Spalding Ultimate Hybrid Review – Is It The Ultimate Hoop?

Welcome to my review of Spalding Ultimate Hybrid!

This pro-style hoop is designed for serious players. The fascinating goal offers the convenience of a mobile system while transforming your game into a professional one.

In other words, with improved stability and overall performance, Spalding Hybrid Portable Hoop is ready to ensure an NBA-like experience at home.

With heavy-duty features and a sturdy design, this model is a unique choice if you are in search of a high-quality hoop. In this Spalding Ultimate Hybrid review, you will learn exactly why.

Get ready to slam and dunk!

Spalding Ultimate Hybrid Review

Spalding Ultimate Hybrid Review

Being one of the ultimate choices for basketball lovers, its portability and transportability change the game completely. You can take your Spalding Ultimate Hybrid system wherever you desire.

With the option of adding sand or water to the base of the hoop, the Spalding offers a rigid and structured base for playing – more about this later in my review.

In addition to a mighty base, it features a high-grade breakaway rim, taking your game to the next level. If you are a fan of dunking and slamming then Hybrid is just your hoop!

Furthermore, a phenomenal quality backboard allows perfect rebound performance, adding more excitement to your game.

Even though Spalding Ultimate Hybrid is a professional hoop, you can also play with it even if you are an intermediate player. If you are practising to join the NBA team, Hybrid will be your partner 😊

All in all, the Hybrid boasts around with a perfect competitive game plan.

Backboard Size54″ or 60″
Backboard MaterialAcrylic
Rim QualityArena Slam Breakaway rim
Support Pole3,5″ 3-piece steel pole
Base System9-gallon + 200-pound base
Height Adjustment7.5 – 10 feet
Overall Rating🏀🏀🏀🏀
Price$820– $1050
Best forAll types of hoopsters

Spalding Ultimate Hybrid Main Features

Equipped with fantastic parts, and backed by an affordable price, Spalding Ultimate Hybrid can be a great addition to your basketball court at home.

From a great backboard to a stable base, breakaway rim, study support pole, and incredible height adjustment, this model from Spalding has it all.

And through my Spalding Ultimate Hybrid review, you will learn all about the exciting features basketball hoop has and how they can improve your b-ball skills.

Backboard

With Hybrid, you can find a good range of options for your backboard.

There is 54 inches and a 60 inches backboard made from acrylic material. Acrylic is a pretty good mid-level backboard.

On the other hand, there is an expensive and luxurious 54 inches tempered glass backboard too.

The acrylic backboard performance on Hybrid is great, as compared to competitors’ same material backboards. When the ball hits the backboard, it rebounds impressively with great velocity.

Furthermore, the bank shots and the layup performance are also good.

Although the acrylic board is good, I would still recommend buying a tempered glass version. It’s going to cost you a bit more, but it’s going to be worth it! Trust me.

Spalding NBA Ultimate Hybrid 60" Acrylic Portable Basketball Hoop

Rim

Overall, the rim of the Spalding Ultimate Hybrid is impressive. In case you are wondering, it is an arena-style breakaway rim. If you love to dunk and slam, you will love this rim then.

The rim is covered by quality steel metal to protect you. However, I would recommend you take it slow to maintain the shelf life of the rim.

What makes Hybrid interesting is that it has a protected metal case for the rim.

Unlike other expensive basketball systems, there is no naked spring that may rust in rainy weather. Since the spring in Spalding Hybrid is covered, the chances of corrosion are also eliminated.

However, here is something interesting I learn while doing my Spalding Ultimate Hybrid review.

The shots that hit the front of the rim tend to perform badly. The reason is the flimsy quality in the front. Therefore, hanging on the rim is also not recommended when dunking as the rim may collapse.

Support Pole

You will find a three-piece support pole with a Hybrid. In other words, there are three supporting poles that are attached together to support the structure.

Many people believe that one piece support pole is superior. And they are not far away from the truth. One piece is stronger, vibrates less, and holds the entire structure better than other support systems.

However, a one-piece pole is found high ended in-ground systems only.

