How to Measure Psi in a Basketball?

Basketballs have to bounce properly because that’s how you will be able to deliver the best performance. But even if you got a brand-new ball, it will still deflate if you leave it for a few days. Therefore, you should always measure its psi to check if the psi is correct for you or not.

But, how to measure PSI in a basketball? Well, measuring the psi of a basketball is very easy because there are a lot of ways for doing it. Please read on to find out all about the PSI measurements.

How to Measure Psi in a Basketball?

PSI Measurement with an inflation gauge

Measuring the PSI in a basketball is very easy because you only need to follow the given steps below and perform the measurement test.

1. Take out the inflation gauge from your bag.
2. Take out its air intake point pipe from the small folding it has.
3. Turn it on by pressing the power button if it is a digital meter. You won’t even need to turn it in if it is a manual psi measurement meter.
4. Attach both the connectors; the one at the tip of the meter’s pipe and the other one that is the air valve of your basketball.
5. Press with a little force into the air valve of the basketball. This is so that the air can come out of the valve when the valve is inside.
6. Now all the air will come out of the ball and put all the pressure on the PSI measurement pipe.
7. The meter will read that pressure and show you on the screen or the graph with the needle.

PSI Measurement without an inflation gauge

Measuring the PSI of the basketball without an inflation gauge may seem to you to be very difficult and technical. But actually, it is not that hard to measure the psi without the inflation gauge because you will only need to inflate your basketball for the first time. After that first time, you will need to perform the other method of it that we’re going to state below. 

To measure the PSI level of your basketball just requires you to get your basketball in your hands. Keep your hands straight withholding the basketball at your front side and drop it. If your basketball touches the ground and bounces back that means there is air inside the ball.

Well, just having air inside the ball doesn’t make it a playable basketball because it has to be at a certain level. Therefore, check if the ball touches the ground and comes back up to the level of your waist, only then is perfect air inside. If the ball goes too high, that means there is too much air in the ball.

Similarly, if the ball goes too low, that means you need more air in the ball. It is important that you follow the instructions given on the basketball box. If you have filled air up to 8 PSI into the basketball, it will let you play extraordinarily on the court. But if the same ball is taken to another surface like a dirt road or something, it may not bounce in a similar way. 

Different ways to pump air into the basketball

There are multiple ways of inflating a basketball by passing air into it. Not all of them are perfect but they worked for us so we are letting you know all about them here below.

Using a balloon to inflate the basketball

This method is as simple as filling air into a balloon with your mouth and not letting it pop. So you just have to inflate the balloon up to its full extent and then you will need to gather some items for further procedure. You will need a needle to pass on the air from the balloon to the basketball.

The needle should be like a hollow pipe from the inside and pointy enough to press the air valve of the basketball. Now pinch the balloon from the open mouth and do not let the air come out. Grab the balloon from its hole opening and wrap it around the needle. The balloon’s rubber opening is usually elastic as well as manufactured to get tightened.

But even if it doesn’t tighten on its own, then you can tie it by yourself on the needle. Now put the needle into the air valve and push it a little to the inside. It will open the air valve of the balloon and the air from the balloon will start going into the basketball. 

Using an ink tube holder of a pen

This method is not as easy as filling the air with a balloon. In this method, you will need to push the air valve of the basketball with the ink tube and blow inside the ball. This way, the basketball will start to inflate.

But as we have told you that this is not that easy, so you will need to blow harder. Don’t pass out. Give your mouth and lungs some rest if you feel exhausted. You must take the ink tube holder out of the valve when resting or refilling the air in your lungs for the next blow.

Using a compressed air can

Compressed air cans are used mainly by the supply chain departments of different offices. They use them to clean their electronic supplies and therefore, compressed air can is not that cost-effective. We thought we must tell you in advance as this is something luxurious if you have one.

Ok, now the compressed air can has a needle at the top that throws air rapidly out of the can. Just push that needle into the air valve of the basketball but make sure the basketball is a little flat. Now when the air is ready to go inside the ball, pull the trigger of the can.

Make sure that you only pull the trigger for 2 seconds at most. Because the air pressure is usually too high in the can and the can starts cooling down instantly if you keep getting the air out of it. Do this for some time and your basketball will be ready to play. But this method is not recommended even though it works very fine but is very expensive.

Other suggestions

• Visiting a bike or car mechanic shop
• Go to the nearest gas station and ask for air filling pump
• Some people also carry their small hand pump, you can ask them if they will spare some air for your ball.

Read More:

• How to Be Athletic in Basketball?
• Is Playing Basketball Can Make You Taller?