Best Tennis Ball Brand

[SpinControl]

A lot of people don't like Dunlops.

I just bought like 25 cans, so I hope my group allows me to open some. I got a mix of championship and their high end.

 

[Robert F]

What does the rest of your group play with? I feel the ATP Championships are money especially for their price. I don't like the AO balls as much--get really fluffy. The Grand Prix is also a solid ball.

 

[movdqa]

A lot of people don't like Dunlops.

I just bought like 25 cans, so I hope my group allows me to open some. I got a mix of championship and their high end.

They aren't sold in my area.

If they were sold in my area, at a reasonable price, I'd pick up a can to try.

I generally don't order a case of balls before trying them out.

This could be where a tennis partner brings a can and we try them out.

What I'd love from TW is a sampler pack. One for premium balls and one for championship balls.

They have a racquet borrowing program so that you can try out several sticks; why not sell a variety package so that you can test them out.

My approach is finding a ball that I like and then just sticking with it. This was disrupted by the pandemic and the large increase in price.

 

[SpinControl]

They aren't sold in my area.

If they were sold in my area, at a reasonable price, I'd pick up a can to try.

I generally don't order a case of balls before trying them out.

This could be where a tennis partner brings a can and we try them out.

What I'd love from TW is a sampler pack. One for premium balls and one for championship balls.

They have a racquet borrowing program so that you can try out several sticks; why not sell a variety package so that you can test them out.

My approach is finding a ball that I like and then just sticking with it. This was disrupted by the pandemic and the large increase in price.

I bought mine from Dick's.

They had a BOGO50% in November/December. I picked up 4 cans of the Extra Duty Championship Dunlops, and I liked how they played and their longevity. Plus, the cost was like $3 per can. Buying similar Penn would be $2.75.

When I decided to pick up a bunch more cans, I used a $20 off $100 coupon, so it came to less than $3 for the Extra Duty, but I had to toss in some of their higher end non-Championship ATP Extra Duty to get the subtotal to $100.

My group tends to play with Penn Championship Extra Duty due to cost. Some will bring out Wilson or ProPenns on occasion.

I don't mind opening a new can as I just toss them into my corny keg and use them with my ball machine.

 

[Moonballer]

1. Tecnifibre X-One

the rest...

Dunlop Fort AC
- I do like but they don't last very long

Head Tour XT
- The felt is long lasting but I have received some bad cans

 

[Khanh PV]

1. Tecnifibre X-One

the rest...

Dunlop Fort AC
- I do like but they don't last very long

Head Tour XT
- The felt is long lasting but I have received some bad cans

Maybe not bad cans, I feel that Head Tour XT now has become the new Wilson USO: Decent for 2 sets then quality drops down so hard suddenly. My serve level drops to 3.5 by playing this ball after 2 sets

 

[kevin qmto]

Call me crazy all you want, I'll just call y'all ball snobs, haha

I am absolutely a ball snob. If I get a can during usta that has seams that are too off-center, I either complain to get another can, or whip one out of my gearbag.

 

[PRS]

I am absolutely a ball snob. If I get a can during usta that has seams that are too off-center, I either complain to get another can, or whip one out of my gearbag.

I'm too poor to do that, haha, gotta take what I can get during this life stage.

 

[movdqa]

Maybe not bad cans, I feel that Head Tour XT now has become the new Wilson USO: Decent for 2 sets then quality drops down so hard suddenly. My serve level drops to 3.5 by playing this ball after 2 sets

Maybe you're just hitting a lot harder these days.

I find that the Champs balls last no more than an hour and that the premium balls no more than two. It's possible that it's the colder weather right now and maybe things will get better this spring.

On bad cans, I have received cases that were damaged and it can mean that 3-4 cans are squished on the top so that the balls are depressurized.

 

[88fingers]

The survey is not specific enough. Dunlop Australian Open balls, Dunlop ATP. Dunlop Grand Prix.
They're all good but they are all different. The Australian Open balls last the longest and play the slowest and become and stay fluffy.
My favorite ball depends on who I am playing. I want the fastest ball when I'm playing a pusher and I want the slowest ball
when playing a big server. A hard ball is ok in very hot weather which makes the rubber softer. The softest ball is good in cold conditions which harden up the rubber.

