How many balls do you use?

Dags

Hall of Fame
In Europe balls are expensive, and so we tend to try to make them last for as long as possible. From what I've read on these boards, it seems that in the US it is the norm to open a new can more or less every time you play, and in some cases every set.

Now, in Europe (or at least in the UK), balls are commonly sold in cans of 4 and so that is what I've always been accustomed to playing with. I'm getting close to the end of my current box (only 6 cans left...probably won't last much past April ;-)), and it occurred to me that I might be better off buying tubes with only 3 balls in them with the intention of opening new ones more often. It would probably take some conditioning of my playing partners, but could prove beneficial.

Just wondering if this is how you already do things in the US, or whether balls are just so cheap that you play with 4 (or more) every time.
 

OrangeOne

Legend
In Europe balls are expensive, and so we tend to try to make them last for as long as possible. From what I've read on these boards, it seems that in the US it is the norm to open a new can more or less every time you play, and in some cases every set.

Now, in Europe (or at least in the UK), balls are commonly sold in cans of 4 and so that is what I've always been accustomed to playing with. I'm getting close to the end of my current box (only 6 cans left...probably won't last much past April ;-)), and it occurred to me that I might be better off buying tubes with only 3 balls in them with the intention of opening new ones more often. It would probably take some conditioning of my playing partners, but could prove beneficial.

Just wondering if this is how you already do things in the US, or whether balls are just so cheap that you play with 4 (or more) every time.

I'm in Australia, and we have the same raw deal every time - massive prices for tennis balls.

I dislike more than 6 balls on a court, and in reality, 4 is enough. If I were playing in the states with balls at their prices, I would indeed open a new can of 4 - or 2 new cans of 3 - for any decent hitting session.

Here - well we get a couple of sessions out of them for sure, it's the main reason I buy Slazenger as I find their longevity to be so much better than Wilson or Head.
 

blakesq

Hall of Fame
here, we can usually get a good can of balls (3) for around $2.25, if you buy in bulk. and, we usually open up a new can for every Match.
 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
Buy the cans of 4 balls and use 2.
After 2 sets, use the other 2.
I can easily hit 35 groundies (rally balls) in a row, as can most of my partners. If we play a match, shots often barely get to 3 shots total per point.
For practice, use 2. That teaches you consistency and forces you to hit every ball as if it meant something.
 

OrangeOne

Legend
here, we can usually get a good can of balls (3) for around $2.25, if you buy in bulk. and, we usually open up a new can for every Match.

That makes me cry. We usually pay that PER BALL, and that's if we've scored a good deal.

For practice, use 2. That teaches you consistency and forces you to hit every ball as if it meant something.

Ahh yes, the number of balls teaches consistency, just as people say on here that heavy frames "teach" technique.

Limited balls can also "teach" pushing and "teach" the lack of ability to hit above 70%. If I hit a forehand at 90%, I don't expect to hit more than one more in the rally. If I don't practice my 90%+ forehand, I don't win matches.
 

mtommer

Hall of Fame
I peronally use one can at a time and use it until the bounce is noticably affected or I hit the felt off the ball/kill the ball. Usually this amounts to two days of use, between two to four hours of play against a wall.
 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
::):)
My advice is for Dag, who cannot afford tennis balls in Europe.
Personlly, I bring and open a new can every time I hit the courts, unless my partner beats me to the punch, opening his while we're still walking to our court.
I normally hit with more than 3 balls.
I play matches mostly with 2 balls.
I don't need to hit 90% forehands, as 70% forehands can easily do the job against any 5.5, and I play a full level and some below that.
When I decide to practice my serves, I always have in my bag, at least 15 tennis balls in good enough shape for most people to play with. Need that to check pace and bounce.
But don't do as I do, do as I say...:shock:
 

dlk

Hall of Fame
Yeah, some Penn or Wilsons cost ~$2.25 for an individual can of 3 at Walmart. New can Q match is the norm. Now I will keep that match-played set of balls for two or three practice sessions or for serving.
 

dizzlmcwizzl

Hall of Fame
Yep .... in the states if you buy in bulk online or at a wholesale store usually you can do better than $2.00 per can for good balls (penn / wilson).

