Customer Reviews

Spalding TF-1000 ZK Basketball - Full Size

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was introduced to the TF-1000 when my daughter first began playing for a competitive AAU team. I have found it not only to be a step above the rest, but the best indoor ball period.

It has an excellent feel and touch for shooting, passing, and dribbling. It retains air and holds its shape very well. And after more than two years of use it still seems new -- plenty of life remaining.

All balls are different, but because this one is often used as a competitive game ball at tournaments, it's important for a player to practice with the same equipment with which they will be competing. As the saying goes, "Practice how you play because you play like you practice."

Finally, if this ball is ever lost it will be easy to replace for the simple reason that it is such a standard in the women's game today. Please be aware that this is an indoor ball for use in gyms, not outdoors on asphalt or concrete.

The TF-1000 is an NFHS approved basketball for high schools and often used as a game ball. As such it may be considered a must-have piece of equipment for the competitive player.

(Note: If you shop around on Amazon you may find this ball offered at a lower price from another merchant.)

Play hard, have fun.

I flipped a coin two years ago and got the Evolution instead of the TF-1000. Have always wondered if I made the right choice so I just got the TF-1000 as well.

Pros: feels great in the hand, wants to go into the hoop, hey, sounds great when bouncing off the hardwood!

Cons: doesn't bounce as consistently true as the Evolution.

Differences in the two: yeah, my Evolution feels "spongy" but I like "spongy". The TF-1000 feels hard in comparison, but not bad, just real different. The channels almost feel sharp. I, like most of you, never look at the ball when I'm dribbling and the TF-1000 wants to get away from me on occasion, not all the time but enough that it's disconcerting. The Evolution always comes straight back up into my palm, every time. If I didn't switch balls for comparison I wouldn't know, but I have to say I prefer my Evolution for bomb-proof dribbling.

Both feel great coming off my fingertips, both want to go into the hoop. Both feel like real basketballs, the kind you'd only choose for games. If I had to choose I'd take my Evolution, but really it's a tossup.

edit: I just got back from the gym where I shot with both balls with 4 other guys. Three of them eventually preferred the Evolution, but they all loved the TF-1000 when they first handled it. Go figure.

I think that the TF-1000 is the best basketball for indoor use, even better than the Wilson Evolution. Never use the TF-1000 in an outdoor court (concrete or asphalt) or your just wasting your money. The ball will get beat up in no time. This is the ball for an extremely competitive player. It's NFHS approved and is the Official High School used ball. The TF-1000 needs breaking in, in order for you to get the real feel to it. I usually purchase regular $20 Spalding grip control basketballs to use. I always use them indoors but they only last two months. Trust me, instead, buy the TF-1000. It has a nice grip, and always seems to go in the hoop. Plus, it'll last more than two years. I play in many different leagues such as the USSSA and games at the Rec. Center and my TF-1000 or somebody else's seem to always get picked.

Speaking of money, don't waste your time buying a TF-1000 in stores. The best deal would be buying it off of Amazon. Come on, $33 for a new Spalding TF-1000! That's a great deal! Also, the difference between the TF-1000 ZK and the ZK PRO is pretty much the price and the channel depth. The ZK PRO has a deeper channel. There is too much grip and takes longer to break in. I'd prefer you buy this instead. Cheaper and better! With Free Shipping, there's no better deal than this! Don't miss out!

The Good: Easily handles getting beat up
Best ball for indoor
Microfiber composite leather
Grip is perfect
Soft and polished
Good for using if you don't want to keep replacing basketballs

The Bad: Needs breaking in
Some people will try to steal it
Can only be used for indoors

(P.S. Put your name on this if you buy one and make sure you keep an eye out for thieves.)

Updated: 12/12/10

After using it for for months, the words do come off. It's just a little bit, not too much. The basketball from the start is a dark brown color but eventually turns into a lighter color, so don't worry about the ball's color when you first get it. I was freaked out but then noticed it started to change bit by bit. There are little and minor scratches. I never dribbled this ball outside so the quality is still amazing. The surface has a little less grip. Whenever you shoot the ball and swish it, it looks much more clean. Still, great quality basketball. After all, I used it for only four months, and I played with it about 12 hours a week so I used it for about 194 hours. I had to re-pump it with air 2 times since when I first received the product. It looks like it'll last for 3-4 more years. I'm pretty sure it will.

