Spalding TF Model M Official Leather Indoor Game Basketball

We were super excited to have this as our game ball and just when it was about to break in, it stopped holding air. We got 1 tournament out of this ball. Not high quality

I bought this basketball because I grew up using them. These basketballs used to last for years and now I purchased one about a year ago for my son and the leather started to come apart in the first few months. I give Spaulding credit they did issue me a new basketball but within about 6 months the replacement did the same thing. The leather is starting to peel. I was under the impression that genuine leather basketballs lasted for years but now they are just made cheap and are overpriced. I wish these companies still produced the same quality as they once did.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I prefer this leather basketball over my Wilson NBA leather basketball. Even though my Wilson ball is broken in already the leather TF ball is better to me before even broken in. I can’t wait for my TF ball to be game ready. Spalding please get the NBA contract back. The former NBA leather basketballs that were made by Spalding were amazing. I’m hoping my TF is like that when worn in.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I really wanted the TF-1000 platinum edition. Best ball I ever had. Can’t find it. Help.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Didnt seem right to go with any other Brand of Basketball. All 12 balls work pretty sweet with the Spalding Arena Renegade hoop too! And it was made in Iowa. Thanks Spalding. RWH from Cedar Falls

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was dissapointed at first, but the more you start using the ball and as the ball start breaking in, the ball is becoming better and better, to the point where you dont go back to other balls. Best ball on the market period.

I played a lot of basketball in my day so I colleci basketballs from various levels. I've also coached and refereed at professional level and I tell you I've just begin to break this ball in and honestly it's in a class of its own. In comparison to the Wilson Official NBA ball and the original Spalding NBA ball the Model M takes less time to break in. The more use the more "grippier" the handle gets. It also allows for absolute control of your jump shot for shooters. You can easily see and feel the difference when this ball goes through the net versus other balls. Really super wet net snaps. This is your favorite shooters favorite ball. With all that said I don't want to take away from the handle because it's gets real saucey the more you break it in. This ball is a must for real hoopers and worth every penny!

Good for sweaty hands. Rarely had to add air to 28.5" The 29.5" needs air once a week and the leather quickly started peeling off. Looks like thin leather glued on rubber. We never used outdoors

Am I the only one with this issue? The leather is peeling from the seams. I have the Wilson game ball and out of the 4 I have none have leather issues.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] When buying my son a new basketball, there really was only one choice , I went with the original Spalding leather basketball. It arrived quick, the ball is great, aired up out of the box and smells like a leather ball is supposed to.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Smells like leather. Feels hard at first, but I know it will break in nice later. Grip feels nice. Air holds up very well.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I’ll start with the good. It’s uncommon to use leather, I think that’s cool, I played basketball in college and had never used an all leather basketball so that excited me. I read about the break in period taking some time to get the leather to improve, after 9 hrs dribbling/individual workout and 8 rec league games I can tell you the leather is really coming to life and gets better each time. Very cool! Took my hands some time to get used to, also On to why I only gave 3 stars. Unfortunately, there are a couple visual/physical defects and it’s only going to get worse. The panels of the ball are beginning to pick off at the seams, this might be understandable after years of use but not 15 hours. My concern is the ball came pumped above the 8 psi recommendation and I wonder if this is correlated to the panels being damaged. Another issue possibly related to the air pressure inside the ball is the air hole is slightly raised up, myself and other players have mentioned their fingers find the air hole when trying to locate the seams to shoot, that’s a problem! Overall, I’m not very impressed with the quality of a ball at this price. Costs 3-4x other balls. The leather is cool and satisfying to break in but at this point I’m more concerned the ball is going to “break” before I even get a few months out of it.

Small break in period, but then this ball has been my go to over the evo nxt/evolution/baden elite pro

Have only purchased and used Spalding basketballs my whole life! When I got the notification that the TF Model M was back in stock, I had to cop.

The Ball feels a tad slippery and bumpy out of box which means you have to put long hours and time into breaking the ball in which gives you the love for the ball, after breaking the ball in its so smooth and fun to shoot and dribble

The quality on this ball is better than the Wilson NBA Game Ball. The leather is more supple and thick. The finish has a nice tackiness too. Helps with grip during break in period. I might buy another one just in case Spalding decides to stop making these.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The ball feels so good in your hands. It's so much less slippery than the Stranger Things basketball. It's literally tacky almost, so handling the ball is great. Also, I am no shooter and I feel like this ball made me a better shooter. Once you get the hang of hitting with this ball it becomes hard to miss.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Best genuine leather basketball you can buy. Don’t know why the NBA switched to Wilson because that ball is straight garbage, dodo! Same with every rec center rocking that soft, inconsistent, slippery p.o.s. Wilson Evolution ball. If you’re a real baller you know a genuine leather Spalding basketball is the best ball out there hands down. Sure there is a break in period, but nothing beats the consistency of this ball. If you’re a shooter, you’ll understand. The feel, the rotation, the weight, the bounce, is just consistent. Even the old school TF1000 was an amazing ball and my only gripe with Spalding is not going back to that technology. Regardless a Spalding genuine leather basketball will always be my go to. Nothing is more consistent than this basketball. I’ve played on every level from high school to professional basketball and tried every basketball you can think of. I’ve always came back to the Spalding genuine leather basketball because it always felt the best in hand. Trust me once you get the ball broken in, there’s nothing like it.

This ball reminds me of the ones I used back in the 80’s and early 90’s. It’s amazing. The ball feels and performs great. There’s just no substitute for a 100% genuine leather basketball. I hope Spalding never stops making them. The cost of the ball is worth every penny.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This basketball is as good as it gets, best of the best. The Genuine Leather delivers top notch feel and consistency from ball handling to shooting it truly becomes an extension of your hand. I’ve done about 5 workouts with it so far and it’s just starting to break in but even now the glide, grip and feel are all 9. The ball will be perfect in another 5 workouts which is a much shorter break in time than the old NBA Game Ball. TF Model No. M is worth every penny. I will be buying one for my son & daughter and another coupe for me so please keep them in stock! It came a little over inflated IMO, my only criticism lol.