On the good side, the support pole in Hybrid is an angle pole. The angled pole adds great stability to the hoop. However, it still is going to shake and vibrate a bit.

That’s just how it is with mobile basketball hoops.

Base

Spalding NBA Ultimate Hybrid 60" Acrylic Portable Basketball Hoop

The base of the Hybrid is what sets it apart from others. Are you ready to learn something new?

The majority of the hoops in this category allow water to be filled in the base. And when the base has the option of water filling only, the size also increases.

That said, they usually come in sizes of 25 gallons to 60 gallons.

However, Spalding Ultimate Hybrid is changing the game! It allows water as well as sand in the base. In fact, there are two main compartments in the Hybrid model.

See, the first compartment can be filled with water, holding a maximum of 19 gallons. The second compartment allows bags of sand. You can add up to 5 bags of 50 pounds each (max 200 pounds!).

With the option of water and sand together, the overall stability increases dramatically.

All this is also going to help you move the Hybrid easily. It is hard to move a 60-gallon water-filled base. However, with both the options together, the portability is better.

Height Adjustment

Spalding NBA Ultimate Hybrid 60" Acrylic Portable Basketball Hoop

The height adjustment of the Spalding Ultimate Hybrid is great. You can easily adjust it to a minimum of 7.5 feet. And the maximum height adjustment is 10 feet.

To make an easy and convenient height adjustment method, guys from Spalding have added a screw jack with an infinite lift feature.

You just have to rotate the screw jack in clockwise to lower the overall height with the rim moving towards. And rotate the jack in a counterclockwise direction to keep the rim higher.

And in case you need more info, before you get this hoop, check out the YouTube video below…

What Do I like About Spalding Ultimate Hybrid?

There are certain things that I personally like about Spalding Ultimate Hybrid in my review. Such as:

  • The three-piece supporting pole adds durability to the whole basketball hoop structure.
  • Due to the screw jack mechanism, lowering and raising the height of the hoop is super easy.
  • The facility of two compartmentalized filling in the base makes it highly stable.
  • Due to the dual weighting system, you can easily move this hoop from place to place.
  • The arena-style breakaway rim is ideal for monstrous dunks and slams (no hanging!).
  • The backboard offers great rebound performance in both acrylic and tempered glass versions.
  • Bank shots and the layup performance of acrylic backboard are superior to other acrylic backboards.
  • 16” offset making it less likely to crash on the basketball support pole after dunking.

What I Don’t Like About Spalding Ultimate Hybrid?

Throughout the features, I have shared my reservations. But here are the concluding things that I am not satisfied with the Spalding Ultimate Hybrid in my review.

  • Assembling the hoop is difficult, and the manual lacks proper instructions.
  • The glossary for nuts and bolts is inaccurate, making assembling challenging for new users.
  • It’s pretty heavy, and you need many people to help in assembling it.
  • Reserve layup is not great with the 54 inches backboard (not wide enough).
  • Rim gets flimsy when the shot is hit from the front (weaker construction).

Who Is Spalding Ultimate Hybrid Best For?

After the thorough Spalding Ultimate Hybrid review, it is safe to say that it is perfect for professional players. Basketball enthusiasts who are either planning to be a part of the NBA or already are.

But even if you are a wannabee NBA star (like me!), you will have a great time with this model.

Spalding NBA Ultimate Hybrid 60" Acrylic Portable Basketball Hoop

Also, teenagers learning to dunk and slam can also opt for the Hybrid. The reason is simple! The base is strong and the chances of the basketball hoop structure tipping over are negligible.

Therefore, the probability of injury to a new leaner is also low.

Conclusion

When analyzing, all the pros and cons, I come to a conclusion that the Spalding Hybrid is a great purchase. It has some impressive features that are unavailable in other models.

In other words, Spalding Ultimate Hybrid is the ultimate hoop for professionals and basketball enthusiasts. It is a perfect addition to your home court.

Whether it’s your family or friends, with Hybrid, boast around with a perfect competitive gameplan.

