Spalding TF-Trainer Weighted Basketball
In this fully tested review, we will break down the best parts of this weighted basketball and some of the not so good parts. We believe Spalding is on to something great here, but does it live up to the hype?
We have owned and used the Spalding TF-Trainer for about 8 months now. There are also a variety of drills that you can incorporate to make the most gains in your basketball game.
3lbs of Awesome
When you first pick the ball up, you’ll notice it’s heft. Almost feeling like a medicine ball, this weighted basketball is very peculiar when you first get your hands on it.
The basketball itself feels very premium, like a very nice indoor ball. It even has the same plush feel that a lot of indoor balls have these days. Other than the weight, this ball is identical to a great indoor ball. Absolutely do not use this ball outdoors.
This ball is best used as a training and performance tool, and in that aspect, it’s pretty amazing. Working with the ball regularly will strengthen the parts of your game that normally would have held you back.
For example, if you are a right-hander and have trouble with left-hand layups, this ball will strengthen your left hand so that a regular basketball feels light in comparison. The same thing goes for your jumper, this ball will develop it so that shooting a regular ball will feel easy and effortless.
The Cons
As great a tool that this weighted ball can be, it also has a pretty major downside. I would definitely try not to use this ball on the same day as a game or team practice.
It’s tough to get the “feeling” of a regular ball back right away. I’ve found that after training with the TF-Trainer, it takes an additional 20 minutes of work with a regular ball to get back to “normal”.
The heft of this ball makes a standard basketball feel way too light for this time period. This can be fixed by using the training ball the day before any game or practice you may have.
It’s not a major con, but it’s difficult to find fault with a ball designed to train with.
Another minor con that we have seen, is the ball can be damaging to weak rims or nets. With 3 pounds of weight, it can do some pretty good damage to ANYTHING in its way.
Steer clear of shooting with people under the rim!
Durability
The ball has held up very well in our time with it, although it has taken some damage on the surface of the ball.
It isn’t anything that would affect its future performance, it just isn’t very pretty to look at anymore. In the 8 months of ownership, we’ve had to put air in twice and one of those was the initial air up before first use.
We see no reason this ball won’t last for seasons to come and very worth the initial investment.
Off Season Performance Tool
The way we use the ball most is as an off-season training tool. We will put in 2-hour sessions of using just this ball in the drills we normally reserve for a regular ball.
The great thing about the TF-Trainer is that you can treat it just like a normal ball. We’ve also found that the amount of energy we burn goes up immensely during training sessions.
Shooting jumpers for an hour with this ball feels like so much more work than we were used to. It can only benefit your game or your conditioning even more.
Don’t hesitate to get this into the hands of younger players, either. They will get much stronger, and they will develop better habits by using this. We congratulate Spalding on a job well done here.
Drills We Use The TF-Trainer For
- Standard lay-up drills– These drills become more fundamental driven because if you do not use your fundamentals, this ball will expose your weaknesses.
- Jumpers– Anytime you are working on jump shots, you should implement a session or two with the TF-Trainer. It will make shooting an ordinary basketball feel effortless.
- Dribbling– To dribble faster means to dribble harder, and what better way to dribble harder than to dribble a heavier ball? It works wonders in this area as well.
The Spalding TF-Trainer is a tool for making you or your players a more dynamic force on the basketball court. The combination of strength and fundamental building aspects leads us to highly recommend this weighted ball.
Conclusion
We can’t speak highly enough about the benefits of using this ball. My 10-year-old son has gotten much stronger and can now shoot 3 pointers with relative ease.
If you have a team that needs a training device that helps simulate playing the game, this ball will strengthen and help to reinforce the fundamentals that you teach.
Over the 8 months of use, we have found the ball to be very deserving of our highest recommendations. It is a training tool that every player must try and, I would hope, add to their training regime.
You can check the price of the Spalding TF-Trainer here.
Don’t forget to check out our other recommendations for great basketball gear that can help you become an elite level player.
Please let us know if you’ve added this ball to your training plan and what the benefits have been! Leave your comment below and we look forward to hearing from you.
