Is there some kind of wax or oil I can use for a leather basketball to get that nice gripping feel?
396449
Yes there is, Olive Oil, I use it on all of my balls!
119966
This is an easy one....I'll share with you a great tip I observed by watching professional caddies over the years. \n\nBefore a round a pro caddy washes his players grips with soap and water in a bucket....then after they are washed and dried he'll rub them for a 5 or 6 seconds with a piece of sand paper. \n\nI first observed this about 10 years ago and I've been doing it ever since! It works like a charm! I've been using the same putter grip for at least 6 or 7 years....still feels like new! \n\nUse this tip and you won't need anything else to keep your grips feeling tacky.
1148063
You're going to hate this answer but, wax it. If not trim it wit some clippers.
624418
Go to a sport shop, get oil for your glove.  Rub it in really good, and bend and twist the glove to loosen it up.  Then you need to put a ball in the web and tie it up.  Make sure you line the edges of the glove up when you close it.  Put it under your mattress over night.  The next day, cut the string bend and twist it, play catch and repeat above at night again and again.
563469
Traditionally, basketballs were made using a rubber bladder (like a very sturdy rubber balloon) sealed inside of a sewn leather case. Later, a cloth lining was added between the rubber and the leather to add strength. Today, basketballs are made of flexible plastic shaped by a mechanical mold. The ball is pressurized by pumping air through a small hole on its side. \n\nIt would be quite an undertaking to make a basketball yourself, but you could probably do it the old fashioned way if you really wanted to. You'd need to get some leather and sew the pieces together around a very sturdy inflated plastic ball or balloon. Sewing leather can be kind of tricky, but you can do it with a bit of practice and a tool called an awl.
901061
Have you tried putting white athletic tape on your heels...you could also wrap with "pre-wrap" (so the tape doesnt stick to your skin, it looks like yellow foam on a roll, really thin stuff).\nYou could also try "Mole Skin"\n\nGood Luck!
505736
i personally use neatsfoot oil. and it works great. it keeps the glove looking good, too. the oil allows the leather to stretch more without cracking and/or breaking. every once in a while i need to tighten the lacing up a bit, but i have yet to need to replace the lacing. also the glove i am currently using i bought in dec '93 to use during my high school sophomore season. i clean and oil it every off-season. i just recently acquired a new glove and will begin the process all over again, just in case my current glove gives out.
312236
Original basketballs where made out of leather with the same process the Soccer and Footballs were made at the time, late 1890's early 1900's and they get the brown-orange color because they were made of vegetable-tanned leather which is tanned using tannin (hence the name "tanning") and other ingredients found in vegetable matter, tree bark, and other such sources. It is supple and brown in color, with the exact shade depending on the mix of chemicals and the color of the flesh.
543751
add a lube like an oil
755058
you may need to take the ball out of it and shake any debris out of it and then clean it with alcohol on q-tips.  That is how I used to clean my old one, when I had problems like that.  Now I have an optical mouse and I love it, I use alcohol to clean the bottom of it too tho, but I haven't had any problems with it. \n\nHope this solves your problem.
1026650
deep heat rub will loosen it up. or deep freeze cold spray. available from local chemists.
544926
If you use a drill on a basketball, it will go flat. Use an airpump instead.
1024182
Olive oil might work.  It would be better to use one that is water soluble, vaseline can lead to problems because it is petroleum based.  It is better to keep KY or something like it stashed away.
766344
I like to cut it into small cubes then let it soak in buttermilk over night, then a kneading mallet can be used for additional tenderness. Also you can buy a meat tenderizer out of the cabelas magazine.
343096
White Lightning is a wax lubricant which I have found to work well.
807591
Usually, Vaseline works the best.  Put it on at night and let it sink in overnight.  In this morning, dab it with a tissue so it doesn't look greasy.
926957
http://www.psadna.com/ball/ballprocess.chtml