Why Do Club Hacks Object to 4 Ball Cans?

I purchase four ball tennis cans whenever I can find them available. I've heard that in the rest of the world 4 ball sleeves are the norm. At TW's ball shopping page, they mention that using four balls makes the game play 25% faster. For league matches, that may get timed out, this seems like a big positive feature. Yet, when I open one up, many club/rec players freak-out. ONE extra ball seems to disrupt their delicate homeostasis. I will often find the fourth ball on the net post's drink holder tray, having been ostracized by someone.

I don't get it? Having more balls then less, seems like a no brainer. It makes the game go faster, balls stay 25% newer into the match. If you lose one, you still have three left, and don't have to go over the fence for it, or hunting for lost balls under screens, bags, benches or on neighboring courts. At Wimbledon they use 12 or more balls, and have ball people to fetch them and change them out every seven games.
 
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NTRPolice

Hall of Fame
I dont think i've ever seen anyone open a 4 ball can, but I cant see why anyone would object to it. The only reason I can see rejecting them is they're non-conforming balls, which are actually pretty hard to find.

I actually dont like 3 ball cans, because balls do go outside the fence on occasion, which then means you have to go shag the ball in the middle of a game or be forced to play with only two balls.

I wish it was the industry standard to have 4 ball cans.

It's actually irritating when "hacks" have more balls than they can control. Obvious new player buys like 3-4 cans of balls; opens them all at the same time, proceeds to spray balls into your court on every other swing they take.
 

OrangePower

Legend
I've played with 4 ball cans before and have no objection at all. But I think any more than 3 balls is just not necessary. I don't think having 4 balls makes for any faster play than with 3 balls.
 

r2473

G.O.A.T.
It's actually irritating when "hacks" have more balls than they can control. Obvious new player buys like 3-4 cans of balls; opens them all at the same time, proceeds to spray balls into your court on every other swing they take.
This is my problem with having too many balls on the court. With the wrong people it gets chaotic.
I purchase four ball cans of balls whenever I can find them. I've heard in the rest of the world they are the norm. Here at TW's ball shopping page they mention that using four balls makes the game go 25% faster.
The reason I don't like it is because it's one more ball to track down. I like a fast pace when I'm serving. Can't tell you how many times people slowly walk after the 3rd ball in the corner just to waste time / kill my rhythm when I'm standing ready to serve with the other 2 balls.
 

mikeler

Moderator
For certain facilities where a ball going over the fence equals it being out of service, the 4 ball can is a thing of beauty. It does create an awkward dynamic for those used to 3 balls but the more the merrier for moi.
 

MathGeek

Hall of Fame
Standard procedure for me is to open two cans of 3 balls and play with six to keep things moving and not spend so much time chasing balls.
 
...But I think any more than 3 balls is just not necessary. I don't think having 4 balls makes for any faster play than with 3 balls.

rs.php

Slazenger Wimbledon 4-Ball Can

With 4 balls in each can, you can spend less time picking up and more time hitting -- ideal when you're paying for court time or playing doubles.


  • 4 ball cans speed up play by 25%
 
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A

Attila_the_gorilla

Guest
Where I am, we use 2 balls per court. Every club I've ever played at uses 4-ball cans. But of course this is team tennis, and we have 2 courts played simultaneously. 1 can= 2 courts.
 
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Attila_the_gorilla

Guest
I think he issue is that Wilson balls seem to be the most popular in the US, and they tend to come in 3's. Most clubs in Melbourne use Slazengers (they are much better quality in my opinion), and they come in 4's. Even though the Aussie Open uses Wilson, most clubs prefer Slazenger, they last longer.
 
Where I am, we use 2 balls per court. Every club I've ever played at uses 4-ball cans. But of course this is team tennis, and we have 2 courts played simultaneously. 1 can= 2 courts.
Old time tennis facilities like GG Park in frisco would only let you use two balls, because the courts were so close to each other with no fences in between, it forced you to keep track of your balls, making you a better player, because you didn't want to be constantly interrupting play on the adjacent courts with your errant balls.
 
I think he issue is that Wilson balls seem to be the most popular in the US, and they tend to come in 3's. Most clubs in Melbourne use Slazengers (they are much better quality in my opinion), and they come in 4's. Even though the Aussie Open uses Wilson, most clubs prefer Slazenger, they last longer.
The Costco Penns are the most popular in my environs because they are so CHEAP--need to open two cans for a decent practice because they wear out so quick, and then you're not saving any money over buying the Slazengers, but you can only get the Slazengers by the case through the mail. Agree with you on the Slazengers, best ball for the buck. They're a bit heavier but last the longest, you can keep them in your practice bucket forever. And, you get that nice tin sleeve you can resell in an antique store for $5-10 empty to decorators. I'm trying to figure out how to reuse them--maybe make a coffee table out of them.
 
