^^^^^^
Here is the link to the review:
http://www.racquetsportsindustry.com/articles/2007/07/ball_testing.html
A. Penn
1. Penn Championship
heh. my coach uses these balls for game days, while he insists on the ProPenn balls for practice.
just simply odd.
This information is constantly sought by TT members. Please make this thread sticky.
Good job mtommer!
I'm interested in buying tennis balls to fill up a hopper so I'm looking forward to buying the Dunlop Grand Prix, but one thing confuses me. On this site, the Dunlop GrandPrix XD Tennis Balls are offered. However, on another site, two types of Dunlop Grand Prix balls are offered: hard court and regular duty. I plan to be playing on public courts located outside, so what's the difference between the hard court balls and the ones offered on this site?
This is slightly off-topic, but it does explain some interesting things about the ball industry.
http://www.racquetsportsindustry.com/articles/2008/11/playing_ball.html
3. Dunlop Abzorber
What has happened to tennis balls these days? Slazenger used to be good, though a bit heavy for the first couple of games. Wilson were great. Penn ok for 2 sets.
Now every ball is terrible. The Slazengers fluff up to double their sze. The Dunlops stop bouncing after 30 minutes. Wilson Australian Open fly around for one set and then don't bounce. The US Open balls are terrible. HELP. I can't find anything I like enough to buy a box of.
It all started to go wrong with those cra*ppy Wilson Titanium balls. Now half the people you play with have those cheap Wilson balls in the red tube, that just don't bounce. I never thought I would hear myself saying it, but at least with Tretorn you know what you are getting. I am starting to think I need to buy a Roddick GT so it doesn't make any difference what balls you use. I just want a decent 4 ball tube I can use for one match, and maybe hit with the next day, before throwing them. Half the balls on the market today, I wouldn't even give to my dog.
3. Dunlop Roland Garros
- These balls are labeled specifically for Roland Garros (French Open). On Dunlop's website they have their own section, seperate from the other Dunlop ball offerings. I do not know if these balls are specifically made for the Roland Garros tournament or if they are restamped Fort Plus balls. Suffice it to say, if you play on clay, you can't go wrong. I know of no US offerings though for this ball.
I've found the Penn ATP balls last a lot longer than US Open Wilson's. I am quite surprised how quick the US Open balls lose their felt, color, and bounce.
I think there is a difference between US Open balls used at the tournament and those sold to the public.
I've had a chance to hit with some US Open balls used by a university, and I find they have better bounce, durability, and felt than those purchased at stores.
Theres still nothing better than a fresh dunlop.
Can anyone here answer my question or does nobody know the answer?Is there a difference between these two balls?
http://www.itftennis.com/technical/_assets/images/equipment/canshots/10000382.jpg
http://www.itftennis.com/technical/_assets/images/equipment/canshots/10000381.jpg
Both are apparently official balls of the AO open but surely they only use one of them during the actual tournament?
Can anyone here answer my question or does nobody know the answer?
Can anyone here answer my question or does nobody know the answer?
Ok thanks for your reply. The only problem is in my country one is $13 and the other $18 for a can of 3??? I think the $18 are the new packaging.CK,
I would argue strongly that they are the same ball. It is not uncommon for packaging to change merely to boost sales by "looking" different.
Why aren't these mentioned yet? Babolat makes balls people. And some very good ones i might add.
I am in the US so my personal exposure to ball brands is limited. I'm glad this board has such a diversity of posters. Thank you for providing additional information on other brands like the Babolat balls you posted. If you don't mind, would it be all right if I edited in your information on the Babolat balls into my original guide?
i had some students bring pro spirit balls to a group lesson. the felt looked matted and the balls looked to be about 15% smaller. i just threw them away, but do you care to review that one for me?
If someone can invent a ball that plays about 50-60 hours of play before it goes dead, that maybe what will make all the balls obsolete.
I think there is a difference between US Open balls used at the tournament and those sold to the public.
I've had a chance to hit with some US Open balls used by a university, and I find they have better bounce, durability, and felt than those purchased at stores.
The Slazengers are heavy when new, making it difficult to impart spin and control. However, when they are heavily used and the fluff is all gone, they become extremely bouncy and difficult to control.
Somewhere between being new and heavily used, the ball feels great! All-in-all, they are tournament balls that should follow the tournament rules regarding usage (i.e. change after 7 or 9 games).
I've played Wilson US Open balls in Asia and in the US itself, and I have to say that they feel very different. In US, these balls are harder and heavier, someone mentioned to me that its akin to hitting rocks. However, back in Asia where I live, the Wilson US Open balls are lively, soft and have just the right bounce for control. Not sure if there are different manufacturing facilities for these balls, which might explain the difference.
All things considered and based on my experiences in the US and in Asia, I find the Wilson Championships the best value-for-money in terms of playability and durability (as compared to all the available models from Penn, Dunlop, Prince, Babolat etc). Basically, if it ain't a tournament, you cannot go wrong with the Wilson Championships. I was picking these balls up at Sports Authority at $1.89 per can and using them both as practice balls and for friendly match play ---- I think the Penn Championships come in a close second for best value-for-money.
This thread is extremely useful for tennis players at any level because many players under-rate the importance of the brand/model/type of ball for their game. I personally think that its just as important as the racket and the strings (equipment-wise).
My $0.02