How Often Should I replace my balls

SlapChop · Feb 23, 2011

How often should I replace my practice balls? I don't like spending a fortune on balls and I throw out the noticeably flat balls as I see them.

What are yall using for practice balls? I am about to buy another case to replace my stock / add some more to my practice set. I have been using the 1.69 can of Penn balls.

dozu · Feb 23, 2011

Wilson champ balls are my regulars... hold pressure much longer than penns. $1.79 at walmart.

OHAI · Feb 23, 2011

Practice balls, Wilson Pressureless.

sureshs · Feb 23, 2011

We all wish we can replace them as they age, but that will have to wait for some scientific breakthroughs.

dozu · Feb 23, 2011

^^

you know you are getting old, if your balls tell you it's time to mow the lawn.

- Rodney Dangerfield.

SlapChop · Feb 23, 2011

dozu said:
Wilson champ balls are my regulars... hold pressure much longer than penns. $1.79 at walmart.

I saw these. I think I'll buy a case of them today and a new ball hopper

SlapChop · Feb 23, 2011

Does that really work? I figured that is was the air inside that ball that regulated the bounce.

SystemicAnomaly · Feb 23, 2011

Transplant? Some other surgical procedure?

Seriously tho', Penn Champs lose pressure quicker than most other balls. I don't really like Wilson Champs, but the US Open balls are pretty decent and hold pressure longer than the Penn Champs. Dunlop Champs are better thant the Wilson Champs and hold pressure better than the Penn Champs.

Prince balls appear to be the Energizer Bunny (or Timex) of tennis balls. The Prince Tour seems to last almost as long as a good pressureless ball (and plays a lot better than the pressureless ball). Only have limited experience with Prince Champs -- longevity seems to be pretty good from what I've seen.

SystemicAnomaly · Feb 23, 2011

SlapChop said:
Does that really work? I figured that is was the air inside that ball that regulated the bounce.

Should work in theory. A new pressurized ball will have some like 24 to nearly 30 psi internally. A pressurized can will be close to 30 psi as well. Over time the balls (outside of the pressurized can) tend to reach an equilibrium with the external (atmospheric) pressure = nearly 15 psi at sea level. If you increase the external pressure, the internal pressure, over time, will tend to match that higher ext pressure.

kimba · Feb 23, 2011

SlapChop said:
Does that really work? I figured that is was the air inside that ball that regulated the bounce.

Yeah it works

How ever it is subject to the law of diminishing returns

SlapChop · Feb 23, 2011

kimba said:
Yeah it works

How ever it is subject to the law of diminishing returns

Damn that law I got a ticket for breaking it the other day

only4theweak187 · Feb 23, 2011

SlapChop said:
Does that really work? I figured that is was the air inside that ball that regulated the bounce.

My dad gave me an old ball pressurizer that was the size of a can of balls that when it is closed it pressurizes the balls to around 40 psi which is the amount of air pressure at sea level it says on the label.

thing is pretty nifty, it does work if you leave 3 balls in it for about 2 weeks.

user92626 · Feb 23, 2011

only4theweak187 said:
My dad gave me an old ball pressurizer that was the size of a can of balls that when it is closed it pressurizes the balls to around 40 psi which is the amount of air pressure at sea level it says on the label.

thing is pretty nifty, it does work if you leave 3 balls in it for about 2 weeks.

Is that the yellow can with a twisting lid?

SlapChop · Feb 23, 2011

So I should buy the Prince balls.? anybody going to second that one?

Fugazi · Feb 23, 2011

sureshs said:
We all wish we can replace them as they age, but that will have to wait for some scientific breakthroughs.

Indeed! On a more serious note, no need to replace them... Just wash them.

SlapChop · Feb 23, 2011

Fugazi said:
Indeed! On a more serious note, no need to replace them... Just wash them.

Maybe that will get the smell of em.

only4theweak187 · Feb 23, 2011

user92626 said:
Is that the yellow can with a twisting lid?

haha yep funny ****.

it's pretty old school looking, but def worked on a few old balls i had i said hell i'll try it out

BMC9670 · Feb 23, 2011

Check this out: http://www.rebounces.com/

Looks like you can buy a machine or send your balls in to be pressurized. They also recycle them if the felt is gone. Anyone tried it?

Personally, I donate mine to our local school for the bottoms of the chairs.

mikeler · Feb 23, 2011

SlapChop said:
So I should buy the Prince balls.? anybody going to second that one?

