How to Install a Bolt Down Basketball Goal

Better stability and more high-end features are two of the benefits of bolt down basketball goals, which are sturdy, easy to level, and are the choice of many competitive hoopsters who want to play at home.

Anchoring your hoop

Bolt down basketball systems add to the stability and rigidity of the hoop and backboard while still allowing you to move from your home and take your hoop. An anchor kit installation entails digging a hole, pouring the concrete and then submerging four J-bolts, a template and four sticks of reinforcing bar into the concrete. After the concrete dries, there are four corresponding holes on the baseplate of the hoop that slide over before the hoop is then bolted down. Anchor kit installs are typically for higher-end hoops, and they do offer the advantage of transportability should you ever move and want to bring your hoop along to your new residence.

Things to watch out for

In the course of planning the installation of your bolt down basketball hoop, make sure to avoid inadvertently cutting your sprinkler line. Also, watch out for cable and electric wires. Always call 811 before you dig to make sure no service lines conflict with your desired installation location. Use a spade to dig the hole and a shovel for cleaning out the hole. Make sure to tamp the bottom of the hole down flat after you have dug to the desired depth. This will leave a flatter surface for the concrete to cure on. That will give you a basketball system that is ultimately a lot more stable.

Install the hoop close enough to the driveway where there is sufficient overhang, especially if you have driveway pavers. Dig your hole 36-48 inches deep depending on specifications so the hoop will hold up and so that the bottom of the hole is below the permafrost layer. This will help avoid the risk of the hoop tilting after a deep freeze next winter.