Softest and brightest tournament grade balls

maxpotapov · Dec 10, 2011

For the past 2 years I mostly used Slazenger Wimbledon Ultra Vis (tin can) tennis balls, as they are softer to my arm than anything else I've tried and brighter too. Maybe it is because of Milliken cloth or wool content, I don't know. Plus I could get them cheap at the local store, $4 a 4B can.

Is there a softer alternative? I heard Babolat Roland Garros are good too, and maybe Dunlop A-Player. Please advise...

JDMasFCK · Dec 11, 2011

Pro Penn and the Babolat Roland Garros are the softest for me.

maxpotapov · Dec 11, 2011

JDMasFCK said:
Pro Penn and the Babolat Roland Garros are the softest for me.

Here's a good review of Pro Penn in the customer feedback section:

I work as an instructor at a large indoor tennis facility, and I also maintain the tennis courts. For several years we have used Wilson US Open tennis balls for our leagues, and filtered them into our instructors baskets. Last year we changed to Pro-Penn tennis balls, and here are the differences we noticed. - 1. The Pro-Penn balls lose less of their fuzz with use, as indicated by a reduction in the amount of ball fuzz vacuumed up each week. - 2. The Wilson US Open balls look better after long use. Their label does not get worn off, but they lose more fluff. This is probably a matter of how much ink the factory uses to print the labels on the balls. - 3. Pro-Penn balls bounce higher after a three set match than the Wilson balls. - 4. and finally.... Our players seem to steal more of the Penn balls than the Wilson US Open Balls. I don't know what that means.
From: Richard, Grand Blanc, Michigan, USA. 04/09

Too bad they are Pro Shop specialty product and not available in retail

maxpotapov · Dec 15, 2011

Any other suggestions on arm and eye-friendly tournament balls?

maxpotapov · Dec 23, 2011

Federer mentions Babolat Roland Garros balls as too fast right out of the box,
http://tennis.com/articles/templates/news.aspx?articleid=12120&zoneid=25

Readers · Dec 24, 2011

maxpotapov said:
Here's a good review of Pro Penn in the customer feedback section:

Too bad they are Pro Shop specialty product and not available in retail

I disagree with everything on this except the fact Wilson US Open loss more felt. This include the fact I can get Pro Penn from retail store.

DeShaun · Dec 25, 2011

maxpotapov said:
Federer mentions Babolat Roland Garros balls as too fast right out of the box,
http://tennis.com/articles/templates/news.aspx?articleid=12120&zoneid=25

Those Roland Garros balls are lively, soft, and easy on the arm.

maxpotapov · Dec 26, 2011

DeShaun said:
Those Roland Garros balls are lively, soft, and easy on the arm.

Sounds good! Are they easy on the arm because of softer/thicker felt, lighter weight, better elasticity or...?

maxpotapov · Dec 26, 2011

Readers said:
I disagree with everything on this except the fact Wilson US Open loss more felt. This include the fact I can get Pro Penn from retail store.

I don't quite see any high profile tournaments that endorse Penn balls, is there any?

Readers · Dec 26, 2011

maxpotapov said:
I don't quite see any high profile tournaments that endorse Penn balls, is there any?

?

I was referring to this:

"Too bad they are Pro Shop specialty product and not available in retail"

maxpotapov · Dec 27, 2011

No, I got it!
I was just saying, Pro or not Pro, Penn balls are probably for recreational or practice use only

Rjtennis · Dec 27, 2011

I dont care for how the red Pro Penn balls play. Im in a leaugue that uses them and I find them to be very slow playing balls. After about a set of play, I notice a large drop off in free points on serve and they didnt play fast to begin with.

gregor.b · Dec 27, 2011

maxpotapov said:
For the past 2 years I mostly used Slazenger Wimbledon Ultra Vis (tin can) tennis balls, as they are softer to my arm than anything else I've tried and brighter too. Maybe it is because of Milliken cloth or wool content, I don't know. Plus I could get them cheap at the local store, $4 a 4B can.