 

[naylor73]

Pro Penn marathon xd. They don’t quite have the pressure (few percentage points difference iirc) of the Wilson US Opens but the felt is considerably better. After 1 hard hitting set US Opens are completely bald.

 

[Robert F]

The survey is not specific enough. Dunlop Australian Open balls, Dunlop ATP. Dunlop Grand Prix.
They're all good but they are all different. The Australian Open balls last the longest and play the slowest and become and stay fluffy.
My favorite ball depends on who I am playing. I want the fastest ball when I'm playing a pusher and I want the slowest ball
when playing a big server. A hard ball is ok in very hot weather which makes the rubber softer. The softest ball is good in cold conditions which harden up the rubber.

I asked in my original post to choose the brand then in your post list the specific ball of that brand that you like since there are probably 20 something different balls on the market, it would make the survey too big.
Plus I did a thread on best cheap/value ball with more specifics for the crappier ball lines and was going to do one for the premium balls too. Although response has been less.

 

[racquetlab]

I'm not a ball snob EXCEPT I can't stand hitting with ProPenn Marathons. It's like hitting with low bouncing rocks.

I get arm and wrist pain with them - no other ball causes any issues. I much prefer Wilson UsOpen XD, Technifibre X-Ones and courts, Diadem....heck even regular Penns or Dunlop AOs over the ProPenns. Hmmm maybe I AM a ball snob after all...

 

[Robert F]

Weird, we find the ProPenn Marathons to be pretty lively out of the can with pretty aggressive bounce. I feel regular Penns barely bounce.
I wonder if the ProPenn is heavier than the regular Penns? Maybe that is why they feel like rocks to you?

 

[Better_Call_Raul]

The survey is not specific enough. Dunlop Australian Open balls, Dunlop ATP. Dunlop Grand Prix.

The survey question is poorly worded. Too general.
Granted, it does say to list specific ball type in comments.
But the ball brand/type should be listed in the polling options.

Penn Championship
Penn Marathon
Wilson Championship
Wilson U.S. Open
Dunlop Championship
Dunlop Tour
Babolat Gold
etc.

There are only about 20 ball types in all. Balls suitable for match play.
And in reality, 90%+ of players in America are playing with either Penn, Wilson or Dunlop.
During the pandemic shortage we started to see emergence from some other brands like Babolat, Tecnifibre.
But Penn, Wilson and Dunlop balls still dominate the American market.

 

[forzamr_b]

Was a long time user of US Open XD as I only play on outdoor hardcourts. But, since trying a case of RS Tour (white tube), I can no longer go back. By far my favourite at the moment. Good combo of weight, firmness, durability, and is a fast ball which suits my game style. Plus, comes in a 4-ball can which really helps extend the life of the balls.

Have tried X-one too and it is not bad. But a tad expensive and a bit too fast for my liking.

 

[movdqa]

Was a long time user of US Open XD as I only play on outdoor hardcourts. But, since trying a case of RS Tour (white tube), I can no longer go back. By far my favourite at the moment. Good combo of weight, firmness, durability, and is a fast ball which suits my game style. Plus, comes in a 4-ball can which really helps extend the life of the balls.

Have tried X-one too and it is not bad. But a tad expensive and a bit too fast for my liking.

If they can hold up to Soderling hitting with them, then they must be good. I don't see them in the US yet.

 

[Westerwick]

$6 dollar a can has been hard to swallow part of me buying a lot of Dunlop ATPs--probably best value ball out there.

I'm amazed you feel you get 2 sets out of Penn Championships. I feel they are done after 1 set.

I'll have to give Diadems a spin especially if the price is right.

Agree with the cost of US Opens. They also don't make a heavy duty high altitude ball.

