Can new balls change the outcome of a match?

[Hot Sauce]

I'm wondering if playing a match with new balls opposed to old ones can be a deciding factor in whether one player beats another. A couple months back I played a friend on the tennis team and I beat him (with new balls). Then we played twice this summer and he crushed me (with his old balls). Then my tennis instructor told me that my KBlade Tour would be perfect for playing with new balls, but lacks power to make it suitable for old balls. This got me thinking, so I bought some new balls and played the same guy, and beat him. Do you think that new balls can make such a difference in the outcome of a match, or is it something else in my scenarios?

 

[Steady Eddy]

Of course it makes a difference. At one time I noticed there was alot of adjustment I had to make when the balls were new. So I thought, "Do I want to be a new can player, or an old can player?" Then it occurred to me that if I ever wanted to win a tournament, I had to be a new can player. Moral: always play using new balls.

 

[Nellie]

It depends on your game. I am a topspin guy, and I start getting killed later in matches because my topspin shots above the shoulder start being topspin at chest - i.e., wheelhouse for opponents crushing shots.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

I suppose it could make a difference if the opponents had different styles of play, yet were almost point-for-point equally matched.

A person with flatter shots would have a bit more difficulty controling the depth of the new (unfluffed) balls as opposed to a heavy topspin guy.

A big server hitting flat and fast might be at an advantage if it were his serve.

Having said that, after a half hour or so of hard play, new balls become old balls very quickly-- so when you say "old balls"; just how old are you talking about?

And, as far as the racket, really, the racket should reflect your style of play and the racket head speed you customarily hit with-- and not the sort of balls you use.

Unfortunately, if you are taking about team play, coaches can be very stingy in doling out new balls, but since important matches will be played with them, you should practice and groove your strokes with the "newest" balls you can afford. Bring your own if they are not provided.

 

[Hot Sauce]

When I'm talking about the old balls he brings, I mean like weeks old.

I'm a flat hitter (groundstrokes and serve)
He's a big flat server, and heavy topspin on groundstrokes.

 

[TopShelf]

For me, I would love to play with flat "low bouncing balls" coming from a squash background, (but Im in the minority so I guess if I went from a bouncy new can to an old can I would hope to benefit

 

[2nd_Serve]

Yes. It makes the balls faster, and pronounces the spin a bit more.

 

[Hot Sauce]

Played the guy again today with (2nd match) balls. Compared to the ones he brought, these were significantly newer and fresher. We actually played with 2 of my balls and 1 of his. Yeah, it sounds like a bad idea, but I found out that he won most of the points when we used the old ball. I would sometimes net it, or he'd punish it for a winner. Today he only took 1 game off of me! I won 6-0, 6-1. So it seems like he definitely had an off day today, but since he killed me in 2 straight matches with his old balls, and I killed him in 2 straight matches with my new balls, it seems like this is CONFIRMED.

 

[pro_staff]

Played the guy again today with (2nd match) balls. Compared to the ones he brought, these were significantly newer and fresher. We actually played with 2 of my balls and 1 of his. Yeah, it sounds like a bad idea, but I found out that he won most of the points when we used the old ball. I would sometimes net it, or he'd punish it for a winner. Today he only took 1 game off of me! I won 6-0, 6-1. So it seems like he definitely had an off day today, but since he killed me in 2 straight matches with his old balls, and I killed him in 2 straight matches with my new balls, it seems like this is CONFIRMED.

Honestly, I don't think this would make THAT big of a difference. I agree that you will benefit from using balls that fit your style of play but I don't think the outcome should be this dramatic. Giving somebody a bagel with one type of ball and getting bageled by another type of ball just seem very unlikely to me. Usually you should be able to adjust to any kind of ball. You may not be as comfortable using balls you don't like and it might affect your performance but it shouldn't be enough that it dramatically changes the outcome of a match. I usually beat this one player 6-3 6-4 (or something close to it) with balls of my choice (used, rather flat) but he beats me 7-5 7-6 with balls of his choice (fresh and new).

 

[Moz]

I think it can make an enormous difference depending on playing styles.

 

[MTChong]

I hit with heavy spin, and I definitely prefer hitting with new tennis balls. The older ones are more difficult for me to hit as they'll bounce lower (and my current hitting partner hits flat) so I have to hit them knee height, which is hard with my extreme grip on the forehand side.

 

[WBF]

I think it can make an enormous difference depending on playing styles.

Agree with this.

 

[tbini87]

i think it makes a difference. how much can depend on the two people playing... but there is a difference!

if i play with a new can every time i hit, and my opponent uses old balls every time he hits... i think he has the advantage if we play with old balls. he knows how hard he can hit them, and how they will bounce. also remember old balls can really affect the serve and everything else. so i think there is a big difference which can change results of a match.

 

[nadal&roddickfan]

Older balls are slower and stay lower. New balls are faster and jump higher. I prefer to play with new balls. My neighbor abuses my old balls by slicing it whenever he can, and they always stay extremely low.