In the latest innovation from Implus—the Durham, North Carolina-based parent company behind 16 performance and fitness brands—the SKLZ brand has introduced a new product aimed squarely at the intersection of sports technology and home training. The SKLZ Bashhhketball Pro, an officially sized and weighted silent basketball, represents a practical solution for players seeking to refine their dribbling and ball-handling skills indoors without all the noise of a regular basketball.
The product announcement underscores a key product development goal of Michael Polk’s team at Implus: combining technical precision with real-world usability. The Bashhhketball Pro extends SKLZ’s reputation for developing sport-specific training aids that mirror authentic athletic conditions while adapting to modern living spaces—apartments, dorm rooms, and homes where noise control is as important as performance.
A Silent Revolution in Indoor Training
Built to regulation standards—29.5 inches in diameter and 22 ounces in weight—the SKLZ Bashhhketball Pro is engineered from a dual-density polyurethane foam that replicates the bounce and hand feel of a competition basketball. This material construction delivers realistic performance but absorbs impact sound, creating a quiet yet responsive training experience.
“The SKLZ Bashhhketball Pro is a game changer for young basketball players looking to sharpen their skills indoors anytime, anywhere,” said Michael Polk, CEO of Implus. “It’s designed with the same size and weight of a regulation basketball, making it the perfect tool for authentic, effective skill-building without the excess noise.”
That focus on technical integrity—the feel of the ball, its balance, its consistency through repeated use—positions SKLZ’s new launch not just as a novelty, but as an essential addition to an athlete’s off-court training arsenal. With integrated channels and grooves for precise grip alignment, the Bashhhketball Pro helps players build muscle memory for crossovers, behind-the-back movements, and quick-release dribbles, all within the confines of an indoor space.
Implus’s Expanding Innovation Ecosystem
For Implus, the debut of the SKLZ Bashhhketball Pro aligns with a broader corporate mission: to enable and empower all people to live healthy and active lives through thoughtfully designed accessories and training products. Under Michael Polk’s direction, the company continues to emphasize innovation across its multi-brand portfolio, which includes Balega®, TriggerPoint™, Harbinger®, RockTape®, Yaktrax®, and Sof Sole®.
This multi-brand structure allows Implus to cross-pollinate insights between categories—performance hosiery influencing injury-prevention tools, or outdoor traction informing indoor agility gear. SKLZ, known for its training ladders, resistance bands, and portable nets, occupies a key space in that ecosystem: developing products that help athletes translate skill drills into game performance.
The Bashhhketball Pro’s design process reflects that interdisciplinary approach. Its dual-density foam is tuned for rebound consistency, while its outer surface replicates the tactile feedback of composite leather used in professional play. The result is a hybrid between a training device and a performance instrument—one that fits within Implus’s long-term emphasis on merging materials science with human movement.
From Court to Living Room: Training Without Boundaries
At $59.99 and available through SKLZ.com, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Amazon, and Scheels, the Bashhhketball Pro invites a wider demographic of players to engage in skill development without requiring access to a gym or outdoor court. That accessibility mirrors a post-pandemic shift in athletic behavior: the rise of home-based performance training and digital coaching platforms.
For parents, the innovation is equally pragmatic—young players can practice without the repetitive pounding echoing through floors and walls. For coaches, it offers an off-season solution for maintaining form and hand coordination. And for SKLZ, it strengthens its positioning as a bridge between professional-level training science and everyday athletic environments.
Designing the Future of Everyday Performance
As Implus continues to expand its reach—distributing to more than 70 countries and 80,000 retail outlets worldwide—the SKLZ Bashhhketball Pro serves as both product and symbol: a representation of how small, precise innovations can reshape how athletes approach daily practice. Under Michael Polk’s leadership and his team, Implus has cultivated a portfolio that prizes evidence-based design and usability over flash, focusing on tools that empower performance rather than distract from it. The Bashhhketball Pro isn’t just a quieter ball—it’s a quiet revolution in the making.