Dunlop ATP high altitude versions are not much better than Penn Championship. Diadem high altitude are pretty reasonable by the case, last a long time and play well. This time of year (often playing just a few degrees above freezing, the Diadem pressureless work pretty well. They feel a little hard, but we don't have the problems with wild temperature swings affecting the balls.

 

[Robert F]

The survey question is poorly worded. Too general.
Granted, it does say to list specific ball type in comments.
But the ball brand/type should be listed in the polling options.

Penn Championship
Penn Marathon
Wilson Championship
Wilson U.S. Open
Dunlop Championship
Dunlop Tour
Babolat Gold
etc.

There are only about 20 ball types in all. Balls suitable for match play.
And in reality, 90%+ of players in America are playing with either Penn, Wilson or Dunlop.
During the pandemic shortage we started to see emergence from some other brands like Babolat, Tecnifibre.
But Penn, Wilson and Dunlop balls still dominate the American market.

Feel free to make a survey!

Wilson now catching up to Dunlop in the survey.

 

[mad dog1]

Used to be all over the Wilson US Open ball as both a playing ball and a teaching ball. The ball that eclipsed that for me was actually a different Dunlop ball that hasnt mentioned yet and that is the Grand Prix. The ball fluffs up less than a the ATP but isnt hard and stays steady.

The Dunlop Grand Prix felt is much more durable than the US Open for coaching. I have a couple of cases of the GP balls.

 

[mad dog1]

A lot of people don't like Dunlops.

I just bought like 25 cans, so I hope my group allows me to open some. I got a mix of championship and their high end.

The Dunlop championship ball sucks balls. The AO, ATP and Grand Prix extra duty balls are all very good.

 

[MayorGorman]

Saw a video that ET did blind testing balls. They kept equating better balls with extra duty. Was very odd to watch

 

[LOBALOT]

I'm doing pretty good if I only lose 4 balls in 18 holes.

Shoot.... I go through a whole box and then borrow some from my pals. Foooreeee!!!!!!

 

[Robert F]

The Dunlop championship ball sucks balls. The AO, ATP and Grand Prix extra duty balls are all very good.

Aren't the ATP now the championship ball?

 

[ouch_my_shoulder]

I scooped up a bunch of Dunlop ATP when they went on sale at Dick’s last summer for something like $2.75 per can. Those became my go-to’s, but after hitting the club’s bulk practice balls all winter the ATP’s feel super heavy to me now. I was shocked the first time I played a real match in a while, and broke out the “good” balls again. They felt like rocks and also fluffed up a ton, way more than I remember.

Last few matches I played with Wilson US Open XD and they felt a lot lighter. They also fluffed up a lot less during the match, but still kept their bounce.

 

[mad dog1]

Aren't the ATP now the championship ball?

No, they are different balls.

 

[Robert F]

Now I see the light, Dunlop ATP Tour vs. Dunlop ATP Championship.

I find the ATP Championship to be the best of the Championship/value ball out there and pretty close to a lot of premium balls.

What's the difference with the Tour vs. the Championship for you?

 

[Khanh PV]

Now I see the light, Dunlop ATP Tour vs. Dunlop ATP Championship.

I find the ATP Championship to be the best of the Championship/value ball out there and pretty close to a lot of premium balls.

What's the difference with the Tour vs. the Championship for you?

Not close, its just opposite to other Championship balls: moderate pace (ex: Wilson Champ is like rocket launcher that if you serve just a bit deep and hard, 100% no one can have enough reflex and reach to react ), more consistent response. But it is not so comfortable because its felt quality is not as good as Premium balls, and the bounce is not good enough either. Its price and felt endurance is greater than most of Championship balls though.
I have not played Dunlop ATP Tour but I heard it is nearly identical to Dunlop AO, and I found Dunlop AO is a brilliant ball in feel, performance and pressure/felt endurance. Price is decent too.

 

[Robert F]

I haven't played the AO ball in a while, liked it out of the can, but seemed to get fluffy fast and seemed a little too soft at times.

 

[Felippe]

Also noticed that Dunlop AOs are quite slow, fluffy and heavy, but not hard. So if you want to slow down the game those are good. I personally don't like them.

