Strayfire's Tennis Ball Reviews

[Strayfire]

I really enjoy testing tennis balls since lockdown began. I’ve been writing up a lot of my experiences with various tennis balls, and I hope to share them with you in the one convenient place.

Right now my top 3 favourites are:
1. Dunlop ATP (Metal Can)
2. Slazenger Wimbledon
3. Tecnifibre X-One

My decent ball list:
Wilson Tour Premier Grass (White)

My not-so nice list:
Babolat Gold
Dunlop ATP Championship
Wilson Triniti

My mixed feelings list:
Dunlop AO

My to-do list:
Robin Soderling White/Black, Tecnifibre Court, Head ATP, Dunlop Fort Elite, basically every US-only tennis ball in existence

My Terms – Just to avoid confusion.
Type: Soft, Medium, Hard – This refers to how jarring the ball is on impact to your stringbed. Some people don’t care about this, but if you have arm issues like I do, you’ll want to stick to tennis balls rated as “soft”.
Felt: Compact or Fluffy – The refers to whether or not a ball will begin to fluff up as the match wears on. This is most noticeable on hard court, where a fluffy ball will slow down the ball, but increase the ability for it to just skim the line instead of going out.
Weight: Light or heavy – How heavy does the ball feel to hit. This is a subjective field and does not reflect objectively how much it weighs.

 

[Strayfire]

Slazenger Wimbledon
Type: Soft
Felt: Fluffy
Weight: Heavy
Bounce: Average.

Shots: The Slazenger Wimbledon is a magical ball. You will find that shots that typically go out will just skim the lines and go in. This is due to the heavy and fluffy nature of the ball which increases wind resistance. The ball is very soft and plush on impact, felt is nice and takes spin well so a lot of older gentlemen swear by this ball. For them, the days of winning based on sheer power are largely over, so they rely on that ability for the ball to take spin well to win their points. Lighter balls or balls with compact felt typically take less spin and thus have a more straightforward trajectory which these players typically dislike.

Durability: Durability of the ball is good. We get 6-8 hours out of a typical can of Wimbledons. To be honest, it lasts longer than that, but as the person who buys all the tennis balls, I usually replace them when the “Wimbledon magic” of balls magically sailing in is gone. It’s still playable, up to 10 hrs though.

Misc: This is the most expensive ball you can buy in Australia and it performs as such.

Other Testers: Over the years I’ve played many people with the Wimbledon ball. Amongst the older tennis players I typically play in Australia, the Slazenger Wimbledon is the chicken crimpy* of tennis balls. Younger players who didn’t grow up with this type of ball find it strange and perplexing as a ball as they are used to more compact felts and lighter balls.

Verdict: This ball is the definitive tennis ball. For a long time it was the default ball in Australia. Almost every club and competition ran with this ball, so it’s a familiar favourite amongst our players here.

Other: *A chicken crimpy is the most agreeable party snack food in Australia. Nobody will ever criticise you for bringing a packet of chicken crimpys to a party. It’s just loved by everyone. It’s not everyone’s #1 favourite, but everyone will eat it and not complain.

 

[Strayfire]

Dunlop ATP (metal can)
Type: Soft.
Felt: Fluffy.
Weight: Medium.
Bounce: High.

Shots: I think this ball feels like a mix of the Slazenger Wimbledon and Tecnifibre X-One. It’s slightly lighter than the Wimbledon in feel, heavier than the X-One, while it bounces as high as the X-One. It takes slice and spin like the Wimbledon but has that extra forgiving bounce of the X-One to help you clear the net.

Durability: Durability of the ball is good. Felt is really still holding up after 4 hours of hitting. Will update with more data later.

Misc: This ties with the Slazenger Wimbledon as the most expensive ball you can buy in Australia and it performs as such. I’m personally not sure if this is the same ball as the plastic can Dunlop ATP ball in the USA, so I’m going to withhold my recommendation to just the metal can.

Other Testers: Noted that the ball did bounce as high as the Tecnifibre X-One ball. Overall well-liked by everyone I have played with. Will update with more opinions.

Verdict: It plays like a mix of my two other favourite tennis balls. Rather than be at polarising ends of feel, the Dunlop ATP takes the middle-ground. For this reason I feel like it’s got broader appeal than either the Slazenger Wimbledon or Tecnifibre X-One.

