Sports Goods Categories

Are you a passionate tennis player? Regardless of whether you are at the beginning of your tennis journey or you are a pro, have you stopped to wonder how much of a big impact the sports equipment you use has on the final outcome of the game? Well, the truth is, you shouldn’t take it for granted especially if you expect to carry the trophy.

Now that we've set the tone for today and tackled a bit of what you'll read, it is only fair to reveal that we won't speak about what you've expected (tennis shoes, or tennis racket) but instead we will explain a bit about tennis balls.

Although beginners don’t give as much credit as they should (they all look the same, right?), pro players already know the massive effect they can have on a game (make it or break it); and if you are a beginner too, no worries, we got you covered. We've gathered the most important tennis balls related information for you. Read on to find out everything you need to know.

Tennis ball


About Tennis Balls

As we previously mentioned, if you are a beginner the process of choosing a tennis ball might be overwhelming and rather confusing since there are a lot of variations on the market. Shockingly The International Tennis Federation has approved more than two hundred manufacturers/brands of tennis balls. And as if this wasn’t enough, they all produce all sorts of versatile tennis balls distinctive to fit a certain degree of expertise and preferences of the players.

So a short trip to the nearest sports store to get some tennis balls equals a storm of questions:

What is with the different colours of the tennis ball? How can you tell about their differences? Do you need to consider your expertise level? Does the court surface matters when you are choosing the ball itself? What are the fastest tennis balls? How about the term “elbow ease tennis ball”, what does it mean?


tennis balls production

So, a question arises:

How are Tennis Balls produced?

Up until recently, most of the tennis balls on the market were manufactured in Europe and USA but nowadays, it's no secret that they are produced in the Far East where labour costs and raw materials are much cheaper. In the simplest way possible, we will try to explain the production process of tennis balls.

Tennis balls begin in Thailand's rubber "forest" where the highest-quality natural rubber is harvested and brought into factories in bales of 70-250 lbs. To give rubber its properties, powders and chemicals are added. To soften the rubber, it is kneaded.

After heading and extruding the rubber compound, a rubber rod is formed and cut into rubber pellets, which are then cooled.

A hydraulic press (2 1/2 minutes at 1500) forms hemispherical halves from pellets. Buff the half-shell seams and apply adhesive (vulcanizing rubber solution).

Tennis balls must be inflated and pressurised to work properly. Compressed-air inflation and chemical inflation are the two methods.

The second method is the most common. Two halves are combined to form a core in an eight-minute compressed air chamber (18psi) (after this the core is cooled down and its internal pressure drops to 15psi). Preparing felt follows core formation. This includes roughening the core surface to improve adhesive adhesion.

Fabric covers the core next. Tennis balls are usually made of Melton cloth (two-thirds wool and one-third nylon) or Needle cloth (cheaper synthetic material). Cut the fabric into a "dog-bone" shape and glue one side. Two "dogbone" pieces are glued to the core (11 minutes with heat) and dipped in glue. Smooth the seam and remove any lumps or wrinkles. Finally, the tennis balls are steam-baptized in a "fluffer" machine to fluff the cloth, inspected, and stamped with a logo.

Tennis balls end up with 12-14 psi, but since rubber compounds are permeable to gas, this pressure is gradually lost (specifically within a few months). This is why tennis balls are packed and sold in pressurised cans.

If you were indeed carefully reading the manufacturing process of tennis balls, chances are you've noticed we've explained how pressurized tennis balls are produced. This fact does mean that there are pressureless tennis balls as well. Although there are not so popular nor commonly used, in addition, we will explain the advantages and specifications of both of the types.

tennis ball factory

Pressurized vs. Pressureless Tennis Balls

The first and most important difference between these two types of tennis balls lies within their “filling”. As we`ve explained the pressurized balls are simply rubber cores with fuzzy coverings filled with pressurized air while the non-pressurized tennis balls instead of pressurized air are filled with rubber (solid rubber core).

Pressurized tennis balls

These types of tennis balls are the most commonly used ones and usually come packed in a can of three. Besides being pressurized on the inside, they are also packed in a pressurized can which helps in maintaining their inside pressure (once you pop the can and start using the canned three green balls, they start losing their pressure).