Every player I know always has at least a couple cans of unopenned balls to play with if a match breaks out. For rallying we always use balls that are in our bags that are at most 2 or 3 sets old. I would not consider playing a match without new balls.
 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
Heck, even I, a self proclaimed lazy homeless person, carries a new can to any tennis court, every time. And I actually try to open it when all the players show up!
 

Totai

Professional
In Europe balls are expensive, and so we tend to try to make them last for as long as possible. From what I've read on these boards, it seems that in the US it is the norm to open a new can more or less every time you play, and in some cases every set.

Now, in Europe (or at least in the UK), balls are commonly sold in cans of 4 and so that is what I've always been accustomed to playing with. I'm getting close to the end of my current box (only 6 cans left...probably won't last much past April ;-)), and it occurred to me that I might be better off buying tubes with only 3 balls in them with the intention of opening new ones more often. It would probably take some conditioning of my playing partners, but could prove beneficial.

Just wondering if this is how you already do things in the US, or whether balls are just so cheap that you play with 4 (or more) every time.

I am not against using the same balls for multiple matches, my reasoning being that both players are using the same balls, so no one has an advantage. Also, I am not awesome enough to notice much of a difference between new balls, and balls that have been used for only one match. some players are just appalled by the idea of reusing balls, and must open a new can... quite wasteful in my opinion
 

OrangePower

Legend
I use a new can (3 balls) per session. A session for me is either a match, or 2 hours hitting practice with friend(s).

I actually don't like having more than 3 balls on court - I get distracted when there are loose balls lying around. I've never felt that we've needed more then 3 balls even when just drilling. The exception is when practicing serve, in which case I use a hopper of older balls.

I would have nothing in principle against reusing balls for another session, but after a couple of hours using three balls they are noticably bad. I play only on outdoor hard courts; maybe on clay or indoors it would be a different story.
 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
I find, after even a set and a half, the balls don't first serve nearly as fast. So old balls favor guys who don't rely on a fast serve.
Yes, I've been creamed by guys with big serves using old balls.
Some balls lose fuzz, and get faster.
Most balls lose POP, by getting softer, so they go slower when worn.
 

RogerRacket111

Semi-Pro
I like to use a new set of 3 every time. I think the price of tennis balls have remained an average around $2. They might have even gone down. Considering inflation its not a big deal to spend $2. Its a small price.

I wish I could open a new can for every set when play matches sometimes. Hard court and hard hitting can wear out a ball in no time. Its not worth altering your game for a bad ball and then back for new balls.
 
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Chenry

New User
For most tournaments I've played in they just hand you a can of new balls before you go out on the court.
 

Z-Man

Professional
We always use 3 for doubles. I don't mind the 4-ball cans for singles, but in doubles, the extra ball seems to just cause confusion between points. We never open a fresh can because nobody would be able to agree on who gets to serve with them first.

However, I do play at one tennis center that backs up on some dense woods. Sometimes I'll start with 6 balls there because I'll usually shank a few returns over the fence or bounce an overhead into the trees.
 

mikeler

Moderator
If you can buy Prince balls those keep their bounce forever if they don't get wet. I'm in the USA and we always use new balls for match play. In tournaments, it is OK to request a new can if you split sets.
 

verbouge

Rookie
Wait a minute. Nobody's addressing the underlying issue here. Why is there such a massive disparity of prices of tennis balls between Europe, Australia, and the US? What gives?

It's one more thing that, sadly, makes tennis an "exclusive" sport, rather than an "inclusive" one.

Of course, another question stemming from this one is this: if the US has the luxury of such cheap tennis balls, and the rest of the world is not so blessed, why is it that the rest of the world seems to be surpassing the US in tennis ranking and achievement over the last 15 years or so?? Too many sports to choose from here in the States?

