Where to buy used tennis balls for ball machine practice?

[lidation]

I haven't played tennis for a year and just pick it back up. I haven't generated enough used tennis balls for my ball machine. So where do you get large quantity of used ones?

I checked **** but those are too expensive. People sell used balls for about $0.55 per ball. That is insane considering I am only paying $0.68/ball for my new Dunlops.

Any other ideas? Thanks!

 

[charliefedererer]

The trouble with pressurized balls is that they slowly but surely lose their pressure and go flat over time.

In a ball machine that means you'll have a mix of balls that shoot out various distances, and that don't bounce right. You'll never develop a consistant swing to hit the balls the correct way for depth and lateral placement.

In other words, you don't want to use used balls.

Everyone agrees the Tretorn X are the best for ball machines, as they give a true bounce for as long as you can use them. (Eventually the felt wears down.) They are softer than other pressureless balls because of their unique design with millions of balloon like microcells inside: http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Tre...less_Tennis_Balls_x72/descpage-TRETPRESS.html
Thus they are better to avoid arm injuries like tennis elbow.

The next best, in my opinion, and you will get a lot of debate on this, are the Penn pressureless balls: http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Pen...Tennis_Balls_x48/descpageHEAD-BUCKOBALLS.html

 

[jmverdugo]

Really?! people sell used balls? I have like 100 of those at my house and do not know what to do with it. Only problem is I do not live in the States.

 

[beernutz]

My advice is to listen to CharlieFederer, blow the dust off your wallet, and fork over the ~$153 for 96 Tretorn micro-x balls. If that's too much of an investment then spend the ~$100 it would take to get that many Penn pressureless balls. I haven't used those Penn balls but they have to be better than the Gamma pressureless balls I have used and don't recommend.

 

[MonkeyMuggs]

Thanks Charliefederer - I was wondering what the next best were. So the Penn Pressureless are an "acceptable", in your opinion, alternative to the Micro X!? How much is the savings over the Micro X?

 

[Ronaldo]

Really?! people sell used balls? I have like 100 of those at my house and do not know what to do with it. Only problem is I do not live in the States.

Take a knife and cut an X into each ball. Take a ball and stuff it onto the leg of every table and chair in the house. You can also tie them to overhead fans in the house. Do not forget to use them as dryer balls.

 

[charliefedererer]

Thanks Charliefederer - I was wondering what the next best were. So the Penn Pressureless are an "acceptable", in your opinion, alternative to the Micro X!? How much is the savings over the Micro X?

The Penn Pressurless are about a buck a ball and the Micro X about $1.60. But I think the wear and tear on my arm is worth it.

 

[lidation]

Thanks! I didn't know what those pressureless balls were for in the first place. I'll look into those.

 

[Davis937]

I know the balls will not be in a condition comparable to new balls ... but ... when coaches/players ask, I gladly hand over a bunch of my old/used balls ... most of the players I know (unless they coach or drill a lot), also "donate" their balls to coaches or players with ball machines ... don't be shy ... go ahead and ask the "regulars" at your court ... the balls will stil be "drillable" ... and ... they're FREE!

 

[Steve Huff]

I used to give all of my old tennis balls to 2 physical therapists that used them on walkers. Now, the health department discourages that because they say the felt picks up more bacteria then the rubber on the feet of the walker. I gave over 700 balls to some school in North Carolina a few years back. They had just refinished their school's floors, and used them for all the chairs and tables. They had a guy come up to Richmond to get them. If you live near Richmond, VA, I'd give you some. I don't know how much it would cost to send them, but probably too much.