Is there a softer alternative? I heard Babolat Roland Garros are good too, and maybe Dunlop A-Player. Please advise...

Yeah,same down here in OzSlazenger all the way. Except they are about $12 a can. The Wilsons slow down faster but seem to be in slightly better condition after 4 or 5 sets. Much harder ball though. Nowhere near as comfortable.

DeShaun · Jan 1, 2012

maxpotapov said:
Sounds good! Are they easy on the arm because of softer/thicker felt, lighter weight, better elasticity or...?

Lighter weight and much greater elasticity, it seemed.

mikeler · Jan 1, 2012

Rjtennis said:
I dont care for how the red Pro Penn balls play. Im in a leaugue that uses them and I find them to be very slow playing balls. After about a set of play, I notice a large drop off in free points on serve and they didnt play fast to begin with.

They change too much over the life of a match for my liking too.

Ramon · Jan 1, 2012

Try the Penn ATP balls. They are brightest balls I've seen. They are about as soft as the Penn Championship balls and they last longer.

Readers · Jan 2, 2012

maxpotapov said:
No, I got it!
I was just saying, Pro or not Pro, Penn balls are probably for recreational or practice use only

Oh, I totally agree with you on that, the balls just refuse to bonce even when they are new.

Even for practice I found Wilson US Open to be the better, as it does really cost that much more, and plays much better, they aren't stiff either.

However I don't see why you want to change if you can get ultra vis tin can for $4. I need to pay $6.5(inc tax) per can here in Canada, and that's when they are on sale.

mikeler · Jan 3, 2012

Ramon said:
Try the Penn ATP balls. They are brightest balls I've seen. They are about as soft as the Penn Championship balls and they last longer.

Penn ATP is the only decent ball made by Penn.

maxpotapov · Jan 3, 2012

Readers said:
However I don't see why you want to change if you can get ultra vis tin can for $4. I need to pay $6.5(inc tax) per can here in Canada, and that's when they are on sale.

I could get them this cheap back in Brooklyn, NY. They were also available in Pa***on Sports for $3.99 + tax, and maybe at Dick's for about the same price
Now I'm on the other side of the Atlantic, hence I need a cheaper and more readily available alternative, like those Babolat Roland Garros:

DeShaun said:
Lighter weight and much greater elasticity, it seemed.

I really need something more lightweight and soft for my arm, even Slazenger Ultra Vis can feel a little heavy and hard, fresh out of the (tin) can, especially on a colder day. But if ball is lightweight, it will be easier on my arm no matter what.

On a side note, maybe this is the reason for modern racquets to become more and more stiff: together with poly, it helps hitting the rocks flying at you at 80-130 mph. What tennis industry should do instead, bring down the weight and decrease the pressure of tennis balls, to bring the game of tennis back to normal and safeguard players' arms.

JT_2eighty · Jan 19, 2012

Does anyone have thoughts on the Dunlop A-Player ball? :

"The Abzorber inspired core is designed to reduce shock by 15% for more comfortable hitting while the felt is 20% brighter so you can always keep your eye on the ball. With its excellent hard court performance, this extra-duty ball has quickly become a TW playtester favorite."

And as far as penn...

maxpotapov said:
I don't quite see any high profile tournaments that endorse Penn balls, is there any?

Penn ATP regular duty balls are "The Official Ball of the ATP Masters Series." per TW as well.

MesQueUnClub · Jan 21, 2012

JT_2eighty said:
Does anyone have thoughts on the Dunlop A-Player ball? :

"The Abzorber inspired core is designed to reduce shock by 15% for more comfortable hitting while the felt is 20% brighter so you can always keep your eye on the ball. With its excellent hard court performance, this extra-duty ball has quickly become a TW playtester favorite."

I bought a case last year of A-Player. They were lively and nicer than Penn, and held up alright for a while and then towards the end of the second set they started dying and then it was just downhill fast.