Anyway, just weighing in.......
 

mtommer

Hall of Fame
Wait a minute. Nobody's addressing the underlying issue here. Why is there such a massive disparity of prices of tennis balls between Europe, Australia, and the US? What gives?

In the US balls are a loss leader to keep people playing tennis. Manufacturers have a vested interest in keeping the US market alive and it wouldn't surprise me if it's the number one market in terms of balls sold.
 

OrangePower

Legend
Wait a minute. Nobody's addressing the underlying issue here. Why is there such a massive disparity of prices of tennis balls between Europe, Australia, and the US? What gives?

Being a sceptic, my first thought was that noone actually bothered to verify prices in us versus other places and that people are just complaining.

Boy was I wrong. A quick search reveals that Wilson Championship balls, pretty much your basic club ball, are around $2.30 for a can of 3 in the US. And in Australia, the same can sets you back... around $8!

And the US dollar is about 1-1 with the australian dollar these days.

In the US balls are a loss leader to keep people playing tennis. Manufacturers have a vested interest in keeping the US market alive and it wouldn't surprise me if it's the number one market in terms of balls sold.

I don't know. Why wouldn't manufacturers have the same vested interest in keeping the tennis market going strong in other countries also?

I wonder if there are other factors like import duties or something like that?
 

Centryx

Semi-Pro
i usually crack open a new can of prince balls for a session they don't seem to fuzz up like the wilsons and they seem to be able to be served flatter
 
I think in general prices for most good and products are cheaper in the US than other countries regardless of where they are made . The US consumer expects to pay lower prices for their goods and will just seek stores ala Walmart who will offer them these goods at the cheapest price.

There will always be a small percentage of buyers who value quality but in general, most consumers are not that picky. So long as it is cheap and meets their basic needs, they will consume.
 

polski

Semi-Pro
I buy a couple cases of balls at a time so that I don't have to remember to pick some up before I play or pay the high price that clubs charge.

If I am practicing hitting, I like to have 2 cans of 3. Yes, I am spoiled at the under-$2 per can price that I get. If a hitting session doesn't deflate the balls I likely use them twice before donating them to the club or school.

To play a match, 1 can is cool since that is what we do for league and tournaments.
 

polski

Semi-Pro
Boy was I wrong. A quick search reveals that Wilson Championship balls, pretty much your basic club ball, are around $2.30 for a can of 3 in the US. And in Australia, the same can sets you back... around $8!
----
I wonder if there are other factors like import duties or something like that?


I bet if you researched it you would find that your tennis balls are being shipped from the States & are subject to taxes and tarriffs by your country. I think that tripling the cost seems high, but I would have guessed that it doubled the price.

Is all your equipment that highly priced? racquets, string, grips, etc?
 

g4driver

Legend
Yeah, some Penn or Wilsons cost ~$2.25 for an individual can of 3 at Walmart. New can Q match is the norm. Now I will keep that match-played set of balls for two or three practice sessions or for serving.

At $2 a can, most people open a new can for any match, and just practice with a can that has a set or 2 on them. I put older balls in my ball hopper for practice balls like many folks.

But there is a quirky guy on my team who has a lot of old dead balls in his bags. It's a running joke among our team.

When the club put new trash cans on the courts, the new cans including a tennis ball recycling bin on top of the trash can. Fortunately for us, his hands are too big to dig out the recycled balls. :wink:

And yes, he did try sticking his hand in there to grab a few used balls. :shock:
 

Dags

Hall of Fame
Turns out that I'm perhaps not as tight as I thought I was. :)

I play singles almost exclusively, and in the last couple of months that means one of the following:

- club tournament match
- box league match
- playing with hitting partners (and for most of them, that means a 10-15 minute warm up before playing best of 3 sets)
- drilling with hitting partners (which is sadly infrequent, as to an awful lot of people it seems playing tennis equates to 3 sets)

For the club tournament and box league, I almost always use new balls. For the others, I tend to re-use balls unless they 'need' replacing. How frequently they're replaced can depend on the opponent - I know some who would happily play with the same balls once a week for 6 weeks. I'm sure part of the reason for this is that I'm playing indoors, and so the balls don't get dirty or look used in the same way they would outdoors, regardless of how much pressure has been lost.

