The Complete Handbook of Basketball Backboards

It's a solid reference, but it reads a bit like a code manual at times. I was hoping for more practical advice on picking a color or brand reputation, but it spends most of its time on torque specs and anchor patterns. The chapter on installation is good if you are a contractor, but it's dense for a hobbyist like me who just mounted a board in the driveway. Also, the glossary in the back is handy, even if the rest is sometimes slow.

I manage a community rec center, and our old backboards were a disaster. This handbook does a great job of breaking down the differences between institutional and residential grades, which stocked the use of my time with procurement. The installation chapter saved me from a huge headache. I took off a star because the troubleshooting chapter is a bit thin on the electronics for shot clocks that we have integrated, but otherwise it's been incredibly useful.

There is a lot of excellent information here, but the first chapter is a bit slower than the rest. It goes into the physics of the rebound which is interesting but not critical. However, I found the chapters on selecting the backboard and the maintenance sections very concrete. I bought this after a polycarbonate board cracked in -10 degree weather, and the material specs alone saved me from repeating a costly mistake.

As someone who designs custom courts for high-end clients, I consider this handbook an essential part of my library. It does not matter how good the hardwood or the paint looks; if the backboard is wrong, the space is wrong. The book does a superb job detailing how the weight and the mounting system interact with a specific wall structure, which is the first thing I have to verify. The installers on my crew now have a reading assignment.

Very thorough and provides a level of detail that is just hard to find online. The chapter on types and specs was worth the price of the book for me, specifically the section that explains how a 72-inch versus a 60-inch backboard truly changes your court dimensions and the shot angle. I use it as a reference manual, not a cover-to-cover read. Just wish the print size was a little larger for the diagrams.

Covers exactly what I needed to understand before refitting our outdoor varsity court. I appreciated why the book insists on tempered glass alternatives, but I rejected the hype and went with a good acrylic board because this book explains that the usage frequency is the deciding factor. It is written by a technical writer, not a salesman. I skimmed the business chapter, but the maintenance schedule checklist is now laminated and hanging in the gym closet.

The book is thorough, but I am a bit underwhelmed by the 'business opportunities' part. I was expecting practical numbers on profit margins for moving old boards, but it reads more like a general overview. The first chapters on the backboards themselves are excellent, particularly the guidance on choosing the right fixings for different wall materials. But it could have used a bit more real-world 'street talk' to fill out its 3 to 4 stars.