This detailed review of the Baden Championship Tetherball Set, priced from $60-$80 and widely available online, includes strengths, weaknesses and recommendations.
A short visit to my grandsons' elementary school was an eye-opener. The boys clearly enjoyed the school tetherball but so many children wanted to play, each child had only a little "ball-time". At six and nine years of age, the boys are active, competitive and don't mind getting banged up a little. So, with permission from their parents, I decided to give them a tetherball for their enjoyment at home.
The Set's Specs
The Baden Championship Tetherball Set includes:
- A three-piece, 1.75" diameter, powder-coated steel pole with an assembled height of 10'5"
- One tetherball made of 100% "school quality" rubber
- Durable nylon rope, swivel hook, and steel eyebolt
- A 1.75" diameter x 12" PVC plastic ground sleeve
- Ball pump and needle
- Installation instructions, game rules and safety recommendations
Rationale for Selecting this Set and Seller
I chose this set because the seller has a lot of positive feedback and the equipment was moderately priced for what seemed to be a slightly higher level of quality of materials compared to the competition. For example, most of the steel poles are 1.5” diameter and come in two or three pieces of various lengths totaling 8', 9' or 10'. Baden’s poles are 1.75”, powder-coated and stretch to nearly 10.5 feet.
After researching prices and sellers, I purchased the set on sale from Croquet.com. Shipping was just $5 and the set arrived promptly, as promised, and in good shape.
Other manufacturers that make tetherball sets in the same price range are
- Franklin Sports
- Halex
- Martin
- Park & Sun
- Regent
- Sportcraft
- Swingball
- TC Sports
From the Box to the Backyard Battlefield, Installing the Tetherball Set
The gift was for Christmas, so several days prior to Santa's visit, my son and I purchased quickset concrete mix (about $5) to set the 12" in-ground pole sleeve. The directions did not specify how much mix to buy. The small hole took most of a 50-pound bag.
To reduce the harsh effects of weather on the ball and rope, the pole can easily be removed and taken inside. However, the sleeve has no end cap which is needed to keep debris out when the tetherball pole is not in place.
The pump was defective (the needle could not be screwed on to the end) and even if it had worked, seemed to be too small to be effective.
The nylon rope was too long. After 20 minutes of play, it stretched so much it was hitting the ground and had to be shortened.
The ball is, indeed, a very good quality. The bright yellow color makes it easy to see.
The instruction sheet did not include clear instructions for marking the "court". As the competition escalates, stepping on lines, crossing into the opposition's territory and other such infringements may become issues.
The Bottom Line, Recommendations
Although we followed the directions for setting the ground sleeve, it still had problems. The boys are young but even their pummeling demonstrates that the pole is not really solid, it vibrates a lot. An 18" or 24" PVC pipe with end cap would be a very inexpensive fix and greatly improve the stability and durability. Such a switch would require more concrete mix.
Purchase a pump. Good pumps are not expensive and useful for a variety of sports balls, beach toys and bicycle tires.
I still believe the overall quality of the Baden equipment was better than the other sets. Except for the vibration issue, the weaknesses are not substantial enough to switch to a set with a smaller, shorter pole. I recommend this product with the caveat that readers benefit from my experience and take pro-active steps to remedy the ground sleeve issue before installation.
Mistie Shaw - Writing for nearly half a century, Shaw's interests and education meander from music to the military, and from faith to fun.
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