I moved to Babalot balls since. They are lively initially, but after warmup or the first few games, they settle down and play well for a long time. The best I have played with. They are very easy on the arm as well.
The only isssue I have had with babalot balls are idiots complaining that they are not high altitude balls, when they don't even know the difference between the 2, without looking at the writing on the packaging.

maxpotapov · Jan 23, 2012

MesQueUnClub said:
I moved to Babalot balls since. They are lively initially, but after warmup or the first few games, they settle down and play well for a long time. The best I have played with. They are very easy on the arm as well.

I wonder why they are lively at first, maybe felt is not too fuzzy or what?..
Also, about those high altitude balls, I wonder how they play in normal conditions, at sea level. Softer, slower than regular balls? Might be good choice for learning/training purposes...

j00dypoo · Jan 23, 2012

Interesting views in this thread.

I'm quite the opposite with Penn and Wilson. The Pro Penn+ balls are the best I've ever used. They are lively and stay that way for longer than any other ball. The US Open Wilson's that I've played with are generally terrible. Maybe it's the humid climate I'm in? The Wilson's fluff up like crazy and play extremely slow and low bouncing after a few games.

TaihtDuhShaat · Jan 23, 2012

JT_2eighty said:
Does anyone have thoughts on the Dunlop A-Player ball? :

"The Abzorber inspired core is designed to reduce shock by 15% for more comfortable hitting while the felt is 20% brighter so you can always keep your eye on the ball. With its excellent hard court performance, this extra-duty ball has quickly become a TW playtester favorite."

And as far as penn...

Penn ATP regular duty balls are "The Official Ball of the ATP Masters Series." per TW as well.

I love the Dunlop A-Players. They are extremely bright, lively, softer than the grand prix, a bit lighter feeling, and they dont fluff up- they get balder as they age so they still spin. They hold pressure well too; a very true hitting ball.

MesQueUnClub · Jan 23, 2012

maxpotapov said:
I wonder why they are lively at first, maybe felt is not too fuzzy or what?..
Also, about those high altitude balls, I wonder how they play in normal conditions, at sea level. Softer, slower than regular balls? Might be good choice for learning/training purposes...

I haven't hit with the high altitude balls at sea level, but I know they feel like hitting with rocks during winter and takes a toll on the shoulder.

mikeler · Jan 24, 2012

j00dypoo said:
Interesting views in this thread.

I'm quite the opposite with Penn and Wilson. The Pro Penn+ balls are the best I've ever used. They are lively and stay that way for longer than any other ball. The US Open Wilson's that I've played with are generally terrible. Maybe it's the humid climate I'm in? The Wilson's fluff up like crazy and play extremely slow and low bouncing after a few games.

How long ago did you play with the US Opens? I ask because when I used these balls a few years ago at a local tournament, they played exactly as you described.

It had been a few years since I used them and a few months ago I started playing with the regular duty balls on clay. These are excellent balls. So I recently bought a few cans of the extra duty balls for hard courts. These still fluff up but not nearly as much and they retain their bounce still. I think they must have changed something in their manufacturing process.

maxpotapov · Jan 25, 2012

MesQueUnClub said:
I haven't hit with the high altitude balls at sea level, but I know they feel like hitting with rocks during winter and takes a toll on the shoulder.

I see, it makes sense: if they are 6% bigger in diameter, they must feel heavier on the racquet unless their mass is reduced proportionally (which is obviously not the case). Therefore, lower pressure with larger diameter does not really help in terms of arm-friendliness.

maxpotapov · Jan 25, 2012

mikeler said:
It had been a few years since I used them and a few months ago I started playing with the regular duty balls on clay. These are excellent balls. So I recently bought a few cans of the extra duty balls for hard courts. These still fluff up but not nearly as much and they retain their bounce still. I think they must have changed something in their manufacturing process.

I'm confused, now you are talking about Pro Penns?

