Ball Machine: Prince Tour or Pro Penn Marathon?

[JPW]

I've used TreTorn MicroX pressureless balls with my ball machine for quite a while, but I would like to get a case of pressured balls for it now. After researching things quite a bit it appears the Prince Tour and Pro Penn Marathon are probably the best two choices. Any opinion on which one might be better for a ball machine?

 

[Fifth Set]

They will give you equally outstanding longevity, consistency and playability. Both offer the super bright yellow. These are the two best widely available tennis balls in the US.

Where they differ is in price (Pro Penn typically a bit cheaper, which could be meaningful if you are buying a ton of balls) and in hardness.

I prefer the Prince Tour ball because it is a bit softer and therefore easier on the arm. That's a big deal for me in regular play so should be a consideration in a ball machine as well where you are by definition engaging in repetitive motion activity.

 

[ArliHawk]

Might I offer the Penn ATP as an alternative? Pretty durable, and softer on the arm than the Marathons.

 

[Micalzon]

I've used both off and on and am currently using the Prince Tour balls. While both are great, I feel the Pro Penn's would hold up better in a ball machine. They're both very lively but the Penns seem to hold their felt a little better, they're a little firmer, and they actually have a slightly brighter yellow coloring.

 

[JPW]

Thanks for the great feedback and confirming my suspicion. I'll probably opt for the Prince Tour since I've used them in the past and were blown away by how good they were. Prince then dropped making tennis balls for a while and I was very worried when they came back whether they could find the same quality again. It looks like they did. Thanks again.