I like how Wilson Tour balls get spin and speed. And they have a reasonable bounce that, in my opinion, allows proper tennis playing. They are quick and responsive balls compared to Dunlops. Not a slowed down ball that makes all strokes even. For me Wilson balls reward player when player is giving them real swing.

You who have tested RS balls are they worth the try or are those just some nonsense basic balls with Söderling name on?

 

[mad dog1]

Now I see the light, Dunlop ATP Tour vs. Dunlop ATP Championship.

I find the ATP Championship to be the best of the Championship/value ball out there and pretty close to a lot of premium balls.

What's the difference with the Tour vs. the Championship for you?

The Dunlop ATP Championship ball isn't good at all. The felt is low quality. The ball goes bald in 30 mins of hitting. They are awful.

The differences between the Dunlop ATP Tour vs the Championship ball are night and day in every aspect.

 

[mad dog1]

You who have tested RS balls are they worth the try or are those just some nonsense basic balls with Söderling name on?

RS balls are very good. They're definitely worth trying. I find TF X-One balls and Head Tour XT balls to be the best and would rather use them over the RS ball.

 

[Khanh PV]

RS balls are very good. They're definitely worth trying. I find TF X-One balls and Head Tour XT balls to be the best and would rather use them over the RS ball.

Do you find serving with Head Tour XT torturing? Both my first serve and second serve are affected every time, this does not happen with other balls like Wilson or even Dunlop AO (actually, great serve feel)

 

[mad dog1]

Do you find serving with Head Tour XT torturing? Both my first serve and second serve are affected every time, this does not happen with other balls like Wilson or even Dunlop AO (actually, great serve feel)

How does the Tour XT ball affect your serve?

 

[Khanh PV]

How does the Tour XT ball affect your serve?

My technique on serve is complete enough to serve accurately with good feel, except this ball. Many say Dunlop is heavy but absolutely not in my case, especially in serve. With Head Tour XT I feel its accuracy is bad and its feel on contact is somewhat inert, resulting in first serve percentage decrease and double fault increase

 

[Arzivu]

I like how Wilson Tour balls get spin and speed. And they have a reasonable bounce that, in my opinion, allows proper tennis playing.

Are you referring to the Wilson premiour tour balls? The ones that once upon a time were the official Australian open balls?

 

[mad dog1]

My technique on serve is complete enough to serve accurately with good feel, except this ball. Many say Dunlop is heavy but absolutely not in my case, especially in serve. With Head Tour XT I feel its accuracy is bad and its feel on contact is somewhat inert, resulting in first serve percentage decrease and double fault increase

i've used TF X-One, TF Court, Dunlop Grand Prix, Dunlop AO, Dunlop ATP, Wilson US Open and Head Tour XT balls and haven't found them to affect serve accuracy since accuracy is something the player controls. I have found them to have different bounce heights though.

 

[Felippe]

Are you referring to the Wilson premiour tour balls? The ones that once upon a time were the official Australian open balls?

Yes i think they are same that our club gets from Wilson. If we have official tournaments, our club orders balls from Wilson and those have Tour written on them. Same font and text on balls as Tour Premier. I assume they are same. But those cans in our club are green. Not balck and blue.

 

[kevin qmto]

If they can hold up to Soderling hitting with them, then they must be good. I don't see them in the US yet.

They used to be available in the US but no longer are. You can import them from Europe though, for considerable cost.

 

[Better_Call_Raul]

The Dunlop championship ball sucks balls. The AO, ATP and Grand Prix extra duty balls are all very good.

This is why the poll phrasing is flawed.
"Dunlop is the best tennis ball brand" statement is meaningless.
There can be great variation within the Dunlop model line.

Polling options should be something along the lines of:

Wilson:

• Wilson US Open
• Wilson Tour Comp
• Wilson Triniti
• Wilson Roland Garros

Penn:

• Penn Championship Extra Duty
• Penn Marathon
• Penn QST 36

Dunlop:

• Dunlop ATP Championship Extra Duty
• Dunlop ATP Tour Gold
• Dunlop Fort Clay

Babolat:

• Babolat Gold Championship
• Babolat Roland Garros

 

[Robert F]

This is why the poll phrasing is flawed.
"Dunlop is the best tennis ball brand" statement is meaningless.
There can be great variation within the Dunlop model line.

