Air Alert-This works, but is not worth the money. It only works because it makes you do a ton of work and is time consuming. Go on the internet and find some jumping drills of your own. Do some plyometrics and isometrics with weightlifting and watch your vertical increase. You do not need to pay to have a program. You can make one yourself.

Jump Soles-These do work and help with increasing your vertical with the workout that comes with it, but it does cost some money and you could get great results without them as well. If you do get Jump Soles, I would highly recommend that you get proprioceptors. These help with injury, your twitch muscle, and slightly increase your vertical. They were well worth it and I have seen the benefits from them.

The Gun-This is a big and expensive machine that a whole team or basketball program should get. No one should be with out. It catches your basketball in a huge net and then shoots it back out to you. It allows you to get so many more shots off making you a better a shooter. The summer I started with it I went from a player who was a driver to a player who was a top 3point shooting threat where teams yelded out, GET THE SHOOTER.

Basketball Return Net-I had one of these and they are really only useful if you want to practice free throws. They are not very expensive so if you practice on your own driveway hoop most the time I would get one, but do not try to over use it.

Eye Blinders-Forget the real name for these things, but to describe them, you wear it so that you cannot see yourself dribbling the ball. They definitely worked, and for the price you should get them. They worked because even when you keep your head up you can still see the ball. With these you couldn’t. They make you into a ball handler, not just a dribbler.

The different types of basketball hoops to chose from are backboards that you can mount, portable basketball hoops, and fixed pole basketball hoops. The choice comes from what you are going to use it for.

If optional and you do not mind have a backboard on your garage, that is the best way to go. It is the cheapest at 150$-250$, the sturdiest, and the easiest to set up.

Portable hoops range from 250$-350$ for a usable one that will last to 500$-1000$ for the upper end ones. It all depends on what you want when you are buying them and how much you will use it. If you are a serious player you might want to go up in price in the portable basketball hoop you buy, because it offers a better more game like feel. It will not wobble as much as the cheap ones and will last much longer. Another reason you may want to buy a portable hoop is if you play in the ally across the street and want to move it often or if you do not know the nest time you are going to move across the neighborhood.

In ground poles often are the best choice because mounting does not always work out with the set up of the drive way. These offer advantages because they do not shake. They are cheaper in price that portable basketball hoops, and you can even make a makeshift one for even cheaper. When making one though, I would recommend that you dig and fill the hole you put the pole in yourself. This will save you a lot of money and will give you a greater appreciation for your hoop.

Lastly, make sure the finishing touches for you court are just the way you like it. Get your own basketball net that you like, paint some line on the cement. Put some “graffiti” down if it is your own court claiming it. Just make it your own.

When looking you must realize that all basketball are different. Some are made of rubber, some of plastic, and some of leather. Each of these has its advantages and disadvantages. Rubber is the cheapest, but loses out in other categories. Plastic looks the best, best wears out easily. Leather is superior to the other two, but costs the most.

The Spalding NBA Zi/O is a great basketball that can be used indoors and outdoors. It is highly rated a like by most. This ball is my favorite for indoors because of it’s feel, leather and ok pricing at 35$. It bounces great and I like the feel better than more expensive basketballs. It is very durable indoors, but wears out quickly outdoors.

The Spalding NBA Street Basketball is what I would recommend for outdoor use. It is rubber so it will last a lot longer outdoors than leather, but therefore is much harder on the hands. It stays inflated quite well. It is prices low at aprox. 15$. It has great grip and bounces well being the perfect outdoor ball. This is the ball was made for outdoor use and is the ball to get for outdoor use.

I would stay away from all plasticky basketballs, unless you want them for show. They just do not have the feel of a normal basketball. They do not bounce right. They always seem heavy and get slippery when sweaty. They are just not meant to be player with, but do make great gifts to coaches and others.

Other factors are what type of hoops you are playing at. If you are going to a park with a chain basketball net, you might want to think differently about what type of basketball you get. The basketball and net combo go together. rubber is a necessity for a metal net. Leather and plastic will just get ripped up. Another factor is if you always have access to a gym, it might be worth investing in a more expensive basketball. The last factor is you. Everyone is different. Some like there basketballs softer and some like it harder, so just go with what feels most comfortable for yourself.