How to get more grip on basketball

How to Get Better Grip on Basketball Shoes 2019

How Do You Get Good Traction / Grip on Athletic Shoes for Basketball, Volleyball & All Sports on Indoor Courts?

Summary:
Google ‘how do you get better grip with basketball shoes,’ and you’ll find these common tips:

1. 1. 1. Keep shoe soles clean.*
      2. Keep court floors clean.
      3. Use a traction mat, gel mat, or grip lotion.*

* Countless articles online advise wiping your shoes with a damp towel throughout the game. Some may even recommend a gel mat or grip lotion for shoes. Don’t believe them! 

We’ll explain the problems with these common tips and why Slipp-Nott Sports Traction System is truly the best solution for instant and consistently superior shoe grip.

There’s a reason why more pro and college basketball teams rely on Slipp-Nott than any other product to boost performance and safety on the court. One step on the sticky mat instantly removes dirt from the soles of athletic footwear.

Traction solutions for shoes – basketball, volleyball, badminton, racquetball and, fencing

If you play any sport on an indoor court, you know how important good shoe grip is for making quick and safe stops and turns. But when shoes pick up dust and wax off smooth gym floors, that buildup causes soles to lose their ‘grippy-ness.’ The result: Players can’t maneuver with precision, and the risk of injury due to slipping increases.

It’s no wonder that a question like ‘How do you get better grip with basketball shoes’ is often searched for online. Solutions range from simple hacks to products designed to improve traction on sports footwear.

In this post, we look at some common recommendations:

1. Keep shoe soles clean for better grip

Constant Wiping:  You’ve probably seen basketball players wipe the bottoms of their shoes with a damp towel…or lick their hands to wipe their shoes.

Why this is NOT the best solution:  While we completely agree that removing dirt buildup is the best way to improve traction, wiping shoes several times during a game is just plain tedious. In addition:

• • Using a towel can be hit or miss:
    • If you use too much water, your rubber soles become a wet slip hazard.
    • If the towel isn’t wet enough, it won’t do a good job of cleaning your soles.
    • If some areas of the sole’s surface are wetter than others, some areas may be cleaned while others may just get slick from all the water.
  • Wetting your towels will always yield inconsistent results because there is NO WAY to guarantee the material will have uniform water coverage.
  • Even if you could guarantee uniform coverage, it’s impossible to know exactly how much water is the right amount every time!
  • While you can (and many players still do) lick your hands to wipe the bottoms of your shoes, it’s unsightly. More importantly, though, this technique would work only if you have perfectly flat, large hands. Think about it: With your palms’ contours, it’s impossible to make contact with the entire surface of the sole.

2. Mop the court regularly to minimize dust

A clean floor definitely makes a big difference, but dry mopping can’t and won’t guarantee a clean court. Wet mopping is the best way to keep the floors clean, but that takes a dedicated maintenance staff which is both costly and time consuming. Dry mopping is helpful in “moving” the dust and dirt but it does not REMOVE the dirt. Dry mopping is really only good for drying liquid spills or absorbing perspiration after players fall.

3. Apply a grip gel/lotion on your soles

Of all the methods out there to get better basketball shoe grip, this is the worst choice! To illustrate why, take a look at how these products work:

1. 1. You have to sit down to apply the gel/lotion on one shoe and wait for it to dry. THEN, you repeat the process on the other shoe and must wait again for the gel to dry before you can even put your foot down on the floor.
   2. Grip is improved…but for only for a few minutes because the gel on your shoe ends up removing the dust on the floor – and soon you’re back to sliding. So, the product designed to improve traction actually does the opposite!
   3. To regain traction, you have to reapply the gel…but minutes later, you need to do it again! During a game, that’s a lot of reapplication – and you’ll have to wait for the gel to dry every time you reapply. When you’re in the middle of intense action on the court, do you really want to stop and go through this hassle every few minutes?
   4. Because the product is a magnet for dirt, each reapplication continues a vicious cycle of building layer upon layer of dirt and gel on your shoes. Eventually you’re left with a buildup of hard-packed gunk and slippery soles.

Do your shoes and yourself a favor. Avoid grip gels and lotions in all forms.

Ditch the two-bit hacks and…

4. Get a Slipp-Nott traction mat – instantly clean shoe soles

Do what the pros do. Get a Slipp-Nott. Used by more NBA and NCAA teams than any other brand, Slipp-Nott provides the best traction for basketball and all sports footwear designed for smooth, indoor floors.

Our sticky traction mat instantly and effectively grabs dirt off rubbery soles as you step on and off the adhesive surface. The result: Dirt-free soles with superior grip in less than 3 seconds.