I second that. Prince Tour bounce the highest and maintain their bounce the longest. Old Prince balls in my bag a few weeks bounce higher than a new can of Penns.

dlesser13 · Feb 23, 2011

If only I had a giant autoclave to put my balls in.

r2473 · Feb 23, 2011

SlapChop said:
How Often Should I replace my balls

Every time someone busts them.

JRstriker12 · Feb 23, 2011

SlapChop said:
How often should I replace my practice balls? I don't like spending a fortune on balls and I throw out the noticeably flat balls as I see them.

What are yall using for practice balls? I am about to buy another case to replace my stock / add some more to my practice set. I have been using the 1.69 can of Penn balls.

Penn Championship extra duty. Pack of 16 for $30 from costco.

I usually just throw them out as they get to flat/old. When I play a match and open a new can, the used balls go into my hopper after the match. Maybe about every 3-4 months, I may just dump most of the balls and get another 16 pack from Costco.

GetBetterer · Feb 23, 2011

kimba:

I get an old air compressor tank and a pressure regulator and I weld a 6 inch plug in the end of it. I use a screw in cap, fit a pressure relief valve and fit a pressure gauge to the tank. I then put a hundred balls in there screw the lid in and using a tyre valve (which I fit to the tank) pump it up to 30 psi. I leave the balls in there over night and then in the morning the pressure has equalised and the balls are like new again.

How safe is it?

Also, I would get started on the patent quickly. If you upload it here (by here, I mean the internet) people will see it, and if they turn in the patent sooner than you, you don't get the product as your own design. Not to forget that patents take about 3 - 4 years to get through so I would do it fast.

papa · Feb 23, 2011

Well, I use the Penn Coach balls which are the most inexpensive balls around and are pretty sturdy. They don't seem to pick up the moisture as fast, bounce stays pretty good and the felt remains in good shape. I change balls frequently but I use one of four colors to put a large dot (about 1/2") with permanent markers. I do not change all the balls at once but do them in about 2 week intervals. So all I have to do is fish out whatever dot is being retired and I replace them with a different color. Really doesn't take me long to mark the balls once you get the hang of it.

Once nice thing here is that when balls roll into adjacent courts or try to make a run for it by jumping the fences, everyone know instantly where they belong. I hate feeding balls with different pressures or have players practice with them. New balls are an absolute must when your working on serves also.

NLBwell · Feb 23, 2011

An old trick we used to use many years ago in high school was to put the balls in the refrigerator right after playing. Then when they were warmed up they had more pressre than if they were just left out. On top of that, you can put them in the dryer before you play to warm them up and increase the pressure (of course, they will cool off, so I think the refridgerator idea is better).

coolblue123 · Feb 24, 2011

BMC9670 said:
Check this out: http://www.rebounces.com/

Looks like you can buy a machine or send your balls in to be pressurized. They also recycle them if the felt is gone. Anyone tried it?

Personally, I donate mine to our local school for the bottoms of the chairs.

wow, it looks like a green egg bbq grill without legs.

SystemicAnomaly · Feb 25, 2011

SlapChop said:
So I should buy the Prince balls.? anybody going to second that one?

Many posters like the Dunlop Gran Prix for longevity (as well as for playability and visibility). This is one of my favorite balls as well for all 3 reasons. However, I'd still go with the Prince Tour, esp if you can get a decent price on them (they are a premium ball so you are not probably not going to find them for too much less than $2.75/can)

mightyrick · Feb 26, 2011

SystemicAnomaly said:
Many posters like the Dunlop Gran Prix for longevity (as well as for playability and visibility). This is one of my favorite balls as well for all 3 reasons. However, I'd still go with the Prince Tour, esp if you can get a decent price on them (they are a premium ball so you are not probably not going to find them for too much less than $2.75/can)

I like the Dunlops. They have a raised rubber imperfection on the seam of their balls that happens during the manufacturing process. It is almost like a "hang nail".

On very spinny, slicey shots, those balls really can curve/break like no other.

tennytive · Feb 26, 2011

I second the Dunlops. Higher bounce even after months from opening the can. mightyrick, we call those "ears". It was the net linesman's job to open the new can of balls on changes, and part of it was removing the ears.

Haven't tried the Prince yet, but will this spring. Usually play with Penns because that's what everyone else uses.

Slazenger is another nice ball for playing, but don't know how long they would hold up for practices.

