The Best Tennis Balls For Your Game

Apart from tennis rackets, tennis balls are arguably the most critical accessory in tennis. No matter if you're a professional or amateur: the quality of the playing equipment is key to your success on the tennis court. The durability and characteristics of a tennis ball very much depend on its quality. In our online tennis shop, you will find the best tennis balls from renowned manufacturers, such as Babolat, Dunlop, HEAD, Wilson, or Tretorn. In general, we distinguish between regular tennis balls with internal air pressure and pressureless tennis balls. There are also tennis balls available, specifically developed for all different kinds of surfaces and levels of play. To always have the right balls for any occasion, it is worth being equipped with several variations. Our massive selection of tennis balls includes the following variants:

• Tournament balls
• ITF-approved Balls
• Play & Stay balls
• Practice balls
• Jumbo balls

Pressurised vs Pressureless Tennis Balls

Regular tennis balls with compressed air inside them are fast and have excellent bounce, which is why they are the preferred option for tournaments and competitive matches. The outer shell of pressurised tennis balls is not entirely airtight, so they don't last as long as pressureless balls. Therefore, the cans are sealed with the same amount of air pressure as the balls' inside. Otherwise, they would lose the air pressure and, with that, their valued playing characteristics before you even start using them. So, when you open a can of tennis balls, you should hear a similar sound to that of popping open a canned, fizzy beverage. The longevity of pressurised regular tennis balls depends to a certain extent on the surface they are played on and the intensity you hit them with. Professional tennis players usually use new balls about every nine games. But typically, they will keep their bounce for about two weeks after opening the can. That is why you should only open a can of tennis balls immediately before you start playing.

Pressureless tennis balls, on the other hand, last significantly longer than their pressurised counterparts. Instead of compressed air inside, these tennis balls have a rubber structure that gives them their bounce. They are widely used in training or for ball machines. Since this kind of tennis ball is slower and has less bounce than pressurised tennis balls, it is easier to control. That makes them the ideal tennis ball for beginners or players who only go out on the court occasionally.

The quality of the felt covering a tennis ball also affects its longevity. The felt optimises the bounce and flight properties of the ball and protects the rubber shell underneath. Permanent surface contact wears out the felt over time. For that reason, lower quality tennis balls with an inferior felt cover wear out quicker and unevenly, making them bounce irregularly, which can be very frustrating on the court.

Play & Stay

Tennis is a very complex sport and therefore takes a bit of an effort to learn. To make life easier for beginners, the International Tennis Federation ITF came up with its Play & Stay concept, which includes tennis balls specifically designed for kids and beginners. Reduced air pressure makes them slower and softer to play. Play & Stay balls are not as fast and don't bounce as much as regular tennis balls, giving players more time to react. Depending on the level of play, these balls are categorised into different levels. While very young kids and beginners start with stage-3 balls that are 75 percent slower than regular tennis balls, more advanced players use stage-1 balls that are just 25 percent slower. Play & Stay tennis balls usually have two colours for easy recognition.

You can at least find one jumbo ball at almost every tennis club. These oversized giant tennis balls can be used for coordination exercises or a bit of extra fun during training sessions. They also make good presents for tennis aficionados or autograph hunters.

Official Tournament Tennis Balls

No game without rules: The ITF sets clear standards for tennis balls. It allows only yellow or white tennis balls at tournaments. On top of that, the tennis federation defines the size, weight, and bouncing characteristics of tennis balls and their deformation behaviour. The ITF divides tennis balls into four different categories. There are high, medium, and slow-speed tennis balls, as well as tennis balls for tournaments at an altitude of more than 1,219 meters. Fast tennis balls are ideal for slow surfaces like clay courts. Medium-speed tennis balls are best used on carpet or acrylic tennis courts, whereas slow balls are very well suited for grass courts.

Success in tennis depends on various factors. If you want to play to the best of your abilities, you should choose your tennis balls carefully. Your Tennis-Point team wishes you a lot of fun browsing through our wide range of high-quality tennis balls!