels of this ball help you maintain a good grip, especially for shooters who like to align fingertips with the grooves.
Produced with a responsive cushioned sponge carcass, it provides you with a super soft feel and truer bounce. This ball is described as “pillow-soft,” almost as soft as the Nike Elite Championship basketball, making it the BEST choice for hardcore dribblers. Since it’s very lightweight, shooting from deep and dribbling faster is guaranteed!
The CLARINO (tough yet subtle material) Synthetic Leather is the reason why this has one of the best indoor basketball durability’s out there, looking brand new even after years of play. Therefore, you can say Spalding was correct about this ball maintaining its shape. Then again, this does NOT mean using it outdoors is okay. It’s not. This will tear the material apart.
Rotationally balanced butyl bladder for ultimate air retention… is what Spalding claims. However, many people have complained about the Spalding TF-1000 legacy losing air all the time, so having a ball pump nearby will come in handy. I recommend pumping it up slightly higher than the standard air pressure of 7 PSI (pounds per square inch), but not too high as some people have said it becomes too bouncy. Overall, it does not have the most consistent bounce out there, but good enough for a fun time in my eyes.
Adidas Pro 2.0
The Adidas Pro 2.0 is quite a new ball and does not come inflated, made for indoor use only. It’s priced at around 60 dollars and pounds. The unfortunate thing for Females, it comes in one size, size 7. Starting with the design, it looks amazing and spotless, and in place, making it harder for you to stop staring at the ball. Adidas isn’t a trendy basketball brand, but people have said this is an awesome ball to use. It is now the official All-American game basketball, replacing The Rock.
The Adidas Pro 2.0 is manufactured out of a 100 percent composite leather compound cover with great sweat and moisture management. The cover’s channels help you control the ball and with ball-handling, too, carrying out dribbling moves with ease.
Its flat pebble channels (not made from traditional rubber) give you more grip to help with shooting and ball-handling fundamentals. Although it may be just a slight noticeable change, the grip is enhanced well for a nice and steady jumper. Overall, compared to the other indoor basketballs on this list, I think the Adidas Pro 2.0 gives you the utmost grip.
Similar to most composite leather balls, this one feels super soft in your hands. You can imagine this ball’s softness already as fake leather is much softer than genuine leather, being able to withstand hard wooden indoor courts. Players have said it feels slightly bigger than your average ball but maintains a nice smooth feel straight outta the box.
To have the best indoor basketball durability, the ball needs a strong bladder to maintain the structure and provide a long-lasting life. This one has exactly that. It’s being produced with this bladder to make an improved version of the previous make, which was not very durable. Dust and everything else from an indoor court should slide off nice and easy, but I still recommend cleaning it.
At the end of the day, there’s not much I can say about this indoor ball as it’s still very new and yet to be tested properly. On the other hand, Adidas has claimed its butyl bladder to provide the ultimate air retention, to which I recommend inflating it somewhere between 7.5 and 8.5 PSI (pounds per square inch). To my knowledge, air pressure is imprinted around the valve and should say 7.9 PSI.
Developing Rhythm for Your Jump Shot
Creating rhythm is by far the most important thing to do before shooting. If your shot has no rhythm, then you shouldn’t even think about taking it, whether a defender is on you or not.
“If you aren’t in rhythm, don’t take the shot” – All Coaches.
The good news? Creating rhythm is very simple.
If you are shooting off the pass, you dip the ball before you shoot. Therefore, you’ve created “rhythm.” In basketball, there are only two basic types of shots. A shot off the dribble and a shot off the pass. Let’s take a look:
- Shooting off the dribble – There is no need to dip. The reasoning behind this is that the ball is already low. When taking a shot off the dribble, rhythm is created by the dribble itself.
- Shooting off the pass – In this case, rhythm needs to be created by the shooter. How is this done, you ask? Upon catching the pass, you need to lower the ball below your chest to the waist or hip area before quickly raising the ball into the shooting motion.
The rhythm allows the shooter to have a more comfortable and more powerful shot. Now, many coaches will tell you NOT to dip.
The most basic fundamental skill in basketball is the triple threat. With this skill, you have three options. Shoot, pass, dribble the ball towards the basket.
And what is the only way of getting into the triple threat when catching a pass? The dip!
To Conclude: The Best Indoor Basketball for Hobbyists
I always like to say having the correct mechanics/fundamentals is more important than picking the right ball. Heck, it will also equal having more fun!
I mean, who enjoys sucking at basketball, right?
Without wasting your time, I will go into which one is best for your needs.
Highest quality ball on this list? I would say the Molten GL7x as it’s made from real leather as well as most expensive. Real leather has the best smell and, once broken into, feel becomes unmatchable.
The best indoor basketball for shooters? That would be the Nike Elite Championship Airlock. Designed for great shooting accuracy, has a perfect bounce, and outlasts any ball on this list in terms of longevity.
When it comes to durability, I think the Spalding TF-1000 Legacy is the most durable on this list and is the best choice for hardcore dribblers.
Last but not least, the Adidas Pro 2.0. It has replaced the All-American official game ball “The Rock.” This tells you it must be amazing since The Rock is an incredible ball. I’m going to say this is the best indoor basketball overall.
All these basketballs will help you out, and if you don’t like your choice, switch it out for a new one.
If you’re sick of always playing with a crappy ball whenever you’re out with friends or playing in a league, picking one of these is a cakewalk.
I hope you’ve found this article helpful! If you have any other questions about these choices, feel free to leave a comment below! I’ll make sure to reply ASAP.
As always, Happy Balling!