Are you planning to travel with your basketball either for a basketball camp or for your final match?
If you decide to take your basketball with you on a long flight, you would not hold it in your hands all across the flight.
Of course, you would need to keep it inside your bag. For this purpose, you have to deflate your basketball. But how can you do that?
The method of deflating basketball is very crucial for every basketball player because he can need it anytime whenever he requires to travel.
Hence, I have brought you another article in which I would discuss how you can deflate a basketball stepwise.
In this article, I have explained some simple DIY steps to compress your ball. We will also discuss why you require to deflate a basketball?
How to Deflate a Basketball?
There are several ways to deflate a basketball, which I would discuss in this content. But before you start executing this task, you must measure the current pressure of your basketball.
Measure the Ball Pressure
You can quickly examine the ball pressure by using an air pump along with an air pressure gauge. Analyzing your ball’s air pressure is essential before deflating it so that when you pump in the pressure again, you remember the ideal pressure of your basketball.
The average pressure of a basketball should be in-between 7 to 9 Pounds per Square Inch, which helps the ball rebound with equal pressure.
If you want to know, identify whether your ball comprises the right pressure, hold it in your hands and drop it. If it bounces back to your waist, it is perfect.
If it does not bounce back, it means the pressure is low. If it bounces higher than your waist, the pressure is above standard. Once you have checked the air pressure of your ball, it’s time to deflate it.
Methods to Deflate a Basketball
As discussed earlier, there are multiple methods to deflate a basketball. Start with our first method.
Using Inflation Needle
This is the simplest method of deflating a basketball. You usually need inflation or a pump needle to inflate the ball, but the fantastic thing is, you can use it for deflating too.
When you purchase an inflation needle, you would generally get an air pump along with it. Nevertheless, if you don’t get it, you may purchase it separately.
Pro Tip: If you want to deflate the ball completely, it is better to remove the air pump’s inflation needle.
To execute the deflation method, very carefully insert the inflation needle inside the basketball inflation valve. The air would start coming out automatically.
If you want to make the process faster, you can hold the ball into your hands and squeeze it. It would make the process more rapid.
Once you believe that the ball has deflated to the required pressure, remove the needle from its valve. Remember, do not pull out the needle suddenly; otherwise, it may damage your ball entirely.
Pro Tip: If you think that the air pressure is too low, you attach the air pump along with the needle to inflate the ball.
Without Inflation Needle
If you don’t have an inflation needle and look for some other methods to deflate the basketball, this method is for you. However, instead of an inflation needle, you would require any of the following tools.
- Sewing needle
- Bobby pin
- Any thin, long, firm tool
Warning: The instrument you would pick should not be thick enough to enter the inflation valve. Otherwise, it would destruct your basketball completely.
You can insert this instrument in the same way as you did with the inflation needle, but with more consciousness. Since the tool is not explicitly intended for this purpose, you have to be tremendously careful while inserting it into the valve.
However, whatever tool you select, don’t forget to moisten it before injecting it into the valve. Insert it carefully, and you would hear the sound of pressure releasing. Once the ball has compressed to its required pressure, remove the tool and check the air pressure.
Without Any Implement
Suppose you believe that inserting an inflation needle or any other instrument can be hazardous to your basketball, and you want some method in which you don’t need to insert anything into your ball. In that case, you can effortlessly adopt this method.
For this purpose, just put the ball inside the refrigerator. Bear in mind to clean the ball, place a piece of cloth on one of the shelves in the fridge, and then keep the ball onto it. Check every hour.
The coldness of the refrigerator would release the air pressure from the ball. But it is a gradual and temporary process. Once the ball starts warming, it would again be increasing the pressure.
Why do you need to Deflate a Basketball?
There are several reasons to deflate a basketball, which are discussed below:
- If you find that your basketball is over-inflated or the pressure is more than required, you would need to release an amount of pressure to make the ball rebound ideally.
- If you want to store the ball for a long time, you can compress it and keep it for a long time.
- You may need to travel for a basketball match or any other reason, due to which you would require to keep it inside your bag. However, to keep it in your bag, you can deflate the ball.
Final Verdict
Whatever the reason is, you can effortlessly deflate your basketball at home. I have discussed a few methods of deflating a basketball.
However, all you need is to be careful because if you insert the tool wrongly into the valve or pull it out swiftly, it can damage your ball. So, compress your ball and travel wherever you want to.