Best Tennis Balls, past and present

[hyper_raiden]

Post ur favourite tennis balls, whether past or present =]

Mine are currently:

Dunlop Fort
Dunlop HI - VIS

Before, when Slazenger hadn't changed its company logo, the wimbey balls were great, slightly heavier than other balls and great feel. When they changed the logo, the quality and build of the ball seemed to change. It's altogether a new ball....any of you notice this?

 

[TonyB]

Tecnifibre Tour One


Best

Ball

Ever.

Seriously, you owe it to yourself to try this ball at least once. I've never been so excited about a stupid tennis ball before, but these Tour Ones have done it to me. They're better than anything else I've ever played with. By far.

 

[TheShaun]

^^^ i've never seen those. are they readily available?

 

[Applesauceman]

My favorites are the Pro Penn (red letters) and the Wilson US Open, they seem to last the longest without getting too fuzzy. I didn't like the Dunlop or Prince Tour balls.

 

[Nellie]

I have some new Gamma balls that last forever.

 

[TonyB]

^^^ i've never seen those. are they readily available?

Not sure how readily available they are. I get them at my local pro shop, which is quite small.

I've seen them online. TW does not sell them.

You can actually buy a case for $60 somewhere. I can't remember where. Do a search.

TW should consider selling them and ditch those Penns and Wilsons. Yuck.

 

[Ash_Smith]

Slazenger Wimbledon Ultra-Vis - still the best ball by miles. Even though the quality dipped a little when they moved manufacture from the UK to the far east - although they still use Milliken cloth, which is the best also!

The Babolat Team ball is the next best i've played.

 

[nikosrf]

isn't that depend of the court you guys are playing?

 

[hyper_raiden]

I've played hard courts all my life.

 

[DangerDan]

I always enjoy checking out tennis balls.

Hit yesterday with "K-3 Silver" tennis balls, thought they held up well. Got them and there "Gold" line samples at a coaches workshop last week. Probably crack the Gold version this weekend. Their made in the US and quite reasonably priced (by the case). If I like em I might order a few cases for the upcoming girls tennis season.

As a teaching pro I like the Gamma Pro Tour because they hold their pressure and bounce for a long time. For match play though they tend toward bald-ness (no fluff at all) too soon.

For match play I like "Wilson U.S. Open" or "Pro Penn USPTA"

 

[Bad Dog]

In other threads, Dunlop Grand Prix has tended to be the absolute favorite. I've used several cases – to me, they are better than Wilson US Open. Dunlop Grand Prix stay brighter and more visible, and retain felt (crucial for spin) for a longer period.

 

[themitchmann]

I am a teaching pro, so I see a lot of different brands in the carts at my club. For the money, Dunlop Grand Prix as the best in terms of durability. They are a little heavier than most others, but the don't go flat or bald nearly as fast. You can always tell which balls are Dunlops in the cart, as they do stay yellow longer. When I buy balls for my travel hopper, I always go for the Grand Prix.

 

[TonyB]

I am a teaching pro, so I see a lot of different brands in the carts at my club. For the money, Dunlop Grand Prix as the best in terms of durability. They are a little heavier than most others, but the don't go flat or bald nearly as fast. You can always tell which balls are Dunlops in the cart, as they do stay yellow longer. When I buy balls for my travel hopper, I always go for the Grand Prix.

Every Grand Prix that I've ever seen on the court is fuzzed up beyond all belief and I can't say that I have ever experienced what you claim that they don't go flat as fast as others. I've found them to be slightly below-average, at best.

Wilsons go bald after about 2 games and Penns are pretty much worthless right out of the can... they feel heavy and have no bounce compared to Dunlop Championships or my favorite, Tecnifibre Tour One.

I don't buy balls because they "stay yellow longer", I buy them because their outer nap remains consistent over time (doesn't fuzz up) and they keep their bounce.

 

[bigdaddyKahuna]

Dunlop Grand Prixs

 

[Leelord337]

These are my favorite (now I know why they only use these balls for ATP Masters Series Events) : Penn ATPs

 

[m1stuhxsp4rk5]

i used the k3 balls at my tennis camp and they lasted a really long time. i really like them alot 2

 

[choth21]

I have some new Gamma balls that last forever.

I bought a case of Gamma balls because a store was having a sale. I was really surprised. I was always a Dunlop guy for balls, but these Gamma balls do really last a long time

 

[themitchmann]

Every Grand Prix that I've ever seen on the court is fuzzed up beyond all belief and I can't say that I have ever experienced what you claim that they don't go flat as fast as others. I've found them to be slightly below-average, at best.

Wilsons go bald after about 2 games and Penns are pretty much worthless right out of the can... they feel heavy and have no bounce compared to Dunlop Championships or my favorite, Tecnifibre Tour One.