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NTRPolice

Hall of Fame
rs.php

Slazenger Wimbledon 4-Ball Can

With 4 balls in each can, you can spend less time picking up and more time hitting -- ideal when you're paying for court time or playing doubles.


  • 4 ball cans speed up play by 25%

I can think of a good argument for only 3 balls now.

More rest breaks. Doing "rally" drills with a hopper of balls ends up working mostly cardio. 25% less balls means more rest time! I get really tired doing a full intensity 10+ ball rally with 3 balls in a row. 4 might kill me. We used to do x-court rally drills with a hopper, and when there were less than 5 people you could see the strokes breaking down because people were getting tired. hahahaha. People would start failing the feed, or first ball in the rally they were so tired.

The Costco Penns are the most popular in my environs because they are so CHEAP--need to open to cans for a decent practice because they wear out so quick, and then you're not saving any money over buying the Slazengers, but you can only get the Slazengers by the case through the mail. Agree with you on the Slazengers, best ball for the buck. They're a bit heavier but last the longest, you can keep them in your practice bucket forever. And, you get that nice tin sleeve you can resell in an antique store for $5-10 empty to decorators. I'm trying to figure out how to reuse them--maybe make a coffee table out of them.

I use the Costco Penn balls. Cheap and convenient. You'll always have 5 cans for league, ect. What happened to those Babolat balls people complained about? I actually liked those.
 
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
personally i don't like 4 ball cans because the quality of them tends to be crap, otherwise i'd buy them all the time.

if i fence a ball that is unretrievable, i won't hesitate to just open a new can.

couple of buddies of mine, will insist on opening 2 cans for the doubles warmup, which i find funny because he's pretty consistent, solid 4.5... but to him time is money, so even a few min wasted chasing balls is time wasted on the court

I use the Costco Penn balls. Cheap and convenient.

lol, these come out dead from the first bounce :p every time i buy some (desperation), i think, "these cans need to come with an expiration date" or "only for dog runs" label :p
 
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
I think he issue is that Wilson balls seem to be the most popular in the US, and they tend to come in 3's. Most clubs in Melbourne use Slazengers (they are much better quality in my opinion), and they come in 4's. Even though the Aussie Open uses Wilson, most clubs prefer Slazenger, they last longer.
The Costco Penns are the most popular in my environs because they are so CHEAP--need to open two cans for a decent practice because they wear out so quick, and then you're not saving any money over buying the Slazengers, but you can only get the Slazengers by the case through the mail. Agree with you on the Slazengers, best ball for the buck. They're a bit heavier but last the longest, you can keep them in your practice bucket forever. And, you get that nice tin sleeve you can resell in an antique store for $5-10 empty to decorators. I'm trying to figure out how to reuse them--maybe make a coffee table out of them.
how do the 4 ball slaz play compared to:
* wilson us open
* penn atp
* dunlop grand prix

interesting that folks like them better than aus open balls (which seem like us open?) - i never played with aus open balls.
 
personally i don't like 4 ball cans because the quality of them tends to be crap, otherwise i'd buy them all the time.

Why would having 4 balls rather then 3 from the same manufacturer be "crap'"? They are the same identical balls, only 4 instead of 3 to a sleeve. TW has about 4 or 5 different brands of 4 ball cans in their ball shopping dept. There's a new Fed ball out that I'm gonna' try out. TW also has clay ct balls in 4's. I saw an ad on TC for a new Soderling 4 ball sleeve too.
 
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
Why would having 4 balls rather then 3 from the same manufacturer be "crap'"? They are the same identical balls, only 4 instead of 3 to a sleeve. TW has about 4 or 5 different brands of 4 ball cans in their ball shopping dept. There's a new Fed ball out that I'm gonna' try out. TW also has clay ct balls in 4's. I saw an ad on TC for a new Soderling 4 ball sleeve too.
let me clarify,... the 4 ball cans i've gotten in past were crappy low models of a certain kind of ball...
like i've never see these balls come in a 4 ball can:
* wilson us open
* penn atp
* dunlop grand prix
Otherwise, i'd buy the 4 ball can (of these quality) all the time.
 
let me clarify,... the 4 ball cans i've gotten in past were crappy low models of a certain kind of ball...
like i've never see these balls come in a 4 ball can:
* wilson us open
* penn atp
* dunlop grand prix
Otherwise, i'd buy the 4 ball can (of these quality) all the time.
I've seen the standard "Costco" Penns in 4 ball sleeves also but not here.
Wilson Tennis Ball Cases
Slazenger Wimbledon Balls
 
A

Attila_the_gorilla

Guest
how do the 4 ball slaz play compared to:
* wilson us open
* penn atp