Polling options should be something along the lines of:

Wilson:

• Wilson US Open
• Wilson Tour Comp
• Wilson Triniti
• Wilson Roland Garros

Penn:

• Penn Championship Extra Duty
• Penn Marathon
• Penn QST 36

Dunlop:

• Dunlop ATP Championship Extra Duty
• Dunlop ATP Tour Gold
• Dunlop Fort Clay

Babolat:

• Babolat Gold Championship
• Babolat Roland Garros

Feel free to make you own poll. Because of all the balls with in brand that is why I brought them together as a brand and then you detail why you chose that brand.
Not too hard to do, but I'd gladly respond to you poll if you make one more detailed.

Hilarious--Flawed.

 

[Better_Call_Raul]

Because of all the balls with in brand that is why I brought them together

The first 12 polling options will constitute 90%+ of balls used on American tennis courts.
The voting results will then be meaningful.

Have never seen Slazenger balls on American courts but we digress.

1. Dunlop Australian Open: Official ball of the Australian Open, suitable for all surfaces.
2. Dunlop ATP: No.1 ball on the ATP Tour, endorsed by professional players.
3. Dunlop ATP Championship: Consistent performance for tournament play.
4. Dunlop Grand Prix: Available for hard court, regular-duty, indoor, and clay courts.
5. Dunlop Championship: Versatile models for various court types and conditions.
6. Pro Penn Marathon Regular Duty: High-performance and durable.
7. Pro Penn Marathon Extra Duty:
8. Penn Tour Regular Duty: Used by professional players on the tour.
9. Penn Tour Extra Duty:
10. Penn Championship Extra Duty: Designed for hard courts and outdoor play.
11. Penn Championship Regular Duty: Suited for softer courts like clay and grass.
12. Wilson US Open Regular Duty: Official ball of the US Open.
13. Wilson US Open Extra Duty:
14. Wilson Roland Garros Clay:
15. Wilson Championship Regular Duty:
16. Wilson Championship Extra Duty:
17. Wilson Triniti: Eco-friendly ball with longer playability.
18. Wilson Championship: All-around ball for training or competition.
19. Tecnifibre X-One: Ultimate competition ball with pressure, equipped with X D-Core technology.
20. Tecnifibre Club: Competitive pressure ball, lively, comfortable, and durable.
21. Babolat Gold: Available for all court types.
22. Babolat Championship: Known for playability and durability, perfect for all-court surfaces.
23. Yonex Tour Platinum: Designed for tournaments, these balls offer excellent performance on the court.
24. Yonex Championship: Ideal for tournaments and practice, these balls balance playability and longevity.
25. Yonex Tour: Suitable for both tournaments and practice sessions, these balls provide consistent bounce and durability

 

[Robert F]

The first 12 polling options will constitute 90%+ of balls used on American tennis courts.
The voting results will then be meaningful.

Have never seen Slazenger balls on American courts but we digress.

1. Dunlop Australian Open: Official ball of the Australian Open, suitable for all surfaces.
2. Dunlop ATP: No.1 ball on the ATP Tour, endorsed by professional players.
3. Dunlop ATP Championship: Consistent performance for tournament play.
4. Dunlop Grand Prix: Available for hard court, regular-duty, indoor, and clay courts.
5. Dunlop Championship: Versatile models for various court types and conditions.
6. Penn Pro Marathon: High-performance and durable.
7. Penn Tour Tennis Ball: Used by professional players on the tour.
8. Penn Championship Extra Duty: Designed for hard courts and outdoor play.
9. Penn Championship Regular Duty: Suited for softer courts like clay and grass.
10. Wilson US Open: Official ball of the US Open, available in high altitude, extra duty, and regular duty.
11. Wilson Triniti: Eco-friendly ball with longer playability.
12. Wilson Championship: All-around ball for training or competition.
13. Tecnifibre X-One: Ultimate competition ball with pressure, equipped with X D-Core technology.
14. Tecnifibre Club: Competitive pressure ball, lively, comfortable, and durable.
15. Babolat Gold: Available for all court types.
16. Babolat Championship: Known for playability and durability, perfect for all-court surfaces.
17. Yonex Tour Platinum: Designed for tournaments, these balls offer excellent performance on the court.
18. Yonex Championship: Ideal for tournaments and practice, these balls balance playability and longevity.
19. Yonex Tour: Suitable for both tournaments and practice sessions, these balls provide consistent bounce and durability