Other: Can we just take a second and just admire this beautiful sapphire blue can design? It’s so much cleaner than the Slazenger Wimbledon’s can. It feels so nice.

 

[Strayfire]

Tecnifibre X-One
Type: Soft
Felt: Compact
Weight: Light. Ball feels much lighter than Wimbledon ball and flies through the air easily like a US Open, but softer on the arm.
Bounce: High

Shots: Feels easier to lift the ball with slice shots and some drop shots will go over that don’t with heavier balls like the Wimbledon.
The tempo of the game is certainly faster when these balls are used.

Durability: Lettering seems to wear much faster than regular balls. After three sets the lettering was fading. However, there was no major “fluffing up” of the felt that is typical for Wimbledons or Dunlop ATPs on hardcourt. Depending on the player, fluffing up can be desirable or awful. The fluff makes the ball less aerodynamic, resulting in a faster shot, but fluff is good at stopping balls from sailing out. We played 3 sets and the balls still bounced well. However, as the lettering fades fast and it gives the impression that the ball is much older than it really is. This may impede your ability to continue using the ball if your hitting partner or opponent refuses to hit with it. Despite the appearance, it still plays very well. The only concern is that some players may find the ball to be a bit “flighty” and hit the back fence frequently after some wear on hardcourt.

Misc: There’s no numbers on the X-One, if the next court is also hitting X-Ones, then you might mix them up. Given how unpopular Tecnifibre balls are in Australia, a lack of numbers is fine, but not ideal.

Other Testers: Agreed on all points. Notable that a pusher actually thought these balls were better for his game vs Wimbledons, which I would not have guessed given how much more I like to attack on these balls.

Verdict: I do enjoy this ball. It’s easy on the arm and flies fast through the air. Faster tennis is better tennis to me. Possible durability issues aside, this is probably one of my top 3 tennis balls.

 

[Strayfire]

Wilson Tour Premier Grass (White)
Type: Hard
Felt: Compact
Weight: Average.
Bounce: High. Good bounce retention.

Shots: Feels firm as the ball is more pressured than regular tennis balls. This gives it a fair amount of pop through the air. The downside is if you have tennis elbow it could be quite painful.

Durability: Excellent, however lettering seems smear. The green text rubs off quite easily when exposed to water. However, the ball itself is very durable. The ball seems to resist taking on water better than most tennis balls with an impressive hydrophobic coating. As this wears down from play it absorbs more water, but still better than the hydrophobic coating of the average ball. Notably, like many grass court balls, it fluffs up on hard court which reduces the speed of the ball as you play with it, however it is not as pronounced as most grass court balls, and is still reasonably compact. Pressure maintenance is better than most balls.

Misc: The ball itself is high quality but harder to see. Wilson markets this ball as being identical in specs to the Wilson AO ball that existed prior to 2018. However, on all occasions that I have tried to bring it out, players and parents have complained about the white colour of the ball. Despite the ITF approval and status as a legal competition class tennis ball, many people reject it because of its colour. Many do not know that Wimbledon was played with a white ball until 1984 and white was the only colour of ball available prior to the 1970s.

Other Testers: Pusher thought the ball was easier to hit lobs with because of the higher bounce.

Verdict: I got this ball at firesale prices because Wilson is having issues selling the ball. If your friends are okay playing with a white ball or you need something for Rover, this is a good ball at a good price. Be aware that this is harder to see than regular yellow tennis balls.

 

[Strayfire]

Dunlop AO
Type: Hard
Felt: Fluffy
Weight: Heavy
Bounce: Average.

Shots: The Dunlop AO ball seemed to dip very nicely. If you hit with heavy topspin or want to place some sneaky drop shots then this ball really facilitates that style of play. The ball when hit with spin tended to drop down faster than comparable balls, meaning that shots would end up touching the line rather than sailing long.

Durability: Durability of the ball is pretty bad. Within 4 hours the tennis ball was flat. Typically with my friends and I, we get 6-8 hours out of a typical can of Wimbledons.