In the world of tennis,  they are largely preferred hence of a number of reasons all caused by the pressure inside them:

  • More Bounce – (when they first come out of the can, pressurized balls feel more “live”)
  • More Spin Response
  • More Speed (hence of the empty core they have less mass meaning they are lighter and therefore travel faster)

Although these characteristics sound great, unfortunately, they are short-lived. It is estimated that in about two to four weeks of opening the pressurized can, the pressurized balls become pretty much unplayable. The rubber core is permeable, meaning the pressurized air diminishes leaving the balls “dead” or “wooden”. They lose their bounce, speed, and spin. This is the main reason why so many tennis balls are used during world-famous tournaments where every game matters (the tennis balls are changed after every nine games). 

Non-Pressurized Tennis Balls

On the other hand, as we explained, pressureless tennis balls (their core) are filled with a specific type of rubber. In translation, this means that you can`t expect too much from them (their bounciness relies on the rubber itself). They have the “dead” feel from the start.

However, over time as the rubber on the inside softens and the fabric on the outside wears out, they tend to become a bit more bouncy but at the same time, they lose their spin response. Now don`t expect too much, they will never become as bouncy as the pressurized tennis balls. Rubber-filled core also means one more thing, they are heavier in weight meaning you will need more force to hit them. Although this might not sound like such a big thing, long-termly might make all the difference in the world especially when we are talking about pain-free tennis play (avoiding injuries).

Commonly non-pressurized tennis balls are used by beginners or with machine practices. Most tennis balls are also used in playing cricket.

tennis factory

Levels: Recreational, Championship, and Professional

Your level of expertise (how advanced your game is) and the purpose of the tennis balls, should be the first two things that come into your mind when thinking about purchasing some tennis balls. Wondering why?

Nowadays, tennis balls manufacturers are mainly producing three different types of tennis balls depending on the people`s level of expertise:

  • Recreational Level Balls (this is the best option for recreational players who are just starting to practice tennis and are getting used to the game; pressureless balls)

  • Championship level Balls (this type of tennis ball is used by intermediate tennis players who are already good at tennis, junior`s tournaments and daily practice plays; they are pressurized but have standard quality and a lower pressure when compared to the professional balls)

  • Professional Level Balls (as the name itself says, this type of ball is used only by the best professional players in the world who aim to have the greatest control, precision, and power when playing; pressurized balls which have premium high-quality, better feel, good bounce height and bounce quality, high level of pressure and last longer means durable ball)


For Beginners and Kids

Tennis ball manufacturers have even gone a step further by inventing a variety of beginners' and younger kids' tennis balls. They`ve specially created these three types which are appropriate for slower play. In order to make them visually distinguishable from the common yellow balls, they`ve designed them to be in three different colours which also symbolize certain specifications.

  • Foam Balls. This type of tennis ball is the first in the series of Kids/ Beginners Balls. Manufactured from foam, they are the largest but lightest and are the first step for children who are eight or under that age. However, hence of their lightweight, they are not suitable for playing in windy conditions.

  • Stage 3 (Red Balls): The red balls are specifically designed for people or children (up to the age of 8 or maybe even younger) who are just starting out their tennis journey. In this phase, the accent is put on getting that fundamental skills such as movement, coordination and above all- fun and confidence. These types of practice balls are appropriate for playing on a 36-foot court format, they have 25% of the bounce level of a standard tennis ball, and are slightly bigger than regular tennis balls.

  • Stage 2 (Orange Balls): Orange tennis balls have the same standard size but do travel 50% slower. Suitable for children between the age of nine and ten, this Stage two level introduces children to playing on a ¾ length tennis court. This allows them to slowly but reassuringly focus on their speed while establishing their prior learned skills.

  • Stage 1 (Green Balls): Prior to moving on to play tennis, this is the last stage and it includes playing with a 25% more graduals ball than the regular one on a full-scale tennis court. This step allows children and beginners to focus on improving their technique. They are suitable for children who are 11 or older and for tennis players. 


Tennis Courts and Types of Tennis Balls

Nevertheless, if you are a beginner or a pro, you are probably aware there are different types of tennis courts, each and every one with its very own “charm”, excitement, speed, and style of play. The type of the tennis court itself literally depends on everything: the ball's speed, spin, and even the player`s ability to move around the court.

 This whole “court thing” goes to that measure that even players hence of their specific style of playing tend to choose a certain court in which they will dominate. This way Rafael Nadal held the reputation as “the kind of the clay” while Federer is considered “unbeatable in the grass”.Currently, there are four types of tennis courts and we've gathered the most important information about them and additionally added all the tennis balls related info too.