Gotta try that refrigerator idea…

SystemicAnomaly · Feb 26, 2011

^ The Slazenger (Ultra-Vis) Wimbledon ball was my favorite a few years back. Not readily available in my area any longer. Fairly long-lasting and possibly the brightest ball on the market.

fruitytennis1 · Feb 26, 2011

Dunlop Grand prix.
Solid ball...lasts for a good while and even when worn they bounce much better than other balls.

anontennis · Feb 26, 2011

I like Dunlops as mentioned above, but they don't accurately reflect real world playing conditions in a tournament.

I play with Wilson US Open balls now. They seem to be a good compromise between something like the Dunlops and the low quality balls that are flat by the end of two sets.

As for when to replace them? Depends on your needs. If you want to compete, you should be playing with tennis balls similar to those you will use in a match. This means a new can every time you play. I would hardly call this a fortune, although it does get expensive if you play nearly every day. If you just play for fun, you don't need our input to tell you what you like best...

SlapChop · Feb 28, 2011

I am mainly talking about my practice balls. I always open a new can if I am playing with someone else but I keep about 40 -50 balls for practicing and I don't want to replace all of them every 3 - 4 weeks. With the Penns I feel like that is about when they start dieing. I just bought a half case of the Prince balls so I will give them a shot. and I might buy a couple cans of the Dunlop just to mix it up and see which ones last longer.

Totai · Feb 28, 2011

SlapChop said:
So I should buy the Prince balls.? anybody going to second that one?

I use prince balls and they last much longer than any othe rball I have used... although they are more expensive

SlapChop · Feb 28, 2011

I paid 2.69 per can of the Prince. It really doesn't seem like you get much savings buying an entire case. Roughly it comes out to .79 ea for the Prince Balls and about .58 ea for the Penn. If the quality it noticeably better then I don't mind the difference. I think the case price difference was about $15.

mikeler · Feb 28, 2011

SlapChop said:
I paid 2.69 per can of the Prince. It really doesn't seem like you get much savings buying an entire case. Roughly it comes out to .79 ea for the Prince Balls and about .58 ea for the Penn. If the quality it noticeably better then I don't mind the difference. I think the case price difference was about $15.

The quality is noticeably better.

Tennis Dunce · Feb 28, 2011

SlapChop said:
I am mainly talking about my practice balls. I always open a new can if I am playing with someone else but I keep about 40 -50 balls for practicing and I don't want to replace all of them every 3 - 4 weeks. With the Penns I feel like that is about when they start dieing. I just bought a half case of the Prince balls so I will give them a shot. and I might buy a couple cans of the Dunlop just to mix it up and see which ones last longer.

Dunlops keep th pressure a long time...great for practice buckets. The Prince balls are also worth money but I can't comment on their longevity. Ive had dunlops keep their pressure for months...how, I have no idea.

SlapChop · Feb 28, 2011

Well I opened the Prince balls to day and they are noticeably louder when you open them. I am going to grab some dunlops today too and thrown them in there that way I can really tell what lasts longer.

mikeler · Feb 28, 2011

SlapChop said:
Well I opened the Prince balls to day and they are noticeably louder when you open them. I am going to grab some dunlops today too and thrown them in there that way I can really tell what lasts longer.

Dunlops are good too. They are a little bit larger in diameter and they feel harder but their bounce is almost as good as the Princes.

sureshs · Feb 28, 2011

Always Wilson US Open for me.

equinox · Feb 28, 2011

a pair of balls every four sets, 30-40 games.

Chas Tennis · Feb 28, 2011

kimba said:
Here is what I do

I get an old air compressor tank and a pressure regulator and I weld a 6 inch plug in the end of it. I use a screw in cap, fit a pressure relief valve and fit a pressure gauge to the tank. I then put a hundred balls in there screw the lid in and using a tyre valve (which I fit to the tank) pump it up to 30 psi. I leave the balls in there over night and then in the morning the pressure has equalised and the balls are like new again.

It is my invention and I am going to reproduce it for my university major work in design.

Take great care with pressure vessels - Around the lab among the most dangerous things were pressure vessels that hold gases. These vessels can explode if not well designed and fabricated. The plug mentioned above, for example, at 30 psi has 830 pounds of force on it.

Chas Tennis

SystemicAnomaly · Feb 28, 2011

SlapChop said:
I paid 2.69 per can of the Prince. It really doesn't seem like you get much savings buying an entire case. Roughly it comes out to .79 ea for the Prince Balls and about .58 ea for the Penn. If the quality it noticeably better then I don't mind the difference. I think the case price difference was about $15.

