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BF3magic

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I just finished a full case of Tecnifibre X-One and ordered a few cans from different brands to do a casual playtest. For context, I am a 4.0-4.5 aggressive baseliner and I play on indoor hardcourts in the northeast. Here’s my personal ranking so far.

Balls I tested this time

1. Tecnifibre X-One
My favorite overall day-to-day ball. It feels medium-soft, plays fast, and is the most durable premium ball I’ve used. The only real downside is that it fluffs up a lot. That said, it still holds bounce extremely well. I’m comfortable bringing these to matches, and after 1.5 hours they still feel good. After a match, I can usually get another 2 or 3 practice sessions out of them, so around 5-6 total hours of solid use. That said, this is one of the most expensive balls and I'm interested in trying other cheaper Technifibre balls.

2. Wilson US Open XD
Probably my favorite pure match ball. It feels a little heavier than the X-One, but it doesn’t fluff up nearly as much. The downside is durability — definitely worse than the X-One. Usually I’m done with them after a match, though if I’m being cheap I’ll save them for one more practice session.

3. Yonex Tour
Very close to the US Open for match play, plays a bit lighter and maybe a little better at maintaining bounce. But it ages in the opposite way from the X-One: instead of fluffing up, it goes bald. Really bald. It also turns that dirty greenish color, which makes it look worse than it actually plays.

4. Dunlop ATP Tour XD
Kind of an odd one. Durability is worse than the three above, but they seem to stay “half-dead” forever. Not great, not terrible — just weirdly usable for a long time.

6. Babolat Gold Championship
A good ball for its price. My local club coaches use these, so I wanted to try them. They feel a little hard and heavy to me. I think they hold bounce a bit better than the Dunlop ATP Tour and Slazenger, but I just don’t like how they play. To me they feel like a premium version of Penn — definitely better than Penn, but still not my thing.

5. Slazenger Wimbledon (yellow can)
Nothing really stands out besides the price. Not durable at all. I’d rank it above the Dunlop ATP Tour for match play if both were the same price, but otherwise it didn’t impress me.


Balls I’ve had experience with

Volkl V-Pro
I’ve actually never opened a fresh can myself, but I’ve found lightly used ones in the practice baskets at my club. Out of all the random used balls people leave behind, these have impressed me the most. Durability seems top-tier, maybe just below X-One, and they don’t fluff up much. I really want to try a new can, but I can only seem to find them by the case online.
***For context, when I’m digging through leftover used balls, my priority is usually: any Tecnifibre ball > any Volkl ball > decent-looking US Open balls > any Dunlop ball > the best 1 out of 10 Penn balls if I absolutely had to.

Dunlop Grand Prix XD
Softer than ATP Tour. ATP Tour plays better in the first 45 minutes or so but Grand Prix plays better into the second hour.

ProPenn Marathon
I really don’t like these for matches. They’re durable and they play fast, but the rubber feels super hard and give me very little dwell time on the stringbed. I lose a lot of control with them. With these, I probably hit 30% more service winners — and 30% more return errors too.

Wilson Trinity
Yes, they’re insanely durable. But they’re also the only balls that actually make my arm hurt. For me, the stiffness is on another level, even compared with Pro Penn Marathon.

Penn Championship XD
NO. I bought a case from Costco, and I opened a bottle of champagne when I finally ran out.

Curious what everyone else is using these days.
 
BF3magic said:
Wilson Trinity
Yes, they’re insanely durable. But they’re also the only balls that actually make my arm hurt. For me, the stiffness is on another level, even compared with Pro Penn Marathon.
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I love those balls (the Pro version) and play with them multiple times a week, use them until the cover is worn off. 4.0 player in my 70’s, never had arm issues. Some of my hitting partners are okay with them, some won’t use them. My alternate ball is Wilson US Open Extra Duty. I also like Tretorn X (pressureless).

Discussions about tennis balls are endless. Everyone has their preferences. There is no one “best” ball. Players should be able to adapt to different brands of balls.
 
Been using Diadem Premier XD. When comparing against US Open XD, they seem slightly heavier and a tad bit firmer. I think they are comfortable to hit with, and for the most part don't feel the extra weight, but occasionally do. Felt is comparable, and longevity is better. I've played a match, followed w a hitting sesh w the same balls and the ball quality is still there. Usually throw them in a hopper afterwards.
 
BF3magic said:
I just finished a full case of Tecnifibre X-One and ordered a few cans from different brands to do a casual playtest. For context, I am a 4.0-4.5 aggressive baseliner and I play on indoor hardcourts in the northeast. Here’s my personal ranking so far.