Initially I didn't care too much provided there was some bounce left, but over the past year I've become more active, particularly in the box league. It doesn't take much to work out that if you practice with old balls, when you then play matches with new ones it can come as something of a shock.

I'm currently considering the best way to get value for money. I buy in bulk as otherwise we're talking absolutely silly money, and last time I decided to buy a premium ball (Tecnifibre X1) as they tend to last longer. For a case with 35 4-ball cans, it still works out at £5 per can. So I'm tempted to move to 3-ball cans, and interestingly there's doesn't seem to be much of a mark up buying them in that form. As I mentioned in the original post, the biggest battle will be persuading people that 3 balls is enough when they're used to 4. I'm also wondering whether I should buy cheaper balls rather than the premium ones. So a secondary question for this thread:

Would you prefer to play with:

a. New, cheap balls
b. Used, premium balls (for the purposes of the question, assume they've been used once in a 3-set match one week ago)
 

Dags

Hall of Fame
When the club put new trash cans on the courts, the new cans including a tennis ball recycling bin on top of the trash can. Fortunately for us, his hands are too big to dig out the recycled balls. :wink:

And yes, he did try sticking his hand in there to grab a few used balls. :shock:

I know someone who does that with the plastic bottle recycling bin. His hands fit.
 

Dags

Hall of Fame
Is all your equipment that highly priced? racquets, string, grips, etc?

For the most part, yes. If you were to compare products between TW and TWE, you'll almost always find TWE is higher. Some random (but popular) examples:

Babolat AeroPro Drive GT
TW: $189.00
TWE: €180.50 ($237.82)

Luxilon ALU Power:
TW: $15.99
TWE: €14.32 ($18.86)

Tourna Grip 3-pack
TW: $3.49
TWE: €5.43 ($7.15)


Of these, I believe Unique is the only US-based company, and so it is perhaps not surprising that Tourna costs more. But Babolat are French and Luxilon Belgian, yet it is still cheaper to buy their products in the US.

There are some exceptions. There are a number of smaller string companies such as Weiss Cannon and Signum Pro (who I think are both based in Germany), where prices are more in parity. However, I'm not sure I've ever seen anything where something is vastly cheaper in Europe.

In general, this is widely a more economic trend than anything to do with tennis. For pretty much anything, consumers pay more in Europe than they do in the US.

Moaning aside, I'm not sure how the average income and cost of living compares between countries. $1 may be worth less to me (relatively speaking) than my US counterpart, and as such prices may in fact be 'fairer' than they might otherwise appear.
 

amarone

Semi-Pro
Bear in mind that US prices are quoted exclusive of sales tax, whereas European prices include VAT. The effect of sales tax varies according to which state you live in and you can often avoid it by ordering online.

However, the difference in taxes could easily explain some of the price differences we see. The Euro price quoted in the above post assumes UK VAT rates, by the looks of it. That is currently 17.5% The VAT content of the €180.50 price for the Babolat is €26.88, giving a price of €153.62 without VAT, or $202.40. Hence of the $48.82 price difference, $35.42, or 73%, is a result of taxation differences.

This would not explain the size of the difference in tennis ball prices, though.
 

robby c

Semi-Pro
Wait a minute. Nobody's addressing the underlying issue here. Why is there such a massive disparity of prices of tennis balls between Europe, Australia, and the US? What gives?

It's one more thing that, sadly, makes tennis an "exclusive" sport, rather than an "inclusive" one.