Thud and blunder · Jan 25, 2012

Mantis Tour - lively, soft, durable; my new favourite ball.

j00dypoo · Jan 25, 2012

mikeler said:
How long ago did you play with the US Opens? I ask because when I used these balls a few years ago at a local tournament, they played exactly as you described.

It had been a few years since I used them and a few months ago I started playing with the regular duty balls on clay. These are excellent balls. So I recently bought a few cans of the extra duty balls for hard courts. These still fluff up but not nearly as much and they retain their bounce still. I think they must have changed something in their manufacturing process.

I must have used them a couple years ago. I'll have to give them another try based off your experience.

maxpotapov said:
I'm confused, now you are talking about Pro Penns?

He was talking about the Wilson US Opens in response to my reply.

mikeler · Jan 25, 2012

j00dypoo said:
I must have used them a couple years ago. I'll have to give them another try based off your experience.

A few months ago, my normal Prince regular duty balls were starting to have bad batches. I played a set of dubs with the US Open regular duty balls and was pleasantly surprised that they did not fluff up like the extra duty I was accustomed to. So I've been playing with that ball on clay ever since.

Decided to take a chance on 1 can of the hard court balls last month. They do fuzz up more than the regular duty but not so much that it inhibits spin. The bounce also stays fairly consistent. It's probably worth another try. The old versions of those balls were just terrible for my heavy spin game.

j00dypoo · Jan 25, 2012

mikeler said:
A few months ago, my normal Prince regular duty balls were starting to have bad batches. I played a set of dubs with the US Open regular duty balls and was pleasantly surprised that they did not fluff up like the extra duty I was accustomed to. So I've been playing with that ball on clay ever since.

Decided to take a chance on 1 can of the hard court balls last month. They do fuzz up more than the regular duty but not so much that it inhibits spin. The bounce also stays fairly consistent. It's probably worth another try. The old versions of those balls were just terrible for my heavy spin game.

Sounds good. I also hit a heavy ball with lots of spin and I play exclusively on hard courts, so I need the extra duty balls. I really like the Prince Tour hard court balls. They are my current go to and they are only $2.50 at my local shop. Wilson US cost substantially more.

mikeler · Jan 26, 2012

j00dypoo said:
Sounds good. I also hit a heavy ball with lots of spin and I play exclusively on hard courts, so I need the extra duty balls. I really like the Prince Tour hard court balls. They are my current go to and they are only $2.50 at my local shop. Wilson US cost substantially more.

My only problem with the Prince Tour extra duty balls is that I had several cans where something broke off inside the ball and it made a rattle. The bounces were great but the rattle was annoying. Never had that problem with Prince regular duty balls.

Ronaldo · Jan 26, 2012

mikeler said:
My only problem with the Prince Tour extra duty balls is that I had several cans where something broke off inside the ball and it made a rattle. The bounces were great but the rattle was annoying. Never had that problem with Prince regular duty balls.

This winter the Prince Tour regular duty balls covers were a mess playing on a HC. Never happened in the past.

mikeler · Jan 26, 2012

Ronaldo said:
This winter the Prince Tour regular duty balls covers were a mess playing on a HC. Never happened in the past.

They are having QC issues with the regular duty balls. There used to be quite a few of us that were springing for cases of Prince balls every few months. I think there is only 1 guy left who buys them anymore.

Ronaldo · Jan 26, 2012

Thanks for the tip. The club that only uses these balls just bought another 20 cases, good luck. Still have the best bounce in town, just need a shaver after the 1st set.

mikeler · Jan 26, 2012

Ronaldo said:
Thanks for the tip. The club that only uses these balls just bought another 20 cases, good luck. Still have the best bounce in town, just need a shaver after the 1st set.

Yeah, the regular duty fuzz up a lot more now. It's almost like they switched formulas with the US Open balls.

Magnetite · Mar 5, 2012

I personally like the Pro Penn or Penn ATP balls the best. Also, the Dunlop Grand Prix balls are nice.

