Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I think a basic membership is $60 a year. We pay $120 a year for a higher level membership and get several times that back as a rebate check. Last year, our rebate check was over $900.
Best tennis balls to use?
- Thread starter thehustler
- Start date
I think a basic membership is $60 a year. We pay $120 a year for a higher level membership and get several times that back as a rebate check. Last year, our rebate check was over $900.
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
See my post#17. They both last long, but the ProPenn bounces more and is slightly softer initially than the Penn Tour ball - comparison is for Extra Duty versions.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
what is rebate checks ? they just give you money for taking their stuff ??
Pctopcool
Rookie
Costco executive member get 2% rebate for the money spent at Costco. Guess op probably bought a lot of stuff there last year[emoji28]
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I'm not the OP but we spend a ton of money at Costco. We're big fans of Costco Travel and purchased a long European river cruise through them last year as well as at least one other trip, and who can resist the five gallon buckets of sauerkraut? In all seriousness, we buy all of our gas there, probably 70% of our groceries, the majority of our electronics, but no tennis balls.
Pmasterfunk
Hall of Fame
Aren't the Tecnifibres made in the same place as Bridgestone and Artengo balls? I've tried the Artengo 920 and 930, I liked the latter better but they aren't cheap and can't be bought in cases.
Are these like the ones in metal cans from the 90s? I really liked those back in the day. They used to be pretty durable though?
D
Deleted member 369227
Guest
Yes, they are still in metal cans (certainly more environment friendly than plastic ones):
Last edited by a moderator:
D
Deleted member 369227
Guest
Yes, the Thailand based factory name is "Bridgestone Tecnifibre Co. Ltd." and I believe not only Artengo but many other balls are made there (e.g. Babolat). It's THE biggest tennis ball factory in the world, I believe.
Dunlop balls are made in the Philippines, though.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
Is it bad idea to keep the opened can balls in the trunk of your car in the Hot summer time ? is opened can balls even affected by hot temperature in the trunk of your car ?
beepee1972
Semi-Pro
Love:
tecnifibre x-one
RS Black
Dunlop Max TP Fort
Hate:
Wilson (balls fly all over the place)
Anything pressureless
tecnifibre x-one
RS Black
Dunlop Max TP Fort
Hate:
Wilson (balls fly all over the place)
Anything pressureless
bbslurp413
New User
I come from a golf background and there would always be great ball sales around the major championships. Anything similar for tennis balls? When’s the best time to buy a bunch?
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
What's up with the PENN championship balls extra duty ?? I opened one up and this thing played super Heavy. it was bouncing ok but it felt like a brick. and control wasn't that great either, flying on me all over. I know this isn't a premium ball, but is this normal ??
Pctopcool
Rookie
I got the same experience. It's super hard, and has no feel. But seems everyone in my local flex league uses it. [emoji3525]
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
Cheap bastards.... This ball Really really suck. Maybe ok for Ball machine or just drill and practice. but for a match,,, it is absolutely Garbage. No feel, i have NO idea ball is going in or out after i hit the ball. hitting volley was ok though. but hitting heavy hard topspin shots, i have NO idea how much spin i was getting on the ball so i have no idea how far the ball will go......LOL
Worst thing about our Local leagues is that Now that USTA league is on hold,, all these different local teams bring Different balls every time....1. Cheap Penn ball, 2, Babolat ball, 3, dunlop Aussie open Ball ?? (seriously), 4. cheap Wilson balls. It's like different every time we play different teams.... For very sensitive players like me, it takes good 30-40 minutes to get used to the ball, and in that time i make tons more errors. I hate these local leagues.
rader023
Rookie
Hey i want to try those Dunlop AO balls!
I assume you didn't like em?
OldManStan
Rookie
Just played with some of the Dunlop ATP (not championship) balls. They fluff up very quickly, but hold their bounce much better than the Penn Champs. Usually for me, the penn champs lose their freshness after about a set, set and a half. Dunlops kept their bounce their entire time. There’s also a much better consistency along the seam of the ball. I’ll be trying out the Penn Tours once I get a chance.
Hey i want to try those Dunlop AO balls!
I was getting tired of the dead Costco Penn balls right out of the can. I bought several different cans over the past month. Here is how I would rank them:
1. Dunlop AO (4 pk)
2. Wilson US Open
3. Dunlop ATP Extra Duty
4. Dunlop ATP Championship
5. Penn Championship (Costco)
6. Wilson All Court
Observations:
First, never put yourself in a position where you have to buy a can of balls from Rite Aid (rip off). I tend to agree with the Tennis Spin Review Nostradamus posted. Personally, I like the Dunlop AO balls the best. I felt that the bounce was still consistent right of the can and required no break in. It does fluff up but that did not seem to affect the ball's consistency. This ball plays a little softer and a little slower than the U.S. Open ball. I felt like it played with a little more spin as well. I love the acoustics of the AO ball coming off the racquet.