Updated: 6/22/11

After about a year, this ball is still in great condition. It occasionally gets slippery from the sweats but that's common to most balls. It tends to get flat often. I have to pump it up every month or so. There are many major scratches on it now even though I only use it indoors. All the letters have peeled off except for the outlines where it ways "spalding" and "TF-1000". The basketball now seems to be broken in. I previously used a TF-1000 where the surface was totally worn out. I'll see if it happens to mine in a couple of months when I re-update it. For right now, it's still in great shape, better than I imagined despite those ten major white cuts and scratches on the surface. Nothing is peeling off. For tips though, if you see the skin slightly peeling off, don't mess with is. There's still some grip on it but a very notible difference from the first time used.

Updated: 10/11/11
It's been 4 months after the last review. This basketball has been keeping its shape for a long time now. Still is amazing and it still a top basketball to use. Scratches come and go but it doesn't affect your shooting nor dribbling. The grip is worn out but there is still some that are noticeable. The new TF-1000 legacy just came out. I used it and the feel is totally different compared to the regular TF-1000. I would prefer to stick to this one since it is most likely still going to be the official high school basketball for games, but if you're just getting one for fun and not a serious high school/older baller, then get the new TF-1000 legacy since it's newer and estimated to have the same "life" My TF-1000 was just recently stolen so for reminders "TAKE GOOD CARE OF THIS BALL"! I just purchased a brand new TF-1000.

This ball is in a league of its own - the feel and bounce unrivaled. Everytime we run pickups this is the game ball. Whether mine or someone else's, a TF-1000 is always chosen. The grip is not too slick, not too tacky but just right. It only gets better as the game moves on. I wanted something as close to the NBA game ball as possible. That meant no deep channels and a true bounce. I hate those cheaper balls with too much cushion that bounce all over the place whenever you put it to the floor with authority. This ball, however, is the definition of control - it performs equally well finessing a low dribble through traffic as it does on a hard one-bounce to the cup for a Lebron-esque tomahawk dunk.

My only gripe is that quality control is hit-or-miss. With mine in particular, the panels were horribly glued. Some of the edges overlap the rubber channel while another is already peeling away from a lack of adhesive after only a month of ownership. And I also find myself inflating it quite often, about once every 1.5 weeks. Spalding requires you to return it to the point of purchase for any warranty claims. My return window already expired with Amazon yet they still offered to take it. Since this would mean I'd be without a ball for who knows how long, I decided against it and super glued it back in place. It's been holding up fine since.

I just got my new TF-1000 and was disappointed. I've owned several in the past and have loved them all. It's always been a great feeling ball and the "game ball" with the guys I play with. My new one is a different story. Although it felt good when I opened the box, in the gym it had a much harder feel and the bounce was poor. No matter how much I inflated it, the ball still bounced like a ball left out in the cold. I'm hoping that I just got a defective ball and I'm trying to get it replaced. I'll repost when it's resolved. Hopefully with good news.

The new TF1000(and Legacy) "Advance Moisture Management" has a fake feel. It's similar to the material used for the test NBA game ball they used temporarily some years ago. Most of the NBA players hated it and they changed back mid season. Spalding probably didn't know what to do with the material and had to sit on it for a while before they figured they'd psyche us out by switching it out with the TF1000 original. Underhanded move by Spalding. Look for the one that says ZK Microfiber composite or get the ZKPro model. Do not get anything but the new ZK Pro, AMM, Legacy or HzO as they are NOT like the original ZK material. The only thing different with the new ZK Pro model with the classic is the deeper channels but the material is the same. The 3 stars is for the new model which is for the deeper channels which embeds the fingers in the ball not allowing the ball to spin naturally in hand. I absolutely LOVE the classic TF and can't believe Spalding would do this to us! EVERYONE loved the old TF 1000 and I wish they had ONLY changed the classic TF to the Legacy name and the naming schemes and models would have been left intact. But NO, they don't have ANY good balls now except for the NBA Game ball which takes ages to break in. I'm pissed at Spalding.