I find Wilson US Open balls to 'afro out' too quickly, and they become slow and lose their bounce after a few games. I find they slow the game down a lot.

mikeler · Mar 5, 2012

Magnetite said:
I personally like the Pro Penn or Penn ATP balls the best. Also, the Dunlop Grand Prix balls are nice.

I find Wilson US Open balls to 'afro out' too quickly, and they become slow and lose their bounce after a few games. I find they slow the game down a lot.

They used to do this a few years ago, but lately I have not had that problem with them. In other news, I saw Wal Mart is now carrying Prince Championship Extra Duty balls.

Ronaldo · Mar 5, 2012

mikeler said:
They used to do this a few years ago, but lately I have not had that problem with them. In other news, I saw Wal Mart is now carrying Prince Championship Extra Duty balls.

Prince Championship balls are not nearly as good as the Tour balls. Covers are not as bright or last as long. Loses pressure fast just like any other ball.

mikeler · Mar 5, 2012

Ronaldo said:
Prince Championship balls are not nearly as good as the Tour balls. Covers are not as bright or last as long. Loses pressure fast just like any other ball.

Never tried 'em. Was just surprised Prince muscled their way into Wal Mart. Half the balls I bought there in the past were completely dead out of the can. You are better off buying from TW.

Ronaldo · Mar 5, 2012

mikeler said:
Never tried 'em. Was just surprised Prince muscled their way into Wal Mart. Half the balls I bought there in the past were completely dead out of the can. You are better off buying from TW.

No problems with Penn regular duty balls. Tried the Prince balls, forgetaboutthem. Wilson Championship regular duty balls are far better and under $2.

mikeler · Mar 5, 2012

Ronaldo said:
No problems with Penn regular duty balls. Tried the Prince balls, forgetaboutthem. Wilson Championship regular duty balls are far better and under $2.

I shall take your word for it. Life is too short for cheap tennis balls.

Ronaldo · Mar 5, 2012

mikeler said:
I shall take your word for it. Life is too short for cheap tennis balls.

Old guys with tender elbows will actually bag any ball but the regular duty Penns, red lettering. XtraDutyPenns are the worst.

mikeler · Mar 6, 2012

Ronaldo said:
Old guys with tender elbows will actually bag any ball but the regular duty Penns, red lettering. XtraDutyPenns are the worst.

Luckily I'm not old.

oldcity · Apr 3, 2012

i never thought much about balls. usually use the cheapo rd penn champ balls and nobody pays any attention to which ones we use. our club sells the prince balls and they are always trashed after a set. I just recently tried a can of penn ATP balls and everyone commented on them positively, which was a surprise to hear anything. held up nicely even after several sets.

Ronaldo · Apr 3, 2012

oldcity said:
i never thought much about balls. usually use the cheapo rd penn champ balls and nobody pays any attention to which ones we use. our club sells the prince balls and they are always trashed after a set. I just recently tried a can of penn ATP balls and everyone commented on them positively, which was a surprise to hear anything. held up nicely even after several sets.

Penn ATP balls are great and never get lost with any other ball, especially when you are on centre court.

ArliHawk · Apr 3, 2012

I just tried a can of Babolat Roland Garros all court balls and am really liking them. Think I might have to order a case of these. Seemed to maintain bounce a little better than the Wilson US Open, which I also like.

mikeler · Apr 3, 2012

ArliHawk said:
I just tried a can of Babolat Roland Garros all court balls and am really liking them. Think I might have to order a case of these. Seemed to maintain bounce a little better than the Wilson US Open, which I also like.

Regular or extra duty? My local store sells both those as their premium balls.

ArliHawk · Apr 3, 2012

mikeler said:
Regular or extra duty? My local store sells both those as their premium balls.

They just say all court on them, so I assume regular duty?

Played about 3 hours with them on a hardcourt and they didn't fluff nearly as much as my Wilson US Opens.

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