A lot of the Championship level balls have XR and RD--like wilson and Dunlop--should you parse them out too?
Due to the recent popularity should you add Robin Soderling??

 

[Better_Call_Raul]

A lot of the Championship level balls have XR and RD--like wilson and Dunlop--should you parse them out too?
Due to the recent popularity should you add Robin Soderling??

Yes, include regular and extra duty. My list included Penn regular and extra duty but missed Wilson and maybe others,

Would first begin with a poll of the most commonly used balls. The 5 brands listed listed on TW site.
The world's #1 online tennis shop will certainly be representative of what is being used out on American courts .
Balls that are used for match play. Omit the kids balls (Gamma), pressureless balls, Penn Coach, etc.

Include a polling option for "Others not listed" and instruct them to list model in comments. Highly doubt more than 2% will choose this option.

So we are down to the 3 top brands being sold on TW site. Penn, Wilson and Dunlop.
Plus the other two brands Tecnifibre (3 models being sold) and Babolat (only 1 model being sold).

It should be doable with about 18 polling options. These would be the brand/models sold on TW.

Not sure why TW does not sell Yonex.

Tennis Balls | Tennis Warehouse

www.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[Robert F]

Yes, include regular and extra duty. My list included Penn regular and extra duty but missed Wilson and maybe others,

Would first begin with a poll of the most commonly used balls. The 5 brands listed listed on TW site.
The world's #1 online tennis shop will certainly be representative of what is being used out on American courts .
Balls that are used for match play. Omit the kids balls (Gamma), pressureless balls, Penn Coach, etc.

Include a polling option for "Others not listed".

So we are down to three major brands being sold on TW site. Penn, Wilson and Dunlop.
Plus the other two brands Tecnifibre (3 models being sold) and Babolat (only 1 model being sold).

It should be doable with about 18 polling options. These would be the brands sold on TW.

Not sure why TW does not sell Yonex.

Tennis Balls | Tennis Warehouse

www.tennis-warehouse.com

Bring on the poll!

 

[Knife]

I would never buy Yonex Tour balls. I have been exposed to those a couple of times in tournament play. Feels like hitting bricks, really uncomfortable. They do last forever but that doesn't help...

 

[Better_Call_Raul]

Bring on the poll!

Just tried but poll allows a max of 10 choices.

 

[Robert F]

Just tried but poll allows a max of 10 choices.

Hmm, I also did a thread on best "value/championship" level ball--but got little response.
Maybe Best Preimum ball??

 

[ey039524]

It's interesting that the pros are complaining about balls that fluff up too much and are blaming them for wrist/arm injuries. Starting w the Dunlop AO balls and now the Penn tour balls at IW.

According to TW, the softest (least stiff) balls are Wilson triniti and Dunlop Grand Prix.

 

[Robert F]

It's interesting that the pros are complaining about balls that fluff up too much and are blaming them for wrist/arm injuries. Starting w the Dunlop AO balls and now the Penn tour balls at IW.

According to TW, the softest (least stiff) balls are Wilson triniti and Dunlop Grand Prix.

I agree the Dunlop AO seem to fluff pretty easy. So if that slows the ball down are pros complaining they have to put more energy into the ball and hence more strain?
Penn Tour balls do get fluffy but not as fast as AOs.

Last time I played with Trniniti (when they first came out), I didn't find them soft at all. Weird.