Top 5 Hardwood Basketball Court Floor Performance Features

Gym flooring can have a significant impact on athletes’ performances and the overall well-being and experience of the people who use the facility.  Whether you run a professional sports arena, a high school gym, or a sports facility for recreational users, you should have a safe, high-performance floor.  There are countless benefits of using maple gym floors. In this post, we’re going to shine a light on the most important ones. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the five key hardwood basketball court floor performance features.

Shock Absorption

Shock absorption is a major contributor to performance. It also significantly impacts player success on the court. Hardwood maple is one of the most durable materials you can use for your gym floor. Maple hardwood floors also offer the best shock absorption. This makes them an excellent choice for basketball courts, and for various other sports like volleyball, handball, and racquetball.

One could argue that better shock absorption doesn’t contribute to injury prevention. There is also evidence that more shock absorption means less fatigue for the players.  The lower-extremity joints are under less stress, making hardwood floors less taxing on the player’s body.

We should also mention that hardwood floors that serve to accommodate only one type of activity should provide consistent shock absorption throughout the entire surface if you’re aiming for maximum performance.  To ensure consistent shock absorption, you should choose the right type of material for the particular activity and have a high-quality subfloor installed.

Vertical Deflection

Vertical deflection is closely tied with shock absorption, as the higher the level of shock absorption is, the more vertical deflection there will be.  In layman’s terms, vertical deflection is the floor’s downward movement during the user’s point of impact.  For example, when jumping on a concrete floor, the player feels zero deflection.  On the other hand, synthetic and rubber flooring materials have a high vertical deflection percentage. 

In this context, the maple hardwood floor offers the best performance.  This especially comes into play in activities where lower-extremity joint stability is critical.  Vertical deflection helps increase foot stability, which is crucial in fast-paced sports that require a lot of jumping, such as basketball and volleyball.  However, if excessive, vertical deflection can have a counter effect and cause the player to be slower and more unstable on the court.

Area Deflection

Unlike vertical deflection, which is measured at the point of impact, area deflection is a measurement that reflects energy dispersal throughout the hardwood floor.  It serves to show the floor’s ability to contain the area under the player’s impact and is assessed under the MFMA PUR Standards.

Generally speaking, maple hardwood floors with a sound subfloor system provide a wider area of deflection compared to other surfaces.  In comparison, synthetic sports floors still provide shock absorption but have a much narrower field of deflection.  However, the specific area deflections of hardwood floors can be customized and depend on the preferences of coaches and players.

Friction

Surface friction is one of those performance-affecting features that have to be just perfect.  Not having enough friction will lead to players sliding all over the court and losing control, possibly hurting themselves.  In contrast, if the surface of your floor possesses excessive friction, it can impede the player’s movement and affect the way they play.  This is especially important for sports such as basketball, which requires the right balance of surface friction.

One of the most significant factors that determine surface friction is the finish on the floor.  A high-performance maple hardwood floor should meet the MFMA Standards mentioned above and fall under the recommended friction standards.

Ball Bounce

Basketball bounce or ball rebound measurements are crucial when testing the floor’s quality. Maple hardwood floors also come out on top when it comes to this aspect.  Unlike most of the other softer materials that provide lower ball bounce, hardwood floors provide ideal ball bounce conditions for indoor sports activities.

In the context of basketball, how well a ball bounces is a crucial factor in how the game is played, and how the players will perform.  It is precisely for this reason that basketballs are always used when testing ball bounce performance.

Basketball bounce tests serve as an excellent base value for determining the performance of other balls on the court.  While the rebound numbers can vary based on other factors, such as shock absorption, there are clear rules for ball bounce percentages.  For maple hardwood floors, ball bounce measurements should always be around 93% at a minimum.

The Importance of Proper Maintenance

To enjoy all of these performance benefits a hardwood basketball court floor has to offer, it’s crucial that you properly maintain your hardwood floor. Be sure to sweep the floor daily and always take care of it according to the manufacturer’s specifications.  Maintain a stable relative humidity every day, and never turn off your AC for prolonged periods.  Also, keep any water off the surface and immediately remove any liquids if they get spilled on the hardwood.

We’ve covered the topic of hardwood maintenance in more detail in one of our previous posts. Make sure to go through it and learn all of the important cleaning practices that will help extend the life of your gym floor.  Aside from these day-to-day activities, you shouldn’t skip on bigger upkeep projects.  This includes screening and recoating your hardwood floor on an annual basis to ensure maximum protection and performance.

Hardwood Basketball Court Floor Performance: A Takeaway

Is your gym floor due for a sanding and refinishing job, or for its annual screening and recoating?  Maybe you just want to add new lines, graphics, or repaint the logo and breathe new life into the floor.  Whether you’re entirely refurbishing your gym floor or just looking to do some maintenance work, we’ve got you covered! Simply fill out our online form and schedule a consultation for your project today.