Artengo/Decathlon's current tennis ball range

[Lukhas]

Some may have noticed, but Artengo's tennis range had a lot of products being renamed, which includes their tennis ball offerings. I was considering buying a case of balls, and I noticed that they had a new ball offering, so I asked them what was up with that. And they kindly answered.

Basically :

• The blue TB920 becomes the Comfort Pro. Same ball used for the Moselle Open ATP 250 tournament, comfortable but not very durable. Amongst their three most expensive offerings, it's currently the cheapest.
• The red TB930 becomes the Speed Pro. It used to be marketed as a more durable version of the TB930 and the price was a bit higher. Now it's supposed to be a more lively offering. It's a bit pricier than the Comfort Pro.
• The white Control Pro is a new offering. It's designed to be less lively and more controllable ball than the TB920/Comfort Pro, with a felt almost on par with the TB930/Speed Pro in terms of durability. It's priced equivalently to the Speed Pro, but there are no plans at the moment to sell it in a case format.

Despite having past good experiences with Artengo balls, I hadn't been using them recently as I had found a good offer on new old stock Dunlop Fort All Court. So far I've tried the Speed Pro and hit 30 minutes with the Control Pro. Well, the Speed Pro was better in my memory than it was on court: it basically felt like a Babolat Team, which means like cardboard. At least it didn't fall down the cliff as quickly as the Babolat and it indeed had pretty decent durability, but the feel wasn't great. I'd still marginally prefer it to the Babolat because it lasts longer at an equivalent price (when it's not a tiny bit cheaper). While I haven't truly been able to put it through its paces, the Control Pro reminded me a lot of the Dunlop Fort: a bit soft, not particularly lively, pretty comfortable and predictable. It didn't turn into a kiwi as quickly, but I haven't hit it well enough to guess how the felt's going to evolve. I really liked it honestly, and I wouldn't have minded getting a case of it based on my impression so far. Not sure how long they're going to last, and I'm not one to crack open a new can for every session so I'd like it if they behave nicely both on had and clay for three hitting sessions. I also have a can of Comfort Pro (or the-ball-formerly-known-as-the-TB920) to try out to see if it's as good as I remember it to be.

EDIT: I've also had a serving of the French/FFT exclusive/developed Wilson Elite ball. There was a 2€ coupon for FFT licenced players on the duo pack, bringing down the price from 13€ to 11€ for 2x4 balls. It was designed to be an affordable ball for the average tennis player. I'd say job well done, it's an extremely average ball that doesn't suck nearly as hard as other ball in its price range like the horrendous Head Pro. Hell, I'd use them over the Babolat Team. I wouldn't say it's on par with the more premium offering through. It has however limited availability since it's only sold through Intersport, which you could consider a competitor to Decathlon but nowhere near the size or scope. I actually picked them up when I went to watch some pro level French championship team matches... and ironically, the local club has a partnership with Artengo and were using the Comfort Pro during matches.

 

[K1Y]

I dont know why they would sell a ball that behaves differently, like a faster ball? When they dont use that one on tour even? Whats the point. I would stick to the one that is used in tournaments, not make one thats more difficult to play than that level.

 

[K1Y]

I like the comfort pro tho.

 

[Lukhas]

I dont know why they would sell a ball that behaves differently, like a faster ball? When they dont use that one on tour even? Whats the point. I would stick to the one that is used in tournaments, not make one thats more difficult to play than that level.

I don't think it's a particularly fast ball by itself; it's just how they explained the positioning of their different balls relative to one another.

I can report that the Control Pro didn't particularly fluff up with use even on clay, it gradually lost its felt with time.

 

[Lukhas]

I cracked open a can of TB920/Comfort Pro. They're indeed far more lively than the Control Pro, not as easy to redirect accurately but they pick up spin very well and you can use that to keep them into the court. They don't feel like cardboard either. I don't think I'll have much opportunity to hit with them, my club's closed this week-end and the next and I'm working during the holiday season.

 

[Slazenger7]

Looking forward to your verdict. Artengo makes good value balls indeed. Also, can you provide a link to the White Control Pro balls? I can't find them on Decathlon's website...

 

[Lukhas]

Looking forward to your verdict. Artengo makes good value balls indeed. Also, can you provide a link to the White Control Pro balls? I can't find them on Decathlon's website...

I think I got through the essentials with the Comfort Pro. It's really the liveliest of all three balls. It was a bit hard to get used to it out of the can. To compensate a bit they do fluff up with time though, but they keep their liveliness. The others didn't fluff up as much as far as I recall, but the Control did pick up some humidity when I played on damp hard, so maybe that affected the wear of the felt.

As for the Control balls, I can link you to the french website. That allowed me to notice that the Speed Pro came down in price slightly by 50 cents.

BALLE DE TENNIS CONTROLE ARTENGO CONTROL PRO *4 JAUNE

BALLE DE TENNIS CONTROLE ARTENGO CONTROL PRO *4 JAUNE au prix de ★ 7.5€ ★ sur Decathlon.fr. Nos concepteurs ont développé ces balles de compétition pour le joueur de tennis pratiquant sur terrain dur ou sur terre battue. Tube de 4 balles.

www.decathlon.fr