The quality control for the Penn Champs is not all that good either. It seems like most cans contain one substandard ball -- sometimes, a cosmetic reject but usually one ball has a substandard bounce.

Both the overall quality and and the quality control of the Prince Tours (and Prince Champs) are much better than the Penn Champs (altho' the Penn ATP balls are ok). The longevity of the Prince Tour appears to be 3x or better than the Penn Championship ball.
.

r2473 · Feb 28, 2011

sureshs said:
Always Wilson US Open for me.

+1

These are my favorite overall. Balls are very consistent and seem to last for 2-3 sets of hardcourt tennis for us.

pushing_wins · Feb 28, 2011

sureshs said:
Always Wilson US Open for me.

they are good for pushers.

they fluff up quickly, which slows them down considerably.

mikeler · Feb 28, 2011

pushing_wins said:
they are good for pushers.

they fluff up quickly, which slows them down considerably.

And are terrible for spin meisters like me.

r2473 · Feb 28, 2011

I'm going to have to let the U tennis team know that they are a bunch of pushers (and aren't spin meisters). They will be heartbroken.

SystemicAnomaly · Feb 28, 2011

pushing_wins said:
they are good for pushers.

they fluff up quickly, which slows them down considerably.

Would not agree with this generalization but they really do tend to fluff up quite a bit when playing spin-meisters like mikeler. I like the US Open ball a whole lot better than Championship balls from Penn, Wilson or Dunlop. However, when playing with players who frequently exceed the posted spin limit, I like them a bit less.

papa · Mar 1, 2011

SystemicAnomaly said:
The quality control for the Penn Champs is not all that good either. It seems like most cans contain one substandard ball -- sometimes, a cosmetic reject but usually one ball has a substandard bounce.

Both the overall quality and and the quality control of the Prince Tours (and Prince Champs) are much better than the Penn Champs (altho' the Penn ATP balls are ok). The longevity of the Prince Tour appears to be 3x or better than the Penn Championship ball.
.

I think you've had better experiences with Prince balls than many of us. Although I'm not personally familiar with any of the factories that make tennis balls, its been my experience that Prince balls can have too much glue which has a tendency to break off and you have a rattle after about ten minutes of play. I know of instances where all the balls in tournaments were taken out of play specifically for this reason - involved a huge number of cases. This situation has happened more than once and hopefully Prince has corrected the problem.

I cut several of the balls in half and the glue joints were like a paint can that had been used but on the inside - dripping down.
Its not a uniform drip which can make the ball a little off center also because of the weight of the glue.

Now, I've seen this with Penn balls also but the difference seems to be that the glue doesn't seem to harden and break off.

There can't be many places in the World that make tennis balls and I wonder if anyone know how many there are and does one factory make balls for several tennis companies?

mikeler · Mar 1, 2011

r2473 said:
I'm going to have to let the U tennis team know that they are a bunch of pushers (and aren't spin meisters). They will be heartbroken.

Tell them what Nadal had to say about them before this year's US Open. You probably don't hit the ball hard enough to notice the difference:

"It's the more difficult for me, especially I think because the ball," he said. "The ball is more easy to play for the players when they have the flat shots, no? That's much easier for them than for the topspin players. That's the only thing. But I won Olympics with this ball. I won in Beijing in 2005 with this ball. I can do it."

papa said:
I think you've had better experiences with Prince balls than many of us. Although I'm not personally familiar with any of the factories that make tennis balls, its been my experience that Prince balls can have too much glue which has a tendency to break off and you have a rattle after about ten minutes of play. I know of instances where all the balls in tournaments were taken out of play specifically for this reason - involved a huge number of cases. This situation has happened more than once and hopefully Prince has corrected the problem.

I cut several of the balls in half and the glue joints were like a paint can that had been used but on the inside - dripping down.
Its not a uniform drip which can make the ball a little off center also because of the weight of the glue.

Now, I've seen this with Penn balls also but the difference seems to be that the glue doesn't seem to harden and break off.

There can't be many places in the World that make tennis balls and I wonder if anyone know how many there are and does one factory make balls for several tennis companies?

I had that problem with the hard court version of the Prince balls bought from a big box store. I've never had that problem with the soft court version of the ball bought online.

How Often Should I replace my balls

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