Ever since Lifetime pioneered the adjustable basketball hoop, adjustment mechanisms have been commonplace on home systems. Lifetime hoops are made for families to develop their basketball skills and build lasting memories together—this means creating hoops that are accessible to young players just picking up the game as well as older kids and adults who want to practice and play at a high level. To enhance the basketball experience for all players, Lifetime hoops are equipped with adjustment mechanisms, integrated in the pole, that allow the rim and backboard to be brought lower than the regulation height of 10 feet.
There are three categories of adjustment mechanism, and several different types of mechanism in each category.
Elite Performance Adjustment Mechanisms
These high-end adjustment mechanisms allow for near-effortless and instant adjustment of the hoop from 7.5 to 10 feet in any increment between the bottom and the top. They cost more than other adjustment mechanisms, but with high-quality components and sophisticated mechanics making operation reliable and easy, they are worth the investment if players intend to adjust their hoops often.
Power Lift
Easily done with just one hand, the Power Lift uses a gas spring mechanism that allows the hoop to glide to a position anywhere between the top and bottom. Simply squeeze the handle and push it up to lower the hoop, or pull it down to raise the hoop.
Pump Lift
A triggerless system that uses a gas spring to smoothly glide the hoop up and down as the user pushes or pulls on the handle, adjusting the rim between 7.5 and 10 feet. This mechanism is easy to use with just one hand.
Mammoth Lift
The most heavy duty and sophisticated adjustment mechanism, the Mammoth Lift combines size and strength with an intuitive gas spring system that easily adjusts between 7.5 and 10 feet. Using two hands, the operator can simply engage the trigger on the lift handle and glide the hoop to the desired height, where it will remain stable and secure. The adjustment motion is precise and nearly effortless.
High-Performance Adjustment Mechanisms
High-Performance adjustment mechanisms allow hoops to be quickly adjusted between set intervals, usually every three or six inches. These adjustment mechanisms may require a little more effort to use than advanced adjustment mechanisms, but still provide a quick and easy way to adjust the height of the hoop.
Action Grip
The Action Grip adjustment mechanism uses a convenient handle with a trigger release. When the trigger is engaged, the handle glides up and lowers the hoop to the desired height, or it can be pulled down, lifting the hoop up. The one-handed vertical grip adjusts and locks the hoop into place in set 3-inch increments between 7.5 and 10 feet.
Speed Shift
Similar to the Action Grip, the Speed Shift uses a handle with a trigger that locks the hoop to the desired height, which can be adjusted between 8 feet and 10 feet in set increments of 6 inches. It is a one-handed mechanism that glides up and down to adjust the height of the hoop, and can be operated quickly and easily.
Foot Adjust
Designed to make easy height adjustment accessible for even small children, the Foot Adjust mechanism uses a foot step to disengage the lock on the hoop’s height setting, so it can then be easily lowered or raised, between 8 and 10 feet in set 6-inch increments. With this adjustment mechanism, children can adjust the hoop’s height without needing the attention of an adult.
Strong Arm
With an extension arm that locks into place, the Strong Arm adjustment allows players to raise and lower the hoop in 6-inch increments between 8 and 10 feet. This adjustment features a one-hand grip.
Quick Adjust
The Quick Adjust is a classic, reliable adjustment mechanism that allows the hoop to be set between 8 and 10 feet in increments of 6 inches. Using a broom handle (or similar rod/tool), the hoop can be pushed up from below to raise the height, where it will lock into place along a reinforced track. To lower, it is pushed up to disengage itself from the so it can then slide down into a lower position. This adjustment is quick, easy, and stable.
Front Adjust
In situations where space is tight or regularly positioning oneself behind the basketball hoop to adjust the height is inconvenient, the Front Adjust mechanism provides simple and easy-to-use height adjustment that can be engaged from the front of the basketball system. Two trigger handles positioned on the pole slide up and down, raising or lowering the hoop between 7.5 and 10 feet in set 6-inch increments, from a convenient place in front of the system.
Performance Adjustment Mechanisms
Performance Adjustment Mechanisms are cost effective and allow players who don’t plan to adjust the height of their hoop often to enjoy a high-quality adjustable system in a budget-conscious way. These mechanisms adjust the hoop between 7.5 and 10 feet, and their method of adjustment requires slightly more time.
Crank Adjust
The classic Crank Adjust system is a reliable and easy way to adjust the height of a hoop between 7.5 and 10 feet in any increment. The crank is turned, rotating a bolt housed inside the mechanism that steadily slides the backboard and rim section up or down on the system. This powerful mechanism is used for high-end tempered glass backboards, but requires some time and effort to use, so is usually best for hoops that will not be adjusted as often. The Crank Handle can be easily removed, so that others will not be able to change the height of the hoop from a desired placement.
Telescoping Adjust
The telescoping adjust consists of a sliding pole set inside a housing pole which is locked in place by a strong removeable bolt. This system adjusts from 7.5 to 10 feet in increments of 6 inches. To adjust the hoop, the player must tip the system down to be parallel with the ground. Then the bolt can be unscrewed to allow the pole to slide into a new position. When the new height is set, the bolt is screwed back in to lock the hoop into the new height setting, and the hoo pcan be returned to an upright position.