Of course, another question stemming from this one is this: if the US has the luxury of such cheap tennis balls, and the rest of the world is not so blessed, why is it that the rest of the world seems to be surpassing the US in tennis ranking and achievement over the last 15 years or so?? Too many sports to choose from here in the States?

Anyway, just weighing in.......
WALMART - They price tennis balls as a loss leader to get you in the store every week. Here in South Carolina the price has been $1.97 for over ten years.
Robby C
 

mtommer

Hall of Fame
I don't know. Why wouldn't manufacturers have the same vested interest in keeping the tennis market going strong in other countries also?

I wonder if there are other factors like import duties or something like that?

I know in my own city there are nine public court locations within a 15 minute drive. Many other places I've been in the US had many public courts. I'm not sure how many other countries have this elaborate of a public court system as opposed to having mostly clubs. I'm not sure just how strong tennis is in other countries on a public level. It may very well be that not only is the US the biggest market but it is so by leaps and bounds and thus economies of scale would come into effect. But, it could also be that mfg's. know they'd never sell a ball if they jacked up the prices *shrug*.
 

dlk

Hall of Fame
For the most part, yes. If you were to compare products between TW and TWE, you'll almost always find TWE is higher. Some random (but popular) examples:

Babolat AeroPro Drive GT
TW: $189.00
TWE: €180.50 ($237.82)

Luxilon ALU Power:
TW: $15.99
TWE: €14.32 ($18.86)

Tourna Grip 3-pack
TW: $3.49
TWE: €5.43 ($7.15)


Of these, I believe Unique is the only US-based company, and so it is perhaps not surprising that Tourna costs more. But Babolat are French and Luxilon Belgian, yet it is still cheaper to buy their products in the US.

There are some exceptions. There are a number of smaller string companies such as Weiss Cannon and Signum Pro (who I think are both based in Germany), where prices are more in parity. However, I'm not sure I've ever seen anything where something is vastly cheaper in Europe.

In general, this is widely a more economic trend than anything to do with tennis. For pretty much anything, consumers pay more in Europe than they do in the US.

Moaning aside, I'm not sure how the average income and cost of living compares between countries. $1 may be worth less to me (relatively speaking) than my US counterpart, and as such prices may in fact be 'fairer' than they might otherwise appear.

Nice post. I believe current Euro to dollar is 1/1.31. So 200 euros would be 262 US dollars.
 

OrangePower

Legend
I bet if you researched it you would find that your tennis balls are being shipped from the States & are subject to taxes and tarriffs by your country. I think that tripling the cost seems high, but I would have guessed that it doubled the price.

Is all your equipment that highly priced? racquets, string, grips, etc?

I live in the US so can't comment. I just did an internet search to compare ball prices between here and Australia, and was shocked that in AUS it's 3x the price.

The price difference mentioned in other posts for equipment between US and Europe is relatively small. I just don't get the 3x factor for balls in Aus.
 

Pioneer

Professional
Here in Bulgaria ALU Power costs about $30




For the most part, yes. If you were to compare products between TW and TWE, you'll almost always find TWE is higher. Some random (but popular) examples:

Babolat AeroPro Drive GT
TW: $189.00
TWE: €180.50 ($237.82)

Luxilon ALU Power:
TW: $15.99
TWE: €14.32 ($18.86)

Tourna Grip 3-pack
TW: $3.49
TWE: €5.43 ($7.15)


Of these, I believe Unique is the only US-based company, and so it is perhaps not surprising that Tourna costs more. But Babolat are French and Luxilon Belgian, yet it is still cheaper to buy their products in the US.

There are some exceptions. There are a number of smaller string companies such as Weiss Cannon and Signum Pro (who I think are both based in Germany), where prices are more in parity. However, I'm not sure I've ever seen anything where something is vastly cheaper in Europe.

In general, this is widely a more economic trend than anything to do with tennis. For pretty much anything, consumers pay more in Europe than they do in the US.