Balls I tested this time

1. Tecnifibre X-One
My favorite overall day-to-day ball. It feels medium-soft, plays fast, and is the most durable premium ball I’ve used. The only real downside is that it fluffs up a lot. That said, it still holds bounce extremely well. I’m comfortable bringing these to matches, and after 1.5 hours they still feel good. After a match, I can usually get another 2 or 3 practice sessions out of them, so around 5-6 total hours of solid use. That said, this is one of the most expensive balls and I'm interested in trying other cheaper Technifibre balls.

2. Wilson US Open XD
Probably my favorite pure match ball. It feels a little heavier than the X-One, but it doesn’t fluff up nearly as much. The downside is durability — definitely worse than the X-One. Usually I’m done with them after a match, though if I’m being cheap I’ll save them for one more practice session.

3. Yonex Tour
Very close to the US Open for match play, plays a bit lighter and maybe a little better at maintaining bounce. But it ages in the opposite way from the X-One: instead of fluffing up, it goes bald. Really bald. It also turns that dirty greenish color, which makes it look worse than it actually plays.

4. Dunlop ATP Tour XD
Kind of an odd one. Durability is worse than the three above, but they seem to stay “half-dead” forever. Not great, not terrible — just weirdly usable for a long time.

6. Babolat Gold Championship
A good ball for its price. My local club coaches use these, so I wanted to try them. They feel a little hard and heavy to me. I think they hold bounce a bit better than the Dunlop ATP Tour and Slazenger, but I just don’t like how they play. To me they feel like a premium version of Penn — definitely better than Penn, but still not my thing.

5. Slazenger Wimbledon (yellow can)
Nothing really stands out besides the price. Not durable at all. I’d rank it above the Dunlop ATP Tour for match play if both were the same price, but otherwise it didn’t impress me.


Balls I’ve had experience with

Volkl V-Pro
I’ve actually never opened a fresh can myself, but I’ve found lightly used ones in the practice baskets at my club. Out of all the random used balls people leave behind, these have impressed me the most. Durability seems top-tier, maybe just below X-One, and they don’t fluff up much. I really want to try a new can, but I can only seem to find them by the case online.
***For context, when I’m digging through leftover used balls, my priority is usually: any Tecnifibre ball > any Volkl ball > decent-looking US Open balls > any Dunlop ball > the best 1 out of 10 Penn balls if I absolutely had to.

Dunlop Grand Prix XD
Softer than ATP Tour. ATP Tour plays better in the first 45 minutes or so but Grand Prix plays better into the second hour.

ProPenn Marathon
I really don’t like these for matches. They’re durable and they play fast, but the rubber feels super hard and give me very little dwell time on the stringbed. I lose a lot of control with them. With these, I probably hit 30% more service winners — and 30% more return errors too.

Wilson Trinity
Yes, they’re insanely durable. But they’re also the only balls that actually make my arm hurt. For me, the stiffness is on another level, even compared with Pro Penn Marathon.

Penn Championship XD
NO. I bought a case from Costco, and I opened a bottle of champagne when I finally ran out.

Curious what everyone else is using these days.
Click to expand...
The TF X-One ball is the best right now. The cheaper TF balls are good but a level or two down compared with the X-One. The Solinco Tour ball is really good as well. Close to the X-One ball but not quite. These are the top two on my list at the moment.
 
mad dog1 said:
The TF X-One ball is the best right now. The cheaper TF balls are good but a level or two down compared with the X-One. The Solinco Tour ball is really good as well. Close to the X-One ball but not quite. These are the top two on my list at the moment.
Click to expand...

Where do they sell Solinco Tour balls?

WilsonBlade98 said:
I love those balls (the Pro version) and play with them multiple times a week, use them until the cover is worn off. 4.0 player in my 70’s, never had arm issues. Some of my hitting partners are okay with them, some won’t use them. My alternate ball is Wilson US Open Extra Duty. I also like Tretorn X (pressureless).
Click to expand...

Im pretty sure you play with multifilaments then. IMHO with multi or syngut they feel very much like regular balls. But once you go to deader poly (confidential, tour bite 16 and 16L) they are really rough on my arm. The other IMHO problem with Triniti for hard hitters (i imagine I am) is that they are extremely forgiving. Once you really crush them they like to stay in even on substandard swings & serves (as long as they are fast). Gives a fake illusion of being a high quality player. The X-One and USO balls and many regular duty balls are very unforgiving on ******** technique.

