How do Tretorn X balls feel in hand?

[retrograde]

Thanks for the tip BoingTennis.

I couldn't find the Wilson "Trainer" ball at any of Wilson's international websites. Japan's version does show bags of a "00" pressureless practice ball. Also, some European tennis shops as well as TW Europe are selling a Wilson "Team" trainer ball for 85 Euros. With shipping to the US, that would be pricier than Micro-X from any US retailer.

I did a search on "pressureless balls" in this forum and there seem to be enough satisfied users of the Micro-X so I ordered a bag.

That said, I noticed Tretron has a "Micro-X Comfort" ball which Tretorn's website says is suited to cold climates or high-altitude play. I couldn't find any US vendors of bags however.

[gh65721]

How do u repressurize real balls???

[retrograde]

Originally Posted by gh65721

How do u repressurize real balls???

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=397853

Also, reference to commerical ball charger here:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=354332

Edit: Wanted to add a link to this nice video that shows how the "Corny Kegs" used in the DIY pressurizers work:

http://www.cornykeg.com/store.asp?pid=36265

[max]

Originally Posted by tball

They feel much harder than regular balls.

Yes this is the case. I used to use them. It takes some adjustment but after a couple of weeks it's doable. Gamma sells/sold pressureless balls directly as well; dig up one of their old catalogues and give them a call.

[zerojoshua]

Originally Posted by beernutz

I created a system to repressurize regular balls and now use it to keep my ball machine supplied with good balls.

I also use an old soda keg to re-pressurize balls. It's not that efficient.


The cold weather didn't hurt the Tretorn X balls, but as I feared the balls are soft in hand and this is why they feel heavy. More surface area hits the racket.

This is the reason I started the thread and apparently I did not convey my concerns properly.

They are still decent but not nearly what I had hoped for.

[tball]

Strange, I played with mine outside just before Christmas. It was cold (39 degrees F). All other balls (some regular, some pressureless from other companies) -- were all dead. I threw out a bagful that day. The tretorns were the only ones which bounced. They did not feel heavy. If anything, they were a little "too bouncy" -- that's the only complaint.

Anyway, I have not found anything better yet.

The other presureless balls just lose their bounce overtime. I prefer to deal with extra liveliness of Tretorns. It is almost like opening a new can in the middle of the day in the summer.

[retrograde]

Originally Posted by zerojoshua

I also use an old soda keg to re-pressurize balls. It's not that efficient.

Could you please elaborate? I'm curious if you mean the end result isn't satisfactory ... or the cost/effort required to get good results is too much?

It seems to me like $50 for a soda keg pressurizer would be a good deal for those who need to fill a ball machine hopper, or for those who want to have a basket of practice balls.

[zerojoshua]

Originally Posted by tball

All other balls (some regular, some pressureless from other companies) -- were all dead. I threw out a bagful that day. The tretorns were the only ones which bounced.

The bounce of the Tretorns are great at 25 deg, but so are Dunlop Grand Prix and Propenn Marathons.

I am speaking of how they feel when you squeeze them. Because they give more means that they hit the string-bed with more surface area.

They are the same weight as other balls.

[zerojoshua]

Originally Posted by retrograde

Could you please elaborate? Is the end result not good, or is the cost or effort required to get good results more too much?

It seems to me like $50 for a soda keg pressurizer would be a good deal for those who need to fill a ball machine hopper, or for those who want to have a basket of practice balls.

Some balls stay dead regardless of pressurization. Some take a lot longer to pressurizer than others.

If you're looking for consistent bouncing balls the Re-pressurization rout is not for you. I still use the keg, but not as any type of primary ball system.

[retrograde]

Originally Posted by zerojoshua

Some balls stay dead regardless of pressurization. Some take a lot longer to pressurizer than others.

If you're looking for consistent bouncing balls the Re-pressurization rout is not for you. I still use the keg, but not as any type of primary ball system.

Fair enough. Any idea of the rough percentage of balls that re-pressurize OK per batch compared to the percentage of "stubborn" or "non-responsive" balls?

Mixing in some re-pressurized balls with a batch of Tretorns might turn a ball machine into one with variable depth oscillation

[zerojoshua]

Originally Posted by retrograde

Fair enough. Any idea of the rough percentage of balls that re-pressurize OK per batch compared to the percentage of "stubborn" or "non-responsive" balls?

Mixing in some re-pressurized balls with a batch of Tretorns might turn a ball machine into one with variable depth oscillation

This is what I do. I would say about 60% represurize just fine, but of that 60% some take two weeks and others a few days.

When there are warmer temperatures I find they represurize faster.

[retrograde]

That's a keen observation about temperature. Makes sense since the rate of diffusion through a membrane (in this case, air molecules through rubber) increases with temperature.

I wonder if the variable behavior from ball-to-ball is because you've got different brand balls? I've read Dunlop Grand Prix's take longer to re-pressurize.

[atai]

I'm one of those that started using a ball machine with a set of Tretorn micro-x balls. I concur with the other folks here: they felt like hitting rocks! I quickly developed tennis elbow and switched back to regular balls . The micro-x definitely felt harder than any regular balls I had used. I can't compare to other pressureless brands, though.

To avoid spending a fortune on regular balls, I re-pressurize my existing balls with a couple of PressureBall tubes. They do work well, and they are a LOT cheaper than the commercial re-pressurizing kegs. There are a few other threads on PressureBall in this forum.


alan

[MarkJ338]

Hi, this is my first post in years

What everyone has said pretty much sums it up. They are hard, heavy and bad for the elbow. tretorn X + full bed of Luxilon big banger ALU spin is not good for the elbow.

I found that the longer you hit them for/ wear them in, the bouncier they get. Then, after the fur comes off the balls become like bouncy balls.

I'd recommend against them. They are good to use a 4 square balls though :P

[AR15]

Originally Posted by Chotobaka

The "hard" responses in this thread reaffirm my observation that many people here -- mostly the barely post pubescent -- speak of what they do not know. You have to be out of your M'fing mind to describe these as "hard as a rock". Or more likely, you have never used Micro-X balls, or have zero experience with other "pressureless type" balls. Typical TT.

That seems to be the case in the majority of TW threads.