Gamma tennis balls? No way. (Review)

[hpaiste]

Hey all,

I played in a L5 sectional last weekend, and I was very surprised to see that the tournament supplied the matches with gamma tennis balls. These balls are TERRIBLE. The consistency of the balls is bad. So bad that after a 8 game first set, one ball played like it was new, one was okay, and the third was already dead. Second, I don't know about the regulations of tennis balls sizes, but these balls looked significantly bigger too. Overall, a really poor quality tennis ball. DO NOT BUY THIS BALL !

 

[The Baseline]

actually these balls are fantastic and are popular with some of the better players i know. i think they make great balls, durability was exceptional.

 

[fuzz nation]

Easily the worst balls I've ever used... hands down... no contest.

 

[Fedace]

actually these balls are fantastic and are popular with some of the better players i know. i think they make great balls, durability was exceptional.

Yea right. those popular players just want some cheap balls. These balls are CRAP. they are way too lively and IMPOSSIBLE to control..

 

[Lefty5]

+1, agree they are terrible....

 

[autumn_leaf]

i remember watching a history channel documentary on different balls. and the tennis ball manufacturer rep. stated something very true "if we do our job right, the player don't even notice the ball" as in they don't have to worry about the ball, just their game.

i haven't played with the gamma champ balls but i have to wonder about their practice balls. had a few and so had my friends, i wonder if they were meant for little kids indoors. they're packaged like real tennis balls except that they don't bounce... like styrafoam or cardboard material.

 

[ODYSSEY Mk.4]

crap balls but gamma's tour level balls are pretty good

 

[parasailing]

Yeah I second that, Gamma Tour tennis balls are pretty good. Which ones are the ones you guys are referring to that are awful?

 

[jasonchu]

Gamma Tennis Balls!!! YES WAY! Depends on what kind.

The best ball I have ever played with is the Gamma PRO TOUR extra duty ball. PERIOD. I have played with dunlop (championship, Fort, A-player, Grand Prix), Wilson (championship, titanium, US open), Penn (ProPenn, Propenn ATP, championship), Slazenger (wimbeldon, championship), Spalding, and ... Gamma (Pro Tour, Champion)... and Head , K3, Prince (Tour and championship) and others.

In the end, the best ball ... period is the Gamma PRO TOUR extra duty. It is of a different construction and comes from a completely different factory than its Gamma Champion line. The first (and it's regular duty cousin) is made in Indonesia. The Champion line used to be made in Indonesia, then Phillipines, and now China. After leaving Indonesia, I had to give away my Gamma Champion line to dog trainers. The new felt on the Chinese ball is cheap and feels like plastic or bad nylon. The bounce is inconsistent and they go flat.

But the Gamma ProTour line.... they last 3-4 sets of hard hitting.
and 2 days if just rallying with the kids or wife. And they go exactly where you send them... like a surgeon's scalpel.... The way I think of this ball is a hybrid between the lighter, less durable but precision-similar US WIlson Open and the heavier, more durable, and thud-feeling DUnlop Grand Prix. (I like the latter don't get me wrong, but I like to use that ball when I am facing someone who can't handle a thud, heavy ball).

Buy a can and try out the Pro Tour... they cost $10.00 US Dollars a can in China and at $2.49 at Dick's, it's a steal!

 

[Bdarb]

Have to agree. I don't care for wilson, prince is okay, and I prefer dunlop.

But Gamma is the only ball that I've ever actually hated.

 

[Kalin]

Buy a can and try out the Pro Tour... they cost $10.00 US Dollars a can in China and at $2.49 at Dick's, it's a steal!

Jason, do you still play in China sometimes? I found the Pro Tours (I think regular felt only) at just over 3 USD online. Will try a couple of cans to see how they behave on the ball-eating courts I play on.

 

[Rjtennis]

The Gamma Pro Tours are a very well made ball.

 

[mikeler]

The Gamma Pro Tours are a very well made ball.

McLovin and I used those balls last time we played. I thought they were high quality.

 

[zapvor]

yea it depends which kind. i like the hi end ones

 

[imajica77]

I use the Gamma Pro Tours also. I have found it to be the best ball on the market period! You can crush these balls till the "cows come home". They will hold up to anything you can throw at them. They don't lose their felt. Keep their bounce. I pay more for them but they are worth every penny if you ask me.

 

[McLovin]

McLovin and I used those balls last time we played. I thought they were high quality.

I use the Gamma Pro Tours also. I have found it to be the best ball on the market period! You can crush these balls till the "cows come home". They will hold up to anything you can throw at them. They don't lose their felt. Keep their bounce. I pay more for them but they are worth every penny if you ask me.

I picked up a couple cases of the Tour balls on sale at the "authority of sports" on a whim a couple years ago. The first thing I noticed about both the hard & clay balls is the felt seems to stay 'tight' longer.

My club used Wilson US Opens for years, and then switched to Babolat for a bit, and both those would fluff up late 1st set, even indoors. But the Gamma Pro Tours stayed nice the whole time. Personally, my favorite ball.

 

[McLovin]

Just so there's no confusion, I'm referring to these:

 

[tiebraek]

I played a few times with the Gamma Pro Tour. Maybe I got a bad case... but while the durability was exceptional the bounce of the ball was inconsistent. They also felt heavier and killed my arm. I don't think I'll use them ever again.

 

[tennisnj]

Average at best. They don't last long on dirty, slow, low bouncing hard courts either. I still buy a few cans of them to bring to tournaments which require participants to bring a can just to have my opponents ogle at them & scratch their heads wondering "are those legal?" Outside of the Big 3- Wilson, Penn & Dunlop, I'd rather use Volkl.

 

[Booger]

Outside of the Big 3- Wilson, Penn & Dunlop, I'd rather use Volkl.

I have tried a case of just about everything. There are 5 or 6 balls that play pretty well for a few sets after breaking the seal, but Prince and Slazenger balls are currently the best on the market IMO.

 

[Fifth Set]

Average at best. They don't last long on dirty, slow, low bouncing hard courts either. I still buy a few cans of them to bring to tournaments which require participants to bring a can just to have my opponents ogle at them & scratch their heads wondering "are those legal?" Outside of the Big 3- Wilson, Penn & Dunlop, I'd rather use Volkl.

Aren't the Volkls just rebranded Dunlops?