WilsonBlade98 said:
Discussions about tennis balls are endless. Everyone has their preferences. There is no one “best” ball. Players should be able to adapt to different brands of balls.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%. I used to hate Penn Champs but most of the people I play with bring Penn Champs. Recent batches seem better than before after the new can designs. Now I also learned to adjust and even enjoy them to an extent. Anyway they have to take that crap home since they brought it.
 
Last edited:
My Favorites in order:
1. Babolat Team All Court (not the cheaper Gold)
2. Wilson US Open XD
3. Technifibre X-One

These three are similar to hit with.
The Babolat Team does not fluff up (on hard court or astro turf) and lasts a long time
The Wilson has the worst durability.
The X-One can fluff up
For me, the Babolat and Technifibre are good for 6 hours on hard court. Longer on astro turf. I keep them in a pressurizer between use.

My least favorite of the professional tournament level balls is the Dunlop Australian Open. Heavy and fluffs up badly on astro turf. Some other Dunlop balls are much better than this one.
 
gatorbait said:
Been using Diadem Premier XD. When comparing against US Open XD, they seem slightly heavier and a tad bit firmer. I think they are comfortable to hit with, and for the most part don't feel the extra weight, but occasionally do. Felt is comparable, and longevity is better. I've played a match, followed w a hitting sesh w the same balls and the ball quality is still there. Usually throw them in a hopper afterwards.
Click to expand...
Me and my buddies are confused by the Diadem Premier XD. It's a clean looking ball, good felt and feels firm and crisp out of the can. Great durability. When you drop the ball it pops up and seems to take forever to lose its bounce--which you think would be a good thing. But at the same time fresh out of the can, they seem slow off the bounce, maybe because they bounce well they have too much air time??

Seems we can clock the ball and it will sail but once it bounces it speed seems to reduce faster than other balls.

We mixed some Diadem Premier XD with ProPenn Marathons and US Opens and it just seemed the Diadem comparitively felt more like practice ball meant to be slower.

I want to love this ball due to its durability and felt maintenance, plus crisp feel, but the performance seems off. I still have a can I used for in a dubs match a few weeks ago before going on vacation and taking them out of the can they only look slightly used.
 
My favorite balls are Wilson US Open which hold up well but seem bigger than most balls. The very close second is the ProPenn Marathon. Those two balls are the best for matches and just going out to smack balls back and forth. I’m not too picky and would have no problem using either can for 5 consecutive days for two hours a session on any surface. I think they’d be fine.

The WORST balls are the Dunlop ATP. I’d gladly toss these into the trash at the 1 hour mark of a single session but I’m frugal so I won’t. They fluff up worse than curly hair on a humid day!

I don’t care what anyone says….
Wilson Triniti (Pro) are pressureless balls. They’re the best of the pressureless balls! They’re better than Tretorn Micro X by a small to medium margin. Both cost roughly the same. That is, they’re expensive at $2+ per ball. I used to get two tone Gamma pressureless balls from the rain forest at around $1 per ball in a 60 pack. Those were just as good other than they’d lose their felt quicker. Still worth the savings for practice and ball machine use. None of these are appropriate for matches unless it’s just a casual play/hit. NEVER BUY THE BOX OF GAMMA PRESSURELESS!!!! They’re worse than the Dunlop ATP and might not be fit for dog play.
 
Agree on enjoying the Solinco ball. Everyone I've used them with has liked them. The caveat for me is that I was playing indoor at the time and I don't think the felt will hold up quite as well on our gritty outdoor courts.
 
the_faceless_player said:
Agree on enjoying the Solinco ball. Everyone I've used them with has liked them. The caveat for me is that I was playing indoor at the time and I don't think the felt will hold up quite as well on our gritty outdoor courts.
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I only have access to hard courts so speaking from personal experience, the felt holds up fine. By fine, I mean better than any other ball other than the TF X-One.
 
mad dog1 said:
I only have access to hard courts so speaking from personal experience, the felt holds up fine. By fine, I mean better than any other ball other than the TF X-One.
Click to expand...
Yeah that's about where I'd rate them. I think I would go X1 > Solinco >Yonex Tour out of what I had played most recently. I think the Solinco and Yonex are pretty close, but I like the feel of the Solinco more and they keep their color on dirty outdoor courts better than the Yonex.
 
I've used the Tretorn Micro-X balls in practice hoppers and ball machines lovingly for years, but have never tried their pressurized balls, they seem to be rare in the US. Still would like to try some.