Sometimes referred to as a ‘traction board’ or ‘sticky mat,’ a Slipp-Nott Traction Set consists of disposable adhesive sheets, secured on a sturdy base. Guaranteed for life, our bases are made with modified, high-impact, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Terpolymer (A.B.S) for durability. We then bond a ribbed, rubbery backing to the underside of the base to keep it from sliding and damaging floors.

Keep using the top sheet until all the adhesive is covered with dust and dirt. Then remove the top sheet of the mat to expose a new, clean sheet.

Traction sets include your choice of a mat with 30, 60 or 75 sheets. Additional replacement mats are sold separately:

When it comes to quality in sports traction, Slipp-Nott sets the standard

Slipp-Nott is the original traction mat for basketball, volleyball, badminton, fencing, handball, racquetball, or any sport played indoor on smooth floors. As the leading provider of sports traction for professional (NBA) and amateur (NCAA, High School and Middle School) athletes, we set the industry standard for quality and reliability, backed with a lifetime warranty.

There might be cheaper, low quality options out there, but if you want a traction base built to last, just do yourself and your team a favor and get a Slipp-Nott.

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Slippery Basketball? Get The Grip Back In 5 Steps – Get Hyped Sports

When you play a game outside in the rain and dust, your basketball will eventually become almost impossible to dribble or catch. A slippery basketball can be a pain, especially as you start failing to make shots and lose control of the ball across the court.

You must clean the basketball with a wet cloth and soapy water, ensuring that you move in circular motions to get between the dots on the ball. If you have a leather ball, you must dry it and apply the leather cleaner, while rubber balls can be left to dry before using again.

As easy as it may sound, people learn a few things through only practice and making mistakes while cleaning their basketballs. Because of some basketballs’ relatively high cost, we need to ensure that you are not damaging the surface while cleaning the ball.

How To Get the Grip Back On A Leather Basketball

Leather basketballs are what you will find being used in official games, most school gymnasiums, and, if you are lucky, in your court. These balls are all handmade and cost a significant amount more than their composite rubber counterparts, which is why they require more care.

Many pro athletes have made it clear that these basketballs feel significantly different from the other and are generally better.

Understanding how to clean a leather basketball will be the difference between having it for a lifetime or having a cracked mess within a year. A basketball with a grip will give you more control and help you palm it.

Find A Flat Surface

To start the process, find a clean flat surface that can get wet and place the leather basketball on it, preferably something on the ground.

Ensure that you can hold the ball in place with one hand so that the ball won’t roll away and get dirty again later on.

Many people try to do this on a table or work surface that they have access to, only to find that the table needs to be cleaned once the process is done.

When using a clean surface on the ground, either a garage floor or just a patio, you can sweep away or hose away from any residue that stays behind.

Hold Ball

This is ironically the most challenging part of the process because the ball will get highly slippery before you can get a proper grip on it.

Many people recommend deflating the ball slightly to ensure it is easier to grip while initially washing it before applying the leather care.

You should ensure that you can grab onto the ball simultaneously, ensuring that the ball cannot randomly slip out of your hand while cleaning.

Getting a good grip on the ball means that you are not pushing it down too hard or that you may lose your grip on the ball.

Use Rag and Dish Soap

This will be the first stage of cleaning the ball; the leather will be damaged if you dunk the ball into the water or use too much.

We recommend that you get a rag and soak it in mildly hot water, spreading a few drops of dish soap onto the rag instead of the ball.

Using the rag, you should start cleaning the ball in a circular motion, turning it around, so you get every part of the ball. If the rag is too wet or you have too much soap, a residue will be left behind; after everything is cleaned, use a dry cloth to wipe away any excess water and soap.

See Our Complete List Of Helpful Basketball Articles Here.

Leather Cleaner

This step will not be required every time and should only be done once the ball is older than a year. After you have cleaned the entire surface of the ball and it has dried completely, you need to move it to a dry surface and start treating the leather.

You cannot simply use any leather cleaner; most sports equipment stores will have the right leather cleaner and treatment for leather basketballs.

If you use the wrong type, you can cause the ball to be more slippery than ever, ruining the ball almost permanently. If you’re looking for a leather cleaner, we like this one.

Use Circular Motion

The most crucial part about cleaning the basketball is moving in a circular motion, ensuring that you get into the grooves of the ball. The circular motion will clean between the dots of the ball, ensuring that it is spotless before applying anything else.

When drying the ball, you need to follow the same motion, ensuring no moisture is trapped between the dot and the grooves of the ball.

If you apply leather treatment or cleaner, you need to follow the motions to ensure it gets everywhere.

Get The Grip Back On A Plastic Or Rubber Basketball

Plastic, rubber, or composite balls are vastly different from the leather basketballs used in professional basketball games. These balls are significantly less expensive than their counterparts and are a lot easier to clean than leather basketballs have ever been.