Even though Spalding Ultimate Hybrid is preferable for professionals, intermediate level players can also play with it. For those who are practising to join the professional NBA, Hybrid will be their partner.

Backboard Size54″ or 60″
Backboard MaterialAcrylic
Rim QualityArena Slam Breakaway rim
Support Pole3,5″ 3-piece steel pole
Base System9-gallon + 200-pound base
Height Adjustment7.5 – 10 feet
Overall Rating🏀🏀🏀🏀
Price$820– $1050
Best forAll types of hoopsters

Here are some of the things I like the most about the Hybrid…

The gym-quality structure offers great support which increases the overall stability of the hoop. Moreover, the arena-style breakaway rim allows dunking and slamming.

And the uncompromised quality of the backboard is amazing as well. I just wish to see it in the 72″ version if that’s even possible with this construction…

But the base with two compartments is a revolution in itself. It allows water and sand combination, making transportability a flawless dream.

Spalding is offering the exact they are promising.

That said, if you are in need of a pro-style hoop then Hybrid from Spalding is your ultimate partner!

With this, we have come to the end of my Spalding Hybrid review. What do you like about it the most? Do let me know in the comment box below…

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10 thoughts on “Spalding Ultimate Hybrid Review – Is It The Ultimate Hoop?”

  1. Thanks for the great info Ivan,

    I’ve tried the lesser expensive basketball hoops in the past and they just didn’t hold up. Not to mention the straight pole design was hard on the body when you drove to the basket.

    The Ultimate Hybrid with it’s offset design and easy height adjustments would make it a great option for young (shorter) players as well as more advanced hoopsters. How is it for moving once you load the base with sand or water? Can one person move it easily?

    Thanks,

    Rex

    Reply
    • You’re welcome, Rex 🙂

      Because its base is a hybrid (you can use the mix of sand and water to weigh down the structure), it’s MUCH easier to move the hoop around! All you have to do is take down the sand bags and tow the Hybrid wherever you want. It’s definitely a one person job!

      Reply
  2. Thanks, Ivan, for such a detailed Spalding Ultimate Hybrid review.

    I have a nephew who’s a die-hard basketball fan. Basketball is always on his mind and he trains religiously.

    There are a few features that I like about the hybrid. I like that it offers wannabees an NBA type of experience. It looks like it could be used both indoors and outdoors.

    I like that the base offers dual action for both water and sand. Some hoops can be very heavy, especially those filled with water only, so this is a nice option to have.

    Reply
    • You’re welcome, Dana! I’m glad you like my review of the Hybrid. Let me know if you have any questions 😊

      Reply
  3. Thanks very much Ivan for all the details on your Spalding Ultimate Hybrid review. I played basketball in high school and college and always enjoyed pick up games later in life. Although at this point in life I engage mostly in golf and Tai Chi, I still enjoy the game very much. I really do like the features of this hybrid and would have loved to have had one as a kid when I was learning the game. There are also many nice options offered with this pro-style hoop.

    Reply
  4. According to the price it looks very good, but If I will order this I think most probably I will some technical people to fix it for me, I don’t think I can assemble this on my own.

    Does it have the option to drill it on the ground instead of loading weight?

    Overgall it looks solid with adjustable hight and durable .

    Reply
    • It’s always recommended to hire tech people to help you. If you order on Amazon, you can pay extra for them to do it. Unfortunately, you can’t drill the Hybrid into the ground. See this post to find some cool in-ground hoops.

      Reply
  5. Thanks for sharing. This seems like a very interesting product right here. However the price seems a little high right here. But I will have to look into more detail for this that is for sure. After getting more information I will for sure think about buying that is for sure. 

    Reply
  6. The Spalding Ultimate Hybrid basketball hoop sounds like an awesome hoop for all the players that love slamming and dunking. To be able to make the base stable by putting sand and water in, and then tip it out to move it around, is a great feature. 

    The Hybrid hoop does seem to be very affordable for the range of features it offers. You mention that a tempered glass backboard is worth the additional expense. But what are the advantages of having a tempered glass backboard, rather than an acrylic one? Thank you. 

    Reply

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