I've used the TF court balls and am indifferent. I do like the Diadem Premier XDs though.
 
As promised.
Not sure if we've got better or the balls have got worse.
But here we are.
All competitive play under our national federation is moving from US Opens to X-ones this year.
So this is probably the last US Open ball of my competitive career.

 
Did Technifibre change the X-One in 2025? I've found them to be not only durable with a very consistent bounce, but also they did NOT fluff up. Why are they fluffing up now (or so I'm hearing)? Still made in Thailand? Maybe they made some changes to the felt?
 
I have a good friend that brings the US Open Balls to our matches. They are the best ones we can readily get. I have been bringing the Dunlop ATP XD balls. I did end up buying another case of the Costco Penn balls mainly for matches that I don't care about since they are ridiculously cheap. Our club has has the Diadem balls; they seem to be pretty good on durability and playability although they do seem a bit heavier / harder. Based on the original post I'd definitely like to try the Technifibre X-One balls.
 
202.472.18.4.jpg
 
The Slazenger Wimbledon Ultra-Vis balls are, hands down, the brightest balls I’ve ever played with. Even the 100-year anniversary (2002) white edition was ultra bright.

Closest in viability, to my eyes (I’m hypersensitive to orange & yellow), are the ATP and Grand Prix balls from Dunlop as well as the Marathon XD balls from ProPenn
 
jklos said:
Penn has a new ball coming out... the "Marathon+" and also Penn "Infinity". Will be trying them this week.
Click to expand...

Head has a new Phillipines factory and full control over raw material sourcing. This guy talks very frankly about balls from 1:00 to 9:00

He says from their end they have solved ball issues and have a couple of projects coming they cant talk about - Probably Marathon+ and Infinity


TTW user and quality player SupahMan5000 has been spot on in many of his comments on balls and equipment in the past and he said "The new Pro Penn Infinity balls are super good though. Lots of consistent bounce, more reminiscent of how balls used to be"
 
thenewbig3 said:
Head has a new Phillipines factory and full control over raw material sourcing. This guy talks very frankly about balls from 1:00 to 9:00

He says from their end they have solved ball issues and have a couple of projects coming they cant talk about - Probably Marathon+ and Infinity


TTW user and quality player SupahMan5000 has been spot on in many of his comments on balls and equipment in the past and he said "The new Pro Penn Infinity balls are super good though. Lots of consistent bounce, more reminiscent of how balls used to be"
Click to expand...
Of all the ball complaints since Covid, I felt Penn/Head didn't really change that much in regards to PennPro Marathon and Penn Tour. Maybe a few bad balls in a case but nothing major. Maybe Penn Tours seemed a little softer. Whereas Wilson and Dunlop seemed to have been effected in terms of quality.
 
cha cha said:
As promised.
Not sure if we've got better or the balls have got worse.
But here we are.
All competitive play under our national federation is moving from US Opens to X-ones this year.
So this is probably the last US Open ball of my competitive career.

Click to expand...

I choose US Open balls but my only complaint is every now and then a can fluffs up too quick. I've never seen them bald like that. How many sessions did you use them?
 
thenewbig3 said:
Head has a new Phillipines factory and full control over raw material sourcing. This guy talks very frankly about balls from 1:00 to 9:00

He says from their end they have solved ball issues and have a couple of projects coming they cant talk about - Probably Marathon+ and Infinity


TTW user and quality player SupahMan5000 has been spot on in many of his comments on balls and equipment in the past and he said "The new Pro Penn Infinity balls are super good though. Lots of consistent bounce, more reminiscent of how balls used to be"
Click to expand...
Listened to this guy blame COVID for the decline in quality of Penn balls and that it has been fixed. I call BULLSH!T. The decline happened around 2023/2024. WELL AFTER COVID.
 
stapletonj said:
Listened to this guy blame COVID for the decline in quality of Penn balls and that it has been fixed. I call BULLSH!T. The decline happened around 2023/2024. WELL AFTER COVID.
Click to expand...

I used to be a Penn Marathon guy but 1 out of every 3 cans was dead for awhile, so I moved on.
 
Robert F said:
Of all the ball complaints since Covid, I felt Penn/Head didn't really change that much in regards to PennPro Marathon and Penn Tour. Maybe a few bad balls in a case but nothing major. Maybe Penn Tours seemed a little softer. Whereas Wilson and Dunlop seemed to have been effected in terms of quality.
Click to expand...
Penn Tour quality dropped off a cliff a few years ago.. especially the seams. They pretty much play like Costco Penn balls with better felt.
 