Moaning aside, I'm not sure how the average income and cost of living compares between countries. $1 may be worth less to me (relatively speaking) than my US counterpart, and as such prices may in fact be 'fairer' than they might otherwise appear.
 

kimguroo

Legend
league matches require new can of ball so three balls for matches.
Usually match last 1:30-2 hours then I use those balls when I practice with my partner after that I through out balls. I think I use balls twice (4-6 hours).

there is coupons almost every month at one of the big sports equipment store in US so I buy in bulk and split with my friends.

with a coupon, I could get around $1.60 per a can (including tax)
 

cll30

Rookie
Here in Austin, Texas you can get a can of 3 Penn or Wilson tennis balls at Target or Walmart for less then $2.00 per can. They're usually $1.77 to $1.88 per can, but occasionally they go up to $2.10.
 

Steady Eddy

Legend
Here in Austin, Texas you can get a can of 3 Penn or Wilson tennis balls at Target or Walmart for less then $2.00 per can. They're usually $1.77 to $1.88 per can, but occasionally they go up to $2.10.
Same here in Phoenix, Arizona. If I pay over $2 a can, I feel I paid alot. Usually, I can find them significantly cheaper than that, and then I stock up.

In the US balls are cheap, and I almost never pay for court time, (my homeowners association provides us with a court). Despite this, tennis isn't very popular here. Whatever the reason is, it seems it doesn't have to do with the cost.

I'm surprised that they're so expensive elsewhere. I mean, I can get inexpensive grapes all the way from Chile, so if they can ship fresh grapes cheaply, half-way around the world, why can't they do the same with tennis balls?

BTW, if you think tennis balls are cheap, wait until you see the restaurants and the portions they serve. Way bigger than when I was a kid! And so are most Americans!
 

mtommer

Hall of Fame
In the US balls are cheap, and I almost never pay for court time, (my homeowners association provides us with a court). Despite this, tennis isn't very popular here. Whatever the reason is, it seems it doesn't have to do with the cost.

Tennis used to be quite popular and many of the public courts are decades old. So too is much of the thinking regarding tennis in the US. Wasn't it in an issue of Tennis recently where Evert discussed the transitioning of tennis courts to basketball courts because city planners no longer feel that tennis is relevant anymore?
 

kelawai

Rookie
Using 3 balls is normal. But when play indoor during the cold season I would prefer 6 balls to speed up the game because of court fee.

Believe me. A few years ago my local CVS store sell 3 cans of Penn (not 3 balls) for $1.00 when Summer is over. Their normal price then was about $4.00+ a can. I cleaned the whole shelf about 12 cans left. None of those are dead.
 

OrangeOne

Legend
If anyone in the US - with access to brand name balls at around ~$2 a can by the case - also knows a good, cheap international shipping option.... then please feel free to PM me via my profile.

Not even kidding....
 

fleabitten

Semi-Pro
Any more than 3 or 4 balls on a court is annoying. I like to pop open a $2.50 can of 3 balls before every hitting session. I really prefer 3 balls to 4. I prefer the rhythm of the game with 3.
 

kelawai

Rookie
If anyone in the US - with access to brand name balls at around ~$2 a can by the case - also knows a good, cheap international shipping option.... then please feel free to PM me via my profile.

Not even kidding....

******* in nyc. $1.99 a can.
 

OrangeOne

Legend
It's not so much finding the $2 a can that's the issue - TW sells for that - it's maybe someone who knows a good way to ship them overseas.

Put it another way - I'd still save money if just shipped by USPS, but there has to be a better way!
 

tennisee

Rookie
The high price for balls in Australia is just someting I think we have to live with. Yes, it's tough to pay $9 min for a can of 4. In my grass comp we are given two balls per court and play three rubbers - best of three - with them so that's up to nine sets! Balls are provided as prt of the club fees.

On the other hand if I told my American cousins that I am a member of a lawn court club and my total cost including club membership, unlimited practice, all competion and affiliation fees and balls, is $360 per season (21 rounds including finals) I think on balance we have it pretty good!
 
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