Here is an ideal staff to cradle a sphere...the dog ball is just a 4" diameter example (dog and ball not included, lol). It can probably fit up to a 4-1/2" sphere (100mm up to maybe 120mm). It is a birch specimen that stands 71" tall and weighs 2#11ozs. The shaft has a few light scrapes and facets from stripping the bark with a drawknife. The shaft varies in diameter from 1" up to 1-3/4". Like most staffs I list this is a raw material and nothing has been done to it short of stripping the bark to initiate drying. It will ship in a six foot box that is eight inches square in girth. It is a big box and shipping can be expensive, so please realize I can fit a second staff with it for a single postal fee (this applies to all of my staffs)(ufws275)