Netball Buying Guide

Netball Buying Guide

Netball is a fast-paced non-contact sport that shares a number of similarities to basketball. A netball starting team consists of 7 players, but a squad consists of 12 players with 5 substitutes.

Key Performance Indicators / Thing to Consider:

Material:

The Mitre Venturi netball is manufactured with this innovative exterior material, offering better grip and durability as a result.

Some other fairly high specification netball such as the Mitre Shooter feature a high quality synthetic and natural rubber compound exterior, offer good grip and control.

The Mitre Oasis netball is made from moulded rubber and is suited to training and recreational netball. This material offers lower quality grip and is not suitable for competitive matches.

Bladder:

Some of the more expensive netballs such as the Mitre Venturi or the Mitre Shooter feature high air retention performance bladders, which has a positive effect on the performance of the ball, whereas some of the cheaper balls such as the Mitre Oasis netball have rubber bladders, which offer a lower level of performance.

Brand:

Mitre: Mitre are the largest netball manufacturer in the UK, producing a wide range of high quality balls that are used at the highest levels of the game. The Mitre Venturi Pro Match Netball was the Official England Match Netball for the 2008/09 season.

Gilbert: Gilbert are also a big name in netball, supplying netballs to the Welsh and Scottish netball associations. Gilbert manufacture a huge range of balls, meeting the needs of a larger target market. Their balls tend to feature a more traditional design, but maintain high performance.

Sure-Shot: Sure Shot were introduced into the UK netball market from America and is still developing as a brand.

Molten: Molten are also fairly new to the British netball industry, but offer some great balls that feature high specifications and attractive designs.

Size:

Size 4: Size 4 netballs are generally used by younger players, usually below the age of 10. These balls are also often used in training sessions and recreationally.

Size 5: Size 5 netballs are the official size and they are used in matches, training sessions and for recreational purposes.

Visibility:

For netball training sessions or matches held at night, some of the more hi visibility netballs such as the Mitre High Grip are more suitable. Brighter coloured balls are designed to be used in these conditions.

Indoor / Outdoor:

Some of the high specification netballs such as the Mitre Venturi and the Mitre Shooter are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, as a result of their durable exterior.

Match / Training / Recreational:

Match: High quality netballs such as the Mitre Venturi are designed to be used in matches, featuring performance bladders, enhanced grip and improved shape retention. Size 5 netballs with high specifications like the Venturi are also suitable for indoor and outdoor matches. One of our most popular balls is the Gilbert Spectra match netball.

Training: Training netballs are usually size 5 and offer slightly lower performance than match balls. The Mitre Intercept netball is a hugely popular training ball that features a performance latex bladder and excellent grip and control. Also very popular is the Gilbert Pulse training ball.

Recreational: Any netball could be used for recreational use, but some are more suitable than others. Some of the cheaper netballs such as the Mitre Oasis are ideal for recreational use as they are affordable and aren't suitable for competitive netball.

Grip:

Netballs with a pimpled or emboss exterior offer enhanced grip, control and durability, and they're also more suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Weight:

A good, size 5 netball weighs between 400 and 450grams (14-16 ounces)

Price:

All netballs range on price, dependant on what you're looking to use them for and how high the specification needs to be. The Mitre Venturi is a high specification match ball and it retails for around £30, but there are cheaper options, such as the Mitre Shooter netball which is available for around £12.00. For training, the Mitre Attack netball is available for £7.99 on our website and other recreational balls are available for around £7.00

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