I think if I were a teaching pro, I would probably want the USO ball. Even after a 10-15 minute break in period, it was consistently firmer and livelier than the AO. After you are done playing a few sets, I feel like the USO would last the longest in the server ball hopper. I think if I were buying a case to play sets, I would lean towards the AO or the Dunlop ATP Duty before the USO. The USO is prolly a better ball, but I just like the way the AO and ATP Extra Duty play.
The Dunlop ATP Championship were a bit firmer and more lively than the AOs, It's fine. I bought a few 4-Ball cans for $3.19 each. After a 800 ball hit session, I would use them for another hit session, which I probably wouldn't do with the Costco Penn Balls.
The Wilson All Court was the liveliest of the bunch. It was very firm. It was also over priced at Rite Aid... but hey, I needed a can of balls, right?
OldManStan
Rookie
I do agree that the Dunlop ATP balls are a bit slower than the US Open balls. Might be due to the heavier fluff on the Dunlop. The Dunlops do feel a little bit heavier in the hand. As to which one I prefer, I do like the Dunlop ATP a little bit more just more as it has a bit more of a solid feel off the racquet. It’s a bit hard to describe until you try the balls yourself.
TypeRx
Semi-Pro
Not true (your second sentence is important so thanks for including it). Costco inventory varies by region and season. If you live in an area with 4 seasons, they have already transitioned to late fall/early winter items so tennis balls might be come off the floor until next spring. They are still available in SoCal.
That said, the only thing I'll use Costco Penn balls for is a ball machine. There is a noticeable dropoff in peformance even after 1 set if you hit with reasonable pace/spin and the QC from can/can or case/case just seems so variable. At $30 on sale, it's a great price for practice balls.
I've been able to get Pro Penn Marathon's (from a local pro), Dunlop ATP Championship (online sale), and Wilson US Open (online sale) for $60/case. The Dunlops are horrible IMO and relegated to the hopper for serve practice. They have great felt and feel "heavy" like US Open balls, but they simply don't bounce even though they appear to be highly pressurized. I don't like them or the way they play. US Open balls are good although its annoying their lettering and general felt are gone after a match, even though they maintain pressure for a while. They also feel a bit "heavy", which is fine but also another differentiatior from my favorite.
All else being equal, Pro Penn Marathon Extra Duty are the way to go if you are playing on hard courts. These balls feel good to hit with, are highly consistent can/can and case/case, and have very good felt and pressure durability.
lelopez
Semi-Pro
I don't bother much buying balls that are over $3 a can. To me it feels that you go through balls quick enough to spend any more than that on them.
That said, there's a few selections here that fit that bill, but my experience has been that the Wilson extra or regular duty are superior than their counterparts (Dunlop, Penn, other) by far in terms of bounce, durability, and freshness. Quite arm friendly as well. Dunlops feel like bricks and Penn are good for maybe a set and a half if you're gentle to them. If you're hitting the snot out of them, they go dead pretty quick. Never happened to me with a Wilson ball.
@zipplock
That said, there's a few selections here that fit that bill, but my experience has been that the Wilson extra or regular duty are superior than their counterparts (Dunlop, Penn, other) by far in terms of bounce, durability, and freshness. Quite arm friendly as well. Dunlops feel like bricks and Penn are good for maybe a set and a half if you're gentle to them. If you're hitting the snot out of them, they go dead pretty quick. Never happened to me with a Wilson ball.
@zipplock
For playing I agree you need a new can. But some of these balls are pretty stable for hitting sessions with buddies and even more valuable for pros hoppers. I have some ProPenn Marathons that just keep bouncing to an acceptable level for drillling. They've lost their felt but keep bouncing well. Whereas the standard Penn ball is worth 1 set of playing and maybe 1 hour in a hopper before it needs to be put to rest.
US Opens seem decent for 1-2 sets and are OK for a few sessions in the hopper but seem to go dead much faster compared to ProPenn Marathons. Wilson Championship seems to have more endurance than the US Opens, but start out a little muted compared to US Opens. So if I was playing a match I'd lean on the US Opens or ProPenn Marathons. If I wanted a ball to drill with in a hopper for a week or so, I take the Wislon Championship or ProPenns I had left over from a match, whereas I'd chuck the US Opens after a match.