Misc: The Dunlop AO ball is a bit stiffer and harder on contact than previous balls that I’ve played with. In the opening 15 minutes with the ball, any off-centre shots felt really incredibly jarring for my arm. My pusher friend complained about pain in his tricep area. However, after these 15 minutes, I noticed the ball soften up considerably and the jarring shock was gone, but the ball still played heavier and stiffer than other balls. The Dunlop AO is often compared to the Slazenger Wimbledon, but the major difference is that the Wimbledon is much softer, whereas the Dunlop AO is harder and dips more on shots.

Other Testers: I have never heard of pusher friend refusing to play with a tennis ball before. The hardness of the ball made him compare it with rocks. He told me that this ball was much harder than any other ball he’s hit with. He says he will go to great lengths to avoid hitting this ball in future, going as far to say that he will supply his own tennis balls to avoid using these. I tried playing with Dunlop AO with his racquet and the shock is much more apparent with a low 255g strung light racquet.
My stringer who works at AO said that off-record, many players complained to him that the ball only lasted for about 20 minutes of hitting. He said that they noted there was a sharp drop-off in playability. My stringer believed that the Dunlop AO ball was hastily developed for the Dunlop AO contract and was thus, severely undercooked.

Verdict: This ball is not for people with arm issues. Durability is poor but while it lasts, the ball is ideal for players who want to play with drop shots and topspin groundstrokes.

Other: My stringer who works at AO commented on the ball, saying that the Dunlop AO ball will be replaced by the superior Dunlop ATP ball. Right now TennisOnly and some other tennis shops have been running firesales on the Dunlop AO ball. Really looking forward to it being replaced by the Dunlop ATP ball.

 

[Strayfire]

Wilson Triniti
Type: Hard
Felt: Compact, but felt not applied well so it’s also lumpy.
Weight: Medium
Bounce: High

Shots: Ouch. Whatever Wilson did to the ball it really strains my arm. Granted I have sensitive arms, but the Wilson Triniti ball I just absolutely hate. According to Wilson, the technology behind the Triniti is that it has a lower PSI than other balls, which is made up by a lighter and thicker rubber. What this results in is a ball that bounces exceptionally high and is hard to put pace on. Serving with this ball hurts my arm and I just start to dread serving with this ball. Lobs are all that more deadly when it bounces so high.

Durability: Extreme. It does what it says on the pack. It lasts forever. Whether or not you will want to play with it forever really depends on how much you enjoy the torture that is the Wilson Triniti ball. For some select players who enjoy it, this is a very economical solution.

Misc: Lumpy felt does not inspire confidence in the ball quality.

Other Testers: Prior to seeing the actual production run of Wilson Triniti balls, my AO stringer friend actually recommended this ball to me. However, upon seeing how mangled the felt application is on the main production run, he quickly retracted his recommendation. He said the mangled felt really messed with the predictability of the bounce and thus he now cautions any customer about the Triniti ball. The pre-production Wilson Triniti balls he played with did not have these felt issues and Wilson may fix this in the future.
Just to throw a spanner into the mix, my pusher friend rates this as his favourite ball. This could be related to the increased difficulty I had trying to put pace and attacking the ball. In comparison switching back to a normal ball made hitting hard feel trivial.

Verdict: Avoid, unless you really like it or are a pusher. My pusher friend loves these balls for his game.

Other: Marketing a tennis ball as eco-friendly by virtue of being in a cardboard tube does nothing when aluminium cans are just as recyclable. If anything, I would feel more comfortable buying Triniti balls if they were in an aluminium can and pressurised. In Australia where tennis balls are expensive, tennis balls are used for a long time anyway. I buy balls by the case and a can lasts me about a month because most clubs at during the week provide me with balls. While a fresh can of Trintis are fine, will a box of them last for 18 months or more while being unpressurised? (This is why I gravitate towards aluminium cans of tennis balls because from own experience they hold pressure better than plastic cans which last ~6 months, tops.)

Pics of terrible felt incoming.

 

[zinzan8]

Thanks for sharing. If you don’t mind a suggestion, pictures of the relevant balls (new) with each review would be nice. And again after a hitting session would be great.

 

[Nogo]

I'll add another suggestion: weight the [new] balls with a scale, to eliminate the subjective factor.