I don't buy balls because they "stay yellow longer", I buy them because their outer nap remains consistent over time (doesn't fuzz up) and they keep their bounce.

When using balls out of a teaching cart, I don't have the luxury of very fresh balls for most of the season. By the time I get them, the Dunlops have lost a lot of fuzz, but are never bald...unlike a lot of competitors. I do not buy then because they stay yellower longer, that is just one reason I like them (seeing the ball is important for students, and using a darker ball means the student with no see it as well, especially with indoor lighting). I find that they do hold pressure better than anything else I've used. Perhaps that is partially do to my locale and environmental conditions.

I agree with your statements about other balls: my experience has been similar. I have never used the Tecnifibre balls...I don't have access to them from my supplier. Perhaps they are the best, I just haven't tried them.

Also, I buy balls reasons different from most. Are the Grand Prix the best balls to play a match with...probably not. Do they last in my hopper and carts...absolutely.

 

[dejavu]

Wilson titaniums. Last forever and does not lose its fuzz.

 

[mdjenders]

Dunlop Championship for me. I can get two good sets out of the Dunlops before they go flat on me, while the crappy Wilson US Open balls my club uses go bald/flat after half a set it seems. As a heavy topspin player, I can see the heaviness/pace of my shots tank as the balls get flat and bald. I wonder why my shots start to suck after a set or so, and then I realize the balls are now complete crap.

I have never used the Grand Prix, but if they are better than the Championship, I will have to get a case from TW next time.

 

[TonyB]

I have never used the Grand Prix, but if they are better than the Championship, I will have to get a case from TW next time.

They're not. At least not in my opinion. And I've used both, plenty of times.


Another story about Wilson Opens... last night someone opened a can and the balls were pretty much dead right out of the can. Just for fun, I pulled out a can of practice Tecnifibre balls that had been sitting in my bag for several weeks and have seen at least 10 hours of playing time. They had significantly more bounce to them than the Wilsons and the amount of fuzz was still pretty respectable.

Do yourself a favor and find some Tecnifibre balls. Splurge for a can and see for yourself how much better they are.

And no, I don't work for Tecnifibre, I just really, really love their tennis balls.

 

[themitchmann]

I found some Tecnifibre balls, and the price point is better than the Grand Prix (at least from my supplier). I'm going to try them, as well as the Dunlop Championship balls. Maybe they'll win me over...it'll be tough to beat the Grand Prix in my eye, but willing to try.

 

[origmarm]

I second the Dunlop Forts

 

[TonyB]

I found some Tecnifibre balls, and the price point is better than the Grand Prix (at least from my supplier). I'm going to try them, as well as the Dunlop Championship balls. Maybe they'll win me over...it'll be tough to beat the Grand Prix in my eye, but willing to try.

Report back on how you like them. Maybe then it won't seem like I'm the only nutcase on this forum that likes those balls.

 

[Jonny S&V]

I hate Gamma and Dunlop tennis balls with a passion. I also hate Penn Tributes (our coach gets them for our team due to the price, not a fan), but I enjoy the long lasting Penn ATP and Wilson Championship/US Open tennis balls.

 

[themitchmann]

I hate Penn Tributes as well...even the Penn Coach balls, which are for carts and hoppers absolutely suck.

TonyB...I will report on my findings. They should be in by tomorrow evening. I won't get to hit with them immediately though.

 

[themitchmann]

I hit with the TF Tours and the Dunlop Championships...Dunlops are lighter and closer to a Penn or Wilson ball. They didn't fuzz up, but didn't go bald, either. I think these will end up being good match balls, but I have a feeling they won't last too long in my hopper. I've got them separated to I can see how they hit for a couple of days.

The TFs were comparable to the Dunlop Grand Prix in terms of weight and even color. They are more yellow than the Championships (similar shade to the Grand Prix), and didn't fuzz up much either. My student and I thought they were pretty good, but he still likes the Grand Prix too. Again, I've got them separated and will see how they hold up.

Glad I tried both...Penn and Wilson lovers will like the Championships, while Grand Prix loves will like the TF Tours for sure. Prices on both are pretty good too.

 

[jasonchu]

Opposite feedback

I hate Gamma and Dunlop tennis balls with a passion. I also hate Penn Tributes (our coach gets them for our team due to the price, not a fan), but I enjoy the long lasting Penn ATP and Wilson Championship/US Open tennis balls.