I purchased the TF-1000 ZK on Amazon approximately 8 months ago. After approximately four months, the black lettering started peeling off and has continued to do so slowly but surely. This ball is used only in a basketball gym with wooden floors twice a week. I must admit the performance and feel of the ball is O.K., although it has a more tacky grip/surface than most competition balls. Small pieces of the rubberized lettering, starting with the smaller letters, continue to come loose regularly. I would consider purchasing this ball at a store where I could show them the problem and have a better handle on the ball's origin, but would not purchase it online again. A good basketball should last 6-8 years with the type of play mine gets, but I'll be amazed if this one doesn't fall apart long before then.

Wow, if you miss a shot with this thing, it's your fault. It's amazing how different the basketballs are these days, and how much they effect your shooting. The really grippy $20 balls are really weird. I kept the Wilson because it wasn't too grippy, but I took the Spalding "Grip Control" ball back. I literally couldn't shoot it, no matter how hard I tried. It's too grippy and it actually makes you change your shot, how the ball rolls off you fingertips. The Evolution and Solution Wilson balls are spongy, marshmellowy, and feel too light. They're not even close to the TF-1000. This ball is perfect right out of the box. It's that slighly darker color, so it even looks good, not the brighter orange that you see on some balls. It's slighly darker than the picture on line. The only spendier ball is Spalding's NBA Official game ball, and it is really slippery out of the box, and requires some break-in time. I don't know how long. Another reviewer really liked it once he broke it in. Anyway, the TF-1000 feels great, looks great, bounces true, and rolls off you fingertips just like a ball should, nothing but net. And at $37, it's a steal. Retail is $56. So, if you're looking for a great ball right out of the box, shop no more, you've found it.

Forget about TF-1000 vs. Evolution vs. Solution. The Consensus is that Evolution is better than the Solution (More people have bought it, more people have reviewed it. Personally, I find the Solution to be TOO soft. If you are playing NCAA, then obviously you want to play with a common league ball, which is a Solution. By all means, Solution is your best best, if you are an NCAA player) Now we go to the real debate: Spalding TF-1000 vs. Wilson Evolution. I have felt both of them brand new, in the store. When I first compared the two, I thought it was Evo, hands down. TF-1000 was way too hard, way too tacky. But that's just because you haven't broken it in. Once you play with it for a while, it becomes soft, yet still maintaining that hardness you want in a ball (as in, it doesn't become spongy/too cushioned like the Evo and Solution). You know what really sold it for me though? This is the ball used in high school leagues; it is NSHA approved (Meaning it can be used in college as well? Not sure). Like I said with the Wilson Solution - practice with the ball your league uses. It is common sense, as you can adapt to the ball better when you play. I'm sure NBA players practice with Spalding official game balls (Granted it is broken in), so you should follow the same logic as well. It also feels really good leaving your hands - it will provide a good backspin. It's a little hard to grip at first, but if anything, that'll improve your hand strength. I really have nothing bad to say; it could've been cheaper, but this seems to be the standard price. I spent a long time debating the two, and TF-1000 is what I went with.

*Extended Review added 7/19/11
So I've had the ball for a little under a month now, and have broken the ball in. The ball has a softer touch than before, which to me, feels like the ideal touch. It feels great when you palm it, and the bounce is very consistent.

I have also played with the Wilson Solution, which belonged to some guy I knew at the Y. After roughly 3 months of playing, I can't stand playing with the solution. It is just way too spongy and doesn't have that hardness you want in a ball. And it also feels very small due to its softness. Shooters, this may be appealing to you, but trust me, it's not a quality that you want in a ball.

I've played basketball all my life and play twice a week year round. I have only been using this ball for a long time (owned 4 or 5 not counting the ones ordered today) and I just ordered 3 more today since they are a little hard to find. Obviously, I have not been disappointed by this ball. And, its always the preferred ball among the group of guys I play with.

As with any good ball, it will take a few weeks or more of regular play to break it in. After that initial break in period when it is a little hard, it will become flexible and will bounce well and consistently. I always have at least two of these balls and I order a new one when the one we're playing with starts to show its age and give it a few weeks to break in before it sees game time.
I would suggest that people stay away from the similar ZK Pro ball. The only difference between this ZK Microfiber Composite and the ZK Pro is that the Pro has more padding giving it deeper channels. The problem is that due to the deep channels, the handling of the ball is too inconsistent. Especially when shooting, if you happen to be gripping the channels, you will get a lot more grip than if you don't happen to grip in the channels. The Pro is also a little to spongy due to the thicker panels.