The steps may seem similar to what they are for leather basketballs, but they are not nearly as complicated. Many people enjoy these balls when practicing and having fun because they are easier to clean and allow you to care a bit less about how and where they are used.

Add Water And Soap In Sink

The most significant difference is that we wash these balls in the sink, either in the kitchen, the bathroom, or the sink used in the washroom. Because the material is not sensitive to excessive water and soap, you can be rougher and more thorough when cleaning.

Usually, filling the sink with an inch or two of hot, soapy water will be enough to clean every part of the basketball thoroughly.

This provides enough water to do everything needed, and the hot water will aid in cleaning off any substances like oil, sweets, or cooldrink on the surface.

Cover Entire Ball with Soapy Water

Before cleaning the ball thoroughly, we recommend turning it around in the water for a few minutes, ensuring that every part has soaked in the water. This will make it easier to start scrubbing, having water everything, and the loose dirt and dust away to reveal the stains.

Rubber and composite materials can be stained with more stubborn dirt and fluid, almost absorbing it into the fabric. To clean these stains, you need to have the water-soaked onto the surface of the basketball, not merely splashed or on the surface.

Wash With Rag or Brush

Now that the ball is wet and hot, you can grab a brush or rag and start scrubbing away, moving in any way you are comfortable. You do not have to be too careful as the materials are resilient and are not easily damaged by your motions while cleaning them, even in hot water.

A brush is an easy way to get into the grooves of the basketball, while the rag is perfect for cleaning the dots and more expansive surfaces of the ball. To ensure that you are not having a problem cleaning the ball, we recommend doing this with one hand holding onto the ball while the other brushes.

Leave In Sunny or Windy Area

Unfortunately, plastics, rubbers, and composite materials never clean when dried with a towel. You will have to leave the ball in a slightly sunny, indoor area or with a fan on it to get it dry entirely, usually going it for half a day or more.

This ensures that the surface is not wet when you start dribbling the ball on the courts, which will cause more problems as the wetness soaks up dust and dirt. We highly recommend that you make sure it is dry; otherwise, you will have to start from the beginning again.

Conclusion

Basketballs may be inexpensive or extremely expensive, but they will always be easy to clean, with only leather basketballs requiring extra attention to how you are cleaning them.

We recommend following these steps to ensure you can perfectly dunk on anyone that challenges you.

Whatever you do, please don’t let a leather basketball soak in water for more than a few minutes!

Basketball coaching hacks: how to score goals for beginners

Even if you are a novice basketball player, we will not give you a training plan, but we will tell you why the ball flies anywhere but into the ring and into your hands. It's all about technique: even with regular training and perseverance, novice adults and children often make simple mistakes. It's a shame, let's fix it. Below are 11 life hacks on how to hone your technique to increase the likelihood of a goal for your team.

Basketball Shot Rules for Beginners

1. Hands up

In pursuit of the attacker, raise your hands, even if you are standing with your back to the pass, and even more so if the ring is in front of you. Your raised hands will increase the chance of intercepting the ball from the opponent by 2 times. Don't overlook this little thing!

2. Make shield rolls

Even Tim Duncan did not neglect them! A square is drawn on the basketball backboard. If you are standing opposite the ring, then aim at the middle of the upper part of the square, if you are standing on the side, then at the corner. If you hit this square, then the ball is at 90% of cases will fall into the ring. The law of physics and no cheating!

3. Look at the ring, not at the ball

Practice driving the ball with your hand, not your eyes, develop tactile control. Your eyes should be on the hoop while dribbling and be aware of the position of your body in relation to the hoop. Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective.

4. Dribble with the balls of your fingers only

The palm should not touch the ball, only the pads of the fingers. Dribbling should become familiar to you, like an extension of your hand. Then you can change its trajectory at any time and you will have more chances to score goals. Practice with the ball constantly.

5. Throw with one hand

If you throw the ball with two hands, you reduce the chance of hitting the basket. All the efforts of the throw are in one hand (in the right for right-handers, in the left for left-handers). The other hand only holds the ball, the leading one holds it with the fingers, not the palm.

6. Do not jump when protecting the ring

Jumping is the main mistake of rookie defenders. To intercept the ball and block the shot, simply stick out your hands. When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you.

7. Don't look back

When you dribble, don't look back, but dribble and aim for the ring, focus on shooting (or passing to another player on your team).

8. Bring the throw to automatism

Incorporate the most basic basketball techniques into your training plan and bring the shot to automatism. Throw first from a distance of half a meter from the ring, gradually increasing it. Learn to throw the ball so that it hits the hoop without touching the edge.

Throw the ball with all fives and jump

Throwing Rules:

• Head in the center of the body - if tilted, accuracy is lost.
• Look at the ring: mentally build a trajectory. If you are far away, the ball flies in a curved curve with a maximum height of 2 meters above the hoop.
• A strong hand is in front and throws, a weak hand is on the side and directs, only holding the ball. The elbow of the throwing hand must be in line with the ring.
• The ball must rest on the fingers without touching the palm. The fingers are as far apart as possible and grab the ball.
• Throwing arm bent 90 degrees, forearm perpendicular to the floor. If you bend less, then you get not a throw, but a throwing of the ball horizontally.

The main thing in the throw is the position of the body and its balance. Place your feet apart and parallel to each other: it is important to orient them in the middle of the basket. Then the direction of the body during the jump will coincide with the direction of the throw, and the ball will fly straight into the ring. When the feet are uneven, the ball flies in the wrong direction or does not reach (although the throw was normal).

Take a deep breath and release as you exhale.

How to hold the ball and shoot in basketball

How to throw correctly: straighten your arm, point your wrist up, and with your hand set the ball to rotate in the opposite direction from the flight. The ball should seem to "roll" off your fingers.

9. Copy masters and play as a team

Watch professional basketball games and try to copy the movements of your favorite players in training. And be sure to conduct game sparring - this will allow you to develop more techniques.

10. Do not throw in a straight line

The higher the arc of the ball, the greater the chance of a goal and the less chance of blocking by the opponent.

11. Do not throw the ball from a full height stand

This is the biggest newbie mistake!

Before the throw, bend your knees slightly and at the moment of the throw, straighten your body, making a jump. You need to straighten up and push off the ground at the same time. When squatting, keep the elbow of the throwing arm close to the body and towards the ring.

The jump will give momentum to the ball and will allow you not to make sudden movements with the brush.

***

And to be a long-term player, do not forget about your health: take care of your joints and muscles, use tapes, do a warm-up. And be sure to strengthen your arms, legs and shoulder girdle, develop coordination. Regular exercises on uneven bars and horizontal bars will help you with this.

FIBA, Euroleague and NBA - who will control European basketball?

The Euroleague and FIBA ​​are still fighting for control of European basketball. The competition between the two organizations and the desire to earn more is forcing both the Euroleague and FIBA ​​to look for opportunities to become better.

As you know, before the 2000/2001 season, the main club tournament in Europe was held by FIBA, but the stagnation in the organization allowed another strong player, the Euroleague, to appear on the basketball map of the continent. The new organization then offered the clubs more favorable conditions for participating in European competitions - so at first there was a split in European basketball, and a year later all the best clubs in Europe played in the Euroleague. Since then, FIBA ​​has been thinking about a rematch, and the Euroleague is watching closely so as not to lose its power in European basketball.

The Euroleague plans to expand

FIBA's decision to radically change the calendar and format for qualifying for the European and World Championships in 2018 set a new starting point before a major crisis in European basketball. In particular, according to the new rules, the national teams will be forced to conduct the qualifying round for major tournaments not in the summer, as is happening now, but during the club season, as has long been done in football. Given the overload of players in the clubs, the aggravation of the conflict between the Euroleague and FIBA ​​is inevitable - from the 2017/18 season, the two organizations will not be able to coexist peacefully.

That is why both the Euroleague and FIBA ​​are already trying to get more loyalty from the big players in European basketball. Moreover, while the Euroleague is still negotiating with top clubs, FIBA ​​is working with leading national federations.

Thus, last week Euroleague boss Jordi Bertomeu presented the clubs with a new Euroleague format, which is proposed to be launched in the 2016/17 season. The change in the tournament model is important for two reasons - firstly, the previous expansion of the Euroleague Top 16 format did not bring a significant increase in income for either the clubs or the organization, and secondly, the Euroleague is still striving to increase the number of matches for each club throughout season.

So, according to Bertomeu's proposal, not 24, but 16 teams will play in the Euroleague, 11 of which enter the tournament under a license. Moreover, all group stages are canceled - there will be only a single standings for everyone. The first eight teams of the regular season get into the playoffs, and then there is the already familiar scheme - quarter-final series up to three wins and the traditional "Final Four". At the same time, the tournament will end not at the end of April, but at the end of May or even the beginning of June.

FIBA ​​wants to be friends with the NBA

In parallel, FIBA ​​met with the leading European national federations to discuss the future of basketball with them. The official press release of the organization does not say anything about the essence of the conversation, but many sports and basketball media write that FIBA ​​has its own trump card in the form of cooperation with the NBA.

It is reported that relations between FIBA ​​and the NBA are now warmer than ever, and the parties can make an interesting compromise. So, according to the decision of FIBA, teams will play basketball at the Olympic Games only in the U-22 format.

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