I think it depends on what version of Gamma you use.

we go through a lot of balls at our 50 kid, weekly, free tennis clinics in san Francisco, and have tried all brands you can think of from wilson to penn, dunlop to slazenger and gamma to tretorn Z

The gamma pro tours are excellent balls up there with wilson us open for tournament play.

the regular gamma's feel a little light compared to dunlops but heavier than wilson and on par with penn. as for "hit", the regular and pro tour gammas are responsive, more solid than a cushier penn (in my opinion) and the lighter wilsons. they are on par with the dunlop grand prix in terms of "solid feel".

the practice gammas are such junk our group had to throw away 3 cases when the kids just would not hit with them. we even had a few kids start fooling around with them (hitting over the fence) in jest when they did not bounce out of the cans :0)

we used dunlop championships (the x-duty ball) for a long time (almost 4 years) and they last longer and have better bounce / felt durability than any other ball except the wilson us open which is a lot pricier.

the dunlop grand prix is the best wear/feel of all the balls we used, and the extra fifty cents was well worth the price.

we recently switched to gamma all surfrace court balls for our standard ball, and are satisfied. they dont last quite as long as the dunlop hard court but the price point we get them at makes it more economical.

part of the reason for our switch was that we were getting 3-4 cans without pressure and some felt defects from our dunlop distributor, and while dunlop was good about sending a new half or full case each time we had an issue, it was getting tiresome.


our choice for best ball ... DUNLOP GRAND PRIX
second : WILSON US OPEN
third: Gamma Pro Tour (avoid gamma practice at all costs)
fourth: Dunlop Championship
fifth: Penn Championship (avoid tribute or penn one)

 

[TheKingOfClay]

looks like the Dunlop Grand Prixs for me over the Wilson Opens...

 

[jasonchu]

I think it depends on what version of Gamma you use.

we go through a lot of balls at our 50 kid, weekly, free tennis clinics in san Francisco, and have tried all brands you can think of from wilson to penn, dunlop to slazenger and gamma to tretorn Z

The gamma pro tours are excellent balls up there with wilson us open for tournament play.

the regular gamma's feel a little light compared to dunlops but heavier than wilson and on par with penn. as for "hit", the regular and pro tour gammas are responsive, more solid than a cushier penn (in my opinion) and the lighter wilsons. they are on par with the dunlop grand prix in terms of "solid feel".

the practice gammas are such junk our group had to throw away 3 cases when the kids just would not hit with them. we even had a few kids start fooling around with them (hitting over the fence) in jest when they did not bounce out of the cans :0)

we used dunlop championships (the x-duty ball) for a long time (almost 4 years) and they last longer and have better bounce / felt durability than any other ball except the wilson us open which is a lot pricier.

the dunlop grand prix is the best wear/feel of all the balls we used, and the extra fifty cents was well worth the price.

we recently switched to gamma all surfrace court balls for our standard ball, and are satisfied. they dont last quite as long as the dunlop hard court but the price point we get them at makes it more economical.

part of the reason for our switch was that we were getting 3-4 cans without pressure and some felt defects from our dunlop distributor, and while dunlop was good about sending a new half or full case each time we had an issue, it was getting tiresome.


our choice for best ball ... DUNLOP GRAND PRIX
second : WILSON US OPEN
third: Gamma Pro Tour (avoid gamma practice at all costs)
fourth: Dunlop Championship
fifth: Penn Championship (avoid tribute or penn one)

OOPS... I left out the Penn Pro USPTA all together and those are EXCEPTIONAL BALLS.
MY Bad. We just have not used many in our clinics as they are pricier and don't seem to be economical for us in regular use. Would CERTAINLY use them in a tournament situation. IN my PERSONAL experience they have been exceptional balls and fit in there between the DUNLOP Grand Prix and the WILSON US OPEN.


so.... in MY PERSONAL OPINION

our choice for best ball ... DUNLOP GRAND PRIX
second : PENN PRO USPTA
third: WILSON US OPEN
fourth: Gamma Pro Tour (avoid gamma practice at all costs)
fifth: Dunlop Championship
sixth: Penn Championship (avoid tribute or penn one)
seventh: Wilson Championship
eigth: Slazenger Wimbeldon hi-vis

if there were a #15 out of 20: tretorn Z (which seem to have gone out of production, Maria Sharapova threatened not to play if these balls were used as she claimed they would cause injury... they were indeed hard to hit ( i think a kids said they felt like rocks) but lasted a really long time!) -- not the worst ball which would be Gamma practice, but not the best either

Will be getting some K3's silver and gold directly from the manufacturer to try soon. but appreciate your feedback also..... anyone know the real difference? sounds like the k3 has a thinner rubber core making them "softer and lighter"

 

[hyper_raiden]

Every Grand Prix that I've ever seen on the court is fuzzed up beyond all belief and I can't say that I have ever experienced what you claim that they don't go flat as fast as others. I've found them to be slightly below-average, at best.

Wilsons go bald after about 2 games and Penns are pretty much worthless right out of the can... they feel heavy and have no bounce compared to Dunlop Championships or my favorite, Tecnifibre Tour One.

I don't buy balls because they "stay yellow longer", I buy them because their outer nap remains consistent over time (doesn't fuzz up) and they keep their bounce.

you are SO RIGHT about the penns LOL they're CRAP xD