  • Grass Courts

Sadly, grass courts are difficult to maintain, thus they are not used for daily tennis play. Wimbledon, a grass Grand Slam tournament, is the most popular. If you want to play on grass, you should realise that it's slick and makes the ball bounce faster and lower.

  • Clay Courts

Clay tennis courts are built of crushed brick or metabasalt and are more widespread in Europe and South America. French Open is the most popular clay tournament after Wimbledon. Clay behaves differently from grass. Clay courts bounce higher and slower, favouring baseline players. Clay surfaces provide appealing slips and hitting the ball while moving.

  • Hard Courts

This type of court is made of concrete or asphalt and then covered with acrylic material. The US Open and Australian Open use such surfaces. The ball bounces higher and faster than on grass, yet the game is easier to control due to the ball's predictable trajectory.

  • Synthetic, Carpet (Removable Court Covering), or Indoor Courts

When we are talking about these three types of surfaces, we can say that they can be made out of various materials and have different textures and thicknesses. On these surfaces, the ball tends to bounce fast and low to the ground. However, they`ve been banned from professional tournaments such as the Grand Slams.

Slow Courts

Fast Courts

The ball bounces higher and slower

The ball bounces lower and faster

Longer matches

Shorter matches

Suitable for Baseline players

Suitable for players playing on the net

Clay Courts

Grass Courts


As you can tell from the four types of tennis courts and the way the tennis ball acts on them, the need for different tennis balls according to the surface arises. Because of this, manufacturers invented four different types of tennis balls:

  • Regular Duty Balls or so-called “soft court” balls are suitable for clay courts. From the table above, we can tell that the clay courts are considered slow ones meaning the tennis balls travel slowly meaning it absorbs more clay (becoming heavier in weight). Regular Duty balls are specifically designed with a thinner felt tightly woven around the ball`s core which will ultimately prevent the ball from losing its integrity.

  • Extra Duty Tennis Balls are designed for outdoor hard courts (and sometimes grass). They are made in such a way that they have more fuzz (wool) on them thus extra duty balls last longer and have better durability.

  • Grass Court Tennis Balls are just like regular duty balls but they undergo additional stain-resistant treatment in order to become prone to grass stains and colour changes it.


Furthermore, The International Tennis Federation mandates three types of tennis balls according to the type of surface and for that purpose, they`ve used numbers for better identification.

  • Type 1 (this type of tennis ball is used for playing on slow surfaces such as clay; the ball itself is slightly harder and purposely faster; this “trick” allows more dynamic play on slow and hard surfaces)

  • Type 2 (this is the standard type and most commonly used for medium-paced courts; for example, such surfaces are acrylic and carpet)

  • Type 3 (this type of tennis ball is made larger and intentionally slower and it is used for faster courts such as grass and artificial turf)


Furthermore, some manufacturers have gone a step beyond and invented extra durable pressurized tennis balls. In order to extend their lifespan, they`ve started placing a synthetic rubber coating on the inside of the rubber core itself in order to minimize the pressured air leakages. Last but not least, we must also mention the tennis ball invented to minimize the common tennis elbow symptoms (a medical issue that haunts many tennis players across the globe). 


Conclusion

As you can tell from everything, choosing a tennis ball and playing with the right kind of type might make all the difference in the world.

Nowadays on the market, there are hundreds of different types, however, what matters most is choose the right tennis ball ideal for the type of tennis you intend on playing.

This about whether you are a beginner or not, how much you want the tennis balls to last, how important is the fast-paced game to you, and most importantly the type of surface you will be playing on.

Once you do take everything into consideration, we assure you-you will have your answer and the appropriate tennis ball in your hand!

Now you have a better understanding of, not all tennis balls are made for all surfaces to play tennis, so choose the right tennis balls.

Comments: 4
Aunchl Rehson 29-08-2022 11:01
Hey! This is Aunchl! I have gone thoroughly about tennis balls and you have done very good job on tennis ball research and written this blog sufficiently. I appreciate that. Thank you!
Petter 26-10-2022 11:15
This article is really impressive and interesting , you explained this article very well .The information is really good and interesting. I am great thankful of you for this information.
betting exchange 18-11-2022 14:10
I appreciate what you have written to your website. Thank you!
Millie Hue 01-12-2022 11:15
I never took into account the fact that there is a need to have different types of balls depending on the surface of the court. I guess I would have to learn these things when I attend a tennis lesson next year. It will just be for leisure, but it would make the experience fun and successful if I actually understand more about the game. 
Leave a Reply

Your email address cannot be published. Required fields are marked*