When I first started tennis I quickly learned that practicing with pressureless or flat balls and then playing a match with a fresh can of pressurized balls is two completely different things as I was launching the fresh balls into the fence and couldn't control them. So, now my daughter has gone through the ball progression of Red, Orange, and is now on green. So, I bought a bucket of Gamma green balls http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Gamma_Quick_Kids_Green_Ball_12_Pack/descpageGAMMA-GQKB78.html When she was using orange balls I did notice that the brands of orange balls were different from eachother, so I bought a couple different brands of green balls (pressureless) and found them to all be reasonably similar. No time soon, but down the road, my daughter will probably play green ball tournaments, so I was researching them and it sounds like some of the tournaments use a can of pressurized green dot balls. So, remembering my experience between pressureless and pressurized balls I bought a can of Penn Control+ http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Pen...s_Balls_12_Can_Case/descpageHEAD-PCPGD12.html And, holy cow, what a difference. I did a bounce comparison and the Penn Control+ bounced way higher then pressureless green balls and exactly as high as 2 week old Penn Championship Extra Duty balls http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Pen..._Balls_24_Can_Case/descpageHEAD-PCHAMPXD.html The Penn Control + did feel slightly lighter than the Penn Championship ball though. So, my question is, what have other's experiences been with green ball tournaments and ball difference? It seems like down the road and when she is ready, I would be doing my daughter a disservice by practicing with pressureless green balls and then in a tournament they use a can of pressurized green dot balls. Basically like practicing with a flat basketball and then putting them in a game with a fully pumped up basketball. Seems like the transition should be from pressureless green balls then to old yellow balls to prepare for green dot tournaments. Is that right? One thing I haven't tested yet is if the Penn Control+ loses a lot of pressure over time. I will be able to test that in a couple weeks though. It will be interesting to see how that compares to a fresh control+ and pressureless green.
Pressurized vs Pressureless green dot balls
- Thread starter bob79
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Thanks Julian! I had actually seen that thread, but hadn't read that post. Sounds like if things start getting competitive enough to get to national level, which is way down the road, then need to switch away from pressureless green dot to either pressurized or old yellow.
If anyone is interested in the results of testing how much bounce is lost from the pressurized pen control+ over a couple weeks compared to a fresh can, let me know. And, if anyone else has any other experience with the transition from tournaments that use pressureless green to pressurized green please let me know.
Thanks!
If anyone is interested in the results of testing how much bounce is lost from the pressurized pen control+ over a couple weeks compared to a fresh can, let me know. And, if anyone else has any other experience with the transition from tournaments that use pressureless green to pressurized green please let me know.
Thanks!
Most of the tournaments just throw the kids some pressureless green dot balls out of their coaching trolly.
I find that kids adjust pretty quickly from one ball to another, especially if they can hit with top-spin (the ball flying off the strings uncontrollably becomes less of an issue). Use the pressureless balls for most of your practicing, then practice with the pressurized balls just before a tournament.
I find that kids adjust pretty quickly from one ball to another, especially if they can hit with top-spin (the ball flying off the strings uncontrollably becomes less of an issue). Use the pressureless balls for most of your practicing, then practice with the pressurized balls just before a tournament.
Thanks Bendex!
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Note that green dot balls are not actually pressureless. Pressureless refer to a different type of ball. Green dot balls are considered low pressure or low compression. The gauge pressure of these balls are about half the pressure of regular pressurized ball. Because they are pressurized, most manufacturers have started putting them into pressurized cans.
http://www.oncourtoffcourt.com/_media/products/pdfs/373805d423182198e961a4d5fb872116.pdf
Sorry, I did not read the OP since my poor aging eyes have trouble with a wall of text. Need more white space (as others have requested).
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http://www.oncourtoffcourt.com/_media/products/pdfs/373805d423182198e961a4d5fb872116.pdf
Sorry, I did not read the OP since my poor aging eyes have trouble with a wall of text. Need more white space (as others have requested).
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SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
^ No, you need more posts under your belt before you are allowed to edit your posts. However, you can copy the text from your OP and then paste/edit it in a reply post.
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TennisaGoGo
Semi-Pro
What I've found is this - when my son wins, the green dot ball is a great tool for teaching proper strokes and placement. When he loses, the green ball is a gimmick that doesn't teach real tennis.
Thanks TennisaGoGo. In your son's tournaments, did they use the "pressureless" green balls, or did they use pressurized ones out of a can? Also, did your son feel like the green balls you practiced with bounce as high as the ones in the tournaments?
Cool. Probably too late to edit in a reply now. But, will definitely heed your guys' advice next time. It's a pretty specific question, so I wouldn't expect too many responses. I definitely appreciate those that took the time to respond even with my long block
.Bottom line is that the green dots out of the bag are different (slower/lower) than those out of a can. In my experience, Wilson Green out of a can are the liveliest, followed by Penn Control out of a can, followed by Gamma and anything out of a bag.
Our section only uses green out of can after they tried to save money and bought bagged balls in bulk for a large sectional tournament. The kids complained all weekend. Not the parents, mind you, although many of us did as well, but the kids said they felt like orange balls.
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TCF
Guest
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Thanks BMC and TCF. Now that I know that most tournaments use out of the can balls then it pretty much answers my questions about what balls to practice with when my daughter gets close to playing in tournaments. Thanks BMC for the breakdown on different ball brands!
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PittsburghDad
Guest
Let her practice on yellow for a month before the tourney. No matter what green dot is used will be much easier. My experience with it. Feels like child's play after the yellow.
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PittsburghDad
Guest
No worries. Have fun and good luck.