Torps said:
Penn Tour quality dropped off a cliff a few years ago.. especially the seams. They pretty much play like Costco Penn balls with better felt.
Click to expand...
It's not that bad.
Felt definitely better.
Tour has a softer feel, but livelier bounce than Championships, not as lively as the PennMarathon's from the start--which feel a little stiffer out of the can.
Tour also doesn't feel dead right out of the can like Championships.

I've had more ProPenn Marathon's have seam issues--too much overlap or leftover tags on the seams that will make some odd bounces at first but usually wear away with time.
 
d-quik said:
Could you tell by squeezing the cans before opening them? Did they seem less hard beforehand or was it impossible to tell?
Click to expand...

I never really thought about squeezing the can, now I kind of feel like an idiot for not trying that before. They probably were not dead enough to really tell using that method though.
 
Is there any uniform way to judge a ball?
I try a drop test from arm length, and it identifies a really dead ball. But OK balls will bounch within an inch of each other and that doesn't take into account the felt and possibly how responsive the ball is?
 
New pro Penn marathone Plus balls. these guys are saying these balls are the new Best balls in the market,, might be even better than US open balls , plays similar but lasts longer:)

 
Played dubs last night. Court 1 we used Diadem Premier and court 2 Wilson US Opens (still older model). Oddly everyone like the Diadem's better. I moved down to court 2 and the US Opens were bald and less springing. The US Opens feel crisper. The Diadem's might sit a little more. My buddies I hit with in singles don't like the Diadem's--feel they are too slow/don't penetrate the court.

I like the way Diadem's feel off the racquet.
 
Have been hitting with a buddy for practice using the Diadem Premier Balls from Tuesday. So 2 hours of dubs in them and now 3 hours of practice play.
I'm trying to get my vibe on this ball still. After almost 5 hours of play, they are balding kind of like a US Open after 2 hours of play or a little worse. But they are still very firm and when doing a hand drop of the ball they still pop up pretty good. Definitely not bouncig as high when fresh out of the can but still moving well.

I wonder if they do something different with their ball contrcution since it almost has a different and sound.
 
I have experience with the US Open, Penns (not pro penns), abd Diadems.

Penn has fallen off the cliff. cost is lowest by far, but unusable even as busser balls after 2 sets.

Wilson US Opens are still the gold standard, but have gotten insanely expensive.

Diadems are now the best bang for your buck tennis ball wise. (Babolat Grand Prix come in second)
 
Starting to have a bromance with Wilson Championship balls. Not as lively as US Opens but are close and don't die like US Opens.
Used a set for two sessions and the ball only had a small drop in performance. Didn't fluff up. Still retained a high bounce, maybe didn't fly as much or penetrate as easily, but still felt solid when hit.
Great ball for the price. ProPenn Marathon probably a better overall performer, but if you factor in cost, the Wilson Championships are looking good.
 
Robert F said:
Starting to have a bromance with Wilson Championship balls. Not as lively as US Opens but are close and don't die like US Opens.
Used a set for two sessions and the ball only had a small drop in performance. Didn't fluff up. Still retained a high bounce, maybe didn't fly as much or penetrate as easily, but still felt solid when hit.
Great ball for the price. ProPenn Marathon probably a better overall performer, but if you factor in cost, the Wilson Championships are looking good.
Click to expand...

I have been using these recently. Bought 2 cases of 20 cans each from walmart for $106. One session old balls still play better than most all Penn balls. In addition to everything you mentioned they feel more comfortable as well. Ive even used them on super dry clay and they performed admirably.
 
thenewbig3 said:
I have been using these recently. Bought 2 cases of 20 cans each from walmart for $106. One session old balls still play better than most all Penn balls. In addition to everything you mentioned they feel more comfortable as well. Ive even used them on super dry clay and they performed admirably.
Click to expand...
Becoming my favorite ball. Such a good value and great performance. Sure not as crisp as US Open out of the can, but pefromance is just as good and doesn't bald or stiffen up.
 
After my last case of X-One balls I went with the Slazengers on tennis warehouse and am a bit dissapointed this time. They felt dead within 20 mins, and you could squish them pretty hard with your hands right out of the can. I even had a can that wasn't pressurized at all, no pop or anything when I opened it, just 4 pristine, flat tennis balls...

Probably won't buy again, for a 4 ball metal can I expected a lot better than this, I barely get one practice out of these things.
 
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