US Opens seem decent for 1-2 sets and are OK for a few sessions in the hopper but seem to go dead much faster compared to ProPenn Marathons. Wilson Championship seems to have more endurance than the US Opens, but start out a little muted compared to US Opens. So if I was playing a match I'd lean on the US Opens or ProPenn Marathons. If I wanted a ball to drill with in a hopper for a week or so, I take the Wislon Championship or ProPenns I had left over from a match, whereas I'd chuck the US Opens after a match.
All hail Wilson
Been a long time US Open user. Great ball. Our outdoor courts here absolutely destroy them quickly.
Bought a case of the Dunlop ATP balls and they very good as well and seem more durable compared to the US Open balls. As we go back to indoor tennis I’ll probably go back to US Open but I think the Dunlop’s are better for outdoors. Both heavy duty.
Dunlop balls feel a bit firmer.
Bought a case of the Dunlop ATP balls and they very good as well and seem more durable compared to the US Open balls. As we go back to indoor tennis I’ll probably go back to US Open but I think the Dunlop’s are better for outdoors. Both heavy duty.
Dunlop balls feel a bit firmer.
ichaseballs
Professional
anyone concerned about being able to reuse balls should get a tennis saver. it definitely works in extending the life of balls between sessions. most balls once opened will lose pressure over time. even in a fresh can they will lose pressure slowly (albeit very slowly). anyone who opened an old can will have still felt the can was pressurized, but the balls were dead.
also if you're looking for the penn championship balls (Costco ones), i find them online for the same price as Costco from another major retailer. not hard to find if you use google.
also if you're looking for the penn championship balls (Costco ones), i find them online for the same price as Costco from another major retailer. not hard to find if you use google.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
See they also put the balls in the hot Dryer to build up pressure. we should all do this to used balls to get the pressure back
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
I love playing with premium balls like ProPenn Marathon, Penn Tour and Dunlop AO which are all heavy balls that promote good hitting and topspin generation. If someone brings Wilson US Open or Penn Championship balls, I find that they are lighter and tend to fly faster especially before they fluff up - for me, it is harder to hit a lot of winners with them early as I have to rein in my swing a bit. I tend to slice a lot early with the lighter balls as it is easier to control them with finesse shots. All my comments are related to using Extra Duty balls on hard courts.
On clay, lighter balls and Regular duty balls are fine.
On clay, lighter balls and Regular duty balls are fine.
tlm
G.O.A.T.
Dunlop ATP premium imo are by far the best ball available today. The Dunlop Grand Prix are okay but don’t fuzz up much like they used to. The Wilson US open are also a very good ball, but after that there is not much out there.
The Penn ATP are not as good as they were in the past. One of my hitting partners uses them and they are not consistent, one can is okay and the next can plays much faster.
The Dunlop Championship Balls are cheap and they play like crap, just like the cheaper line of Penns and Wilson do.
The Penn ATP are not as good as they were in the past. One of my hitting partners uses them and they are not consistent, one can is okay and the next can plays much faster.
The Dunlop Championship Balls are cheap and they play like crap, just like the cheaper line of Penns and Wilson do.
Humbi_HTX
Semi-Pro
I recently tried TF Champion for $3/can and I am more than pleased with the balls. The initial stage of the ball is very slick with a coating on the felt that makes it feel like it slides off the string bed, after the initial fluff up and scuffs that give more texture to the felt, it kind of stays there without getting too puffy or releasing felt upon impact like crazy. The pressure hold is on par with $4 options like PTour or WUSO, I can play a few sets and still have life on the ball for days to come. These have been opened for a week and went thru 5 sets of doubles (recreational level) with shaped strings (Spiky Shark) and the bounce/pressure is still there for practice so I keep them in the bag. I also bought a can of the TF Court $3.5/can to try next, but so far these are winning in durability/price for me.
Simplicius
Semi-Pro
.
Artengo TB920 are the No1 choice for me.
Similar feeling and durability like Tretorn Serie+ Control and Dunlop Fort All Court (these two are my No2 and No3 choices) but almost at half the price!
The best about them is that they "die" normally, meaning that their bounce reduce a little as expected.
Heads & Tecnifibres as they worn they tend to bounce higher and higher, which is very annoying (that's good only in a freezing day).
Contrary to them, Wilsons after few hours tend to not bounce at all... (that's good only in a melting-hot day).
Artengo TB920 are the No1 choice for me.
Similar feeling and durability like Tretorn Serie+ Control and Dunlop Fort All Court (these two are my No2 and No3 choices) but almost at half the price!
The best about them is that they "die" normally, meaning that their bounce reduce a little as expected.
Heads & Tecnifibres as they worn they tend to bounce higher and higher, which is very annoying (that's good only in a freezing day).
Contrary to them, Wilsons after few hours tend to not bounce at all... (that's good only in a melting-hot day).
