Why Standard Youth Basketballs Are Too Heavy and Result in Bad Shooting Habits

I coach an under 11 boys team and we use size 5 balls.

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Great article Jeff -

Now, If we can only get youth leagues to do this and use lower baskets the kids would have more fun and see a lot more success.

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Karlie G. says: 5/11/2016 at 12:51:37 PM Ken, I do not agree with your statement. You should not lower the net for more success. You also can't control their fun. They can make up their mind if they think it's fun and if they want to do it. Basketball is a fun sport, i love it, but not everyone likes it and thinks it's fun. Lowering the net defeats the purpose of them learning, the net is not always going to be that low, in fact it probably will only get higher. They need to work with the nets height, that makes them better, and perpares them for the future, if they decide to keep playing. Like   1 reply   login   register Wil Moore III says: 6/9/2016 at 2:21:08 PM I agree with Ken and actually, we are starting to see this happen in certain leagues. It is more important for youth players to get into good habits early which is near impossible to do for most youth players when they are playing with balls that are too big and heavy and baskets that are too high. Like     login   register

Great comments, for a person who is trying to develop youth to have (and keep) an interest in basketball. Thoughts are the same, lower the hoop ( to about 4' above height) and smaller basketball use. Thanks.

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When I first read about using lighter balls (and lower baskets) on this website several years ago, I loved the idea. I use the same philosophy with baseball bats to help my players hit better. I even like it with footballs to help my son throw better (he's a QB/TB-type player). But, what do you do when the local YMCA, recreational leagues, basketball camps, and AAU teams all use the men-sized basketballs?! I've thought about using smaller basketballs with my son at home and even in practice with the teams I coach, but I've always been concerned that when they have to use the bigger balls in games, it will make them dribble and shoot worse.

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How old is your son?

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the balls we use are listed by circumference, i believe, 28.5". for our 5th and 6th graders-- 10-12 years old. what weight should these be? thanks.

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Lonnie - For my daughters 2nd grade team we started our own league. I emailed local high school coaches to find out who coached other 2nd or 3rd grade girls teams. Then I asked those coaches to come play us 3on3. We play 3on3 only, use the 14 Mikasa balls, and lower baskets to around 7ft. We also either get two games of 3on3 going at once or we play back to back games... so only one or two girls sit out at a time.

Keep in mind I use the word "team" loosely. It's more like a club. We get together to practice skill, play fun activities, work on balance, fundamental movement skills, coordination, and athleticism (while having fun). Then we are playing 6 games against other teams, again for fun.

Josh - The women's Spalding TF-1000 you see in pictures above is 28.5 inches and weighs 20 ounces. I would guess most 28.5 inch balls weigh around the same.

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I bought the Spaulding "Rookie Gear" Composite 27.5" ball for 2 grade clinic. It is lighter that a standard 27.5" ball and has been very helpful to get her to learn solid form on her one handed shot.

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Yes in Finland we play mini baskets (250cm) for all under 12 years players. Players 8 and under play even lower baskets. Basketballs under 8 should be #3 and under 12 we play #5 basketball. In Finland every player carry their own basketball the practices. 13- 15 years we play #6 and after that boys regular #7 and girls regular #6.
Some coaches still use softer but bouncing basketballs under 8 years practices.

If the child gets afraid of the basketball and feels it is difficult to handle or put to the basket, it is hard to tell him/her that you do leran the way little by little..

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Here in Arizona, I've found it impossible to find a league that uses an appropriately-sized ball. For ages 10+, all the leagues use a Men's size (29.5", as I recall?) and ages 7-9 use a 27.5 (Women's?). So, I HAVE to use the larger balls.

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Garrett - We have pretty much the same problem around here. Most leagues and tournaments jump right to the big ball. Sometimes we bring our own ball and sneak in the appropriate size.

But in practice we still use the small (appropriate size ball). If we miss a few shots and lose a few games because of that, I don't mind. We're interested in developing the players for the long term.

And in games, you really don't shoot very often (each kids might take a handful of shots in a game). That's not very many over the course of any hour. So it doesn't hurt much.

It's more important to use the correct size in practice because you get a lot more reps there!

So we basically practice with correct size ball and if we play in a tourney or league, we use the bigger ball. Has worked well for us.

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Jeff Haefner - My son is now 12 years old, and he plays middle school and AAU basketball, and both use a men's-sized basketball in practices and games. If I have him train at home with a women's-sized (or even youth-sized) ball, it won't make it more difficult for him to dribble and shoot with a men's-sized ball in games?

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Lonnie -

It's too bad they jump to the full size ball so quickly.

Almost everywhere you go in the US, they jump to a bigger ball too quickly. However some places are worse than others. Around here in Iowa they use the women's 28.5" ball in middle school. And in high school they jump to the men's size.

Ideally he uses the same size ball in practice, games, and at home. Using a different size ball will affect long range shots in games a little bit. But should a 12 year old really be shooting long range shots? Is he a mature 12 year old or still waiting to hit his growth sport? As you know 12 year old Johnny can look like a man next to 12 year old Jimmy. That can make a big difference.

Personally, I would try to make sure that the majority of reps my son is taking is with good form. And close to the basket. If 80% of his shooting reps are at home with a smaller ball, then the 20% of the other reps with a bigger ball in games and AAU won't hurt his his technique much. He might miss a few farther out shots in games. But I'd be ok with that. Other lay ups and close range shots, he won't even know the difference.

Now some young boys are pretty adamant about using the same size ball as games. And others don't know the difference. So you may or may not have a challenge there. And confidence and many other intangibles may take precedence over forcing him to use a smaller ball.

So long story short, yea he might struggle with outside shots a little bit (might drop his percentage a few points) if he uses a smaller ball at home. But it won't drop much. And based on my experience, midrange / finishing shots won't be affected at all. If there is any affect, it's all mental because I have seen numerous kids make the adjustment without any trouble.

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I agree with Jeff here.... since he is playing with the big ball in two leagues I wouldn't want to change what he is doing now.

Be careful with the distances he shoots.....make sure that he shoots within in ranne and he should have no or very little problems/

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Upward Basketball is a fantastic program that teaches kids to play basketball with age appropriate balls and rims. Usually taught at church gyms, it is an awesome program my kids have been in for the last four years. Highly recommend it, you can search for a program near you.

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Lonnie Howard says: 5/5/2015 at 10:00:29 AM We have Upward Basketball here in Houston. But, they still seem to follow what schools and AAU does regarding ball sizes and basket heights. Like     login   register

I come to these questions differently. The player should be at least almost able to palm the ball. If the player can''''t grip the ball, the player will nestle the ball in her palm. On release, the ball will slide off the palm rather than being directed by the shooting fingers. Once habit , this is often overlooked and very hard to correct.

Similarly, the rim should be low enough that a jumping player can reach at least half way up the net. Then a layup is one and form shooting is not a strength exercise. My then 11 yr old son automatically developed perfect layup form when I broke an 8-10 foot basketball and got it permanently stuck at 7 1/2 feet.

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Why does my molten GG6X size 6,suddenly became so small after a few weeks of using it?

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We come down to Minnesota many times a year from Canada. It''s a 6 hour drive. My kids team is grade 6. They use a size 7 ball that''s 22 ounces. The rest of the world (FIBA) uses a size 6. It is way easier to teach proper mechanics with a smaller and lighter ball
Why is USA promoting this?
Thanks. Cory

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Joe Haefner says: 3/30/2017 at 10:18:10 AM Cory, I wish I knew. Like     login   register

My son showed an interest in basketball from a very young age. He had various toy balls from infancy to 4-5 years of age. But my present to him on his 4th birthday was 29.5 inch regulation basketball. I took him to the park and let him try to make a basket with it on a 10 ft rim. Needless to say, he had a difficult time making one. But placing that obstacle in front of him did not stop him from continually trying to make one. And he eventually did....over a year later, after a frustrating hour of trying...manage to eek the ball over the front of the rim. He's practiced with a Size 7 ever since, and worked on 10 ft rims as well. He's now 11, and easily one of the best shooters in his age group that I have seen. He has in fact been forced to use smaller (28.5 inch) balls to play in certain leagues and that has only hampered his accuracy. and almost certainly working with a large ball has improved his ball handling.

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i am 10 i like higher hoops because a school people keep talking SUGAR about me but at the gym i am like a god i think this is because of the court length at the school it is about a feet

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my bad 8 feet

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My 2nd grade boys team will be using a 27.5 inch ball through summer league, at a 8 foot rim height.


After that, And I disagree with this 100%, we increase to a 28.5" ball, AND raise to 9ft. It will be impossible to continue to progress from teaching basics, to running plays / spacing etc, cause everyone is going to be taking short shots again.

One or the other, seems OK, but both...ugh.

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Will says: 3/4/2019 at 1:48:52 PM I like how our recreational league does it in the Chicago suburbs: K/1st - 8 feet and 27.5 (This is a real struggle for kindergartners for the first month) 2/3 - 9 feet and 27.5 4/5 - 10 feet and 28.5 Girls (6-8) are at 28.5 and 10 feet in middle school I'm assuming boys are 28.5 in middle school as well, but can't confirm. Like     login   register

The sex of the player doesn't matter nearly as much as you're hoping. There's no reason a woman shouldn't play with a "men's" basketball. Sure, we have people to "predict" the weather but they're not accurate 100% of the time. Selling girls short helps no one!

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I am 10 and I can shoot a regular man's ball from the free shot line.

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