I've also been doing some comparisons and found out that the Dunlop AO are the lightest (their felt wears out quickly and unevenly though, so I don't like them) and the Wilson USO the heaviest (also confirmed by an older review on TW). Others fell in between, at least with my generic kitchen scale that isn't very precise. And I only compared one can of each ball type, so YMMV, it could also be a matter of different batches. But it would be a nice to have a definitive list with more objective data.

 

[Strayfire]

Thanks for sharing. If you don’t mind a suggestion, pictures of the relevant balls (new) with each review would be nice. And again after a hitting session would be great.

Makes sense. Just thinking through wear, the balls would wear differently based on what courts we play on and who I hit with, so a set/an hour looks different for many different factors. What would be the point where you want photos? New and retired balls?

I'll add another suggestion: weight the [new] balls with a scale, to eliminate the subjective factor.

I've also been doing some comparisons and found out that the Dunlop AO are the lightest (their felt wears out quickly and unevenly though, so I don't like them) and the Wilson USO the heaviest (also confirmed by an older review on TW). Others fell in between, at least with my generic kitchen scale that isn't very precise. And I only compared one can of each ball type, so YMMV, it could also be a matter of different batches. But it would be a nice to have a definitive list with more objective data.

I'll try to weigh them going forward. Thanks

 

[Mongolmike]

Good stuff, and l concur on the Triniti balls. Terrible uneven felt application. Unacceptable at that price. Ball bounces well but does feel heavy on the racquet.

 

[megamind]

thanks for the reviews, looking forward to trying some of them

THIS PIC HAD ME

Just the prioritization of tennis in your life

(don't worry, it's funny, but I feel the same way about the good tennis)

 

[Return_Ace]

If only I had read this thread yesterday

Just put in two orders for a dozen of both Dunlop ATP (Metals) and Wilson Triniti's (which actually arrived this morning ).

I hadn't realised there was a difference between the Metal and Plastic Dunlop ATP balls originally (i know, should have been obvious, done some more googling etc.), but I was incredibly disappointed with the Plastic Dunlop ATPs, whilst we used them for 5 Sets Total (2, and then 3 with a week inbetween) and they were still "okay", I didn't really get the feeling of them being good out of the can like a new set of Head ATPs or Slazenger Wimbledon's do. Only yesterday after reading around did I see that the Plastic ATP's are only aimed at recreational / club level use.

I've heard pretty mixed things about the Wilson Triniti but thought I may as well try them out if they're supposed to last longer; guess I should go in with very low expectations.

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Something against Penn/Head balls?

 

[Strayfire]

thanks for the reviews, looking forward to trying some of them

THIS PIC HAD ME

Just the prioritization of tennis in your life

(don't worry, it's funny, but I feel the same way about the good tennis)

The shelf above is just boxes of computer hardware, my other hobby hahaha.

If only I had read this thread yesterday

Just put in two orders for a dozen of both Dunlop ATP (Metals) and Wilson Triniti's (which actually arrived this morning ).

I hadn't realised there was a difference between the Metal and Plastic Dunlop ATP balls originally (i know, should have been obvious, done some more googling etc.), but I was incredibly disappointed with the Plastic Dunlop ATPs, whilst we used them for 5 Sets Total (2, and then 3 with a week inbetween) and they were still "okay", I didn't really get the feeling of them being good out of the can like a new set of Head ATPs or Slazenger Wimbledon's do. Only yesterday after reading around did I see that the Plastic ATP's are only aimed at recreational / club level use.

I've heard pretty mixed things about the Wilson Triniti but thought I may as well try them out if they're supposed to last longer; guess I should go in with very low expectations.

I assume you mean the Dunlop ATP Championship ball. Yeah it's not got a great feel to it, it's one of my least liked tennis balls.

What I was talking about earlier in my thread is that I don't know if the Dunlop ATP ball (metal can not championship) is the same as the Dunlop ATP ball (plastic can but also not championship).

Something against Penn/Head balls?

I plan to review the Head Tour ball, but short of those green/red balls it's hard to find more models of Head balls for sale here. I might be able to find a can of Head Championship somewhere. Penns are only sold in a faraway Costco and I can't get there reasonably easily (or want to buy a whole box).

What is a chicken crimpy? I have never heard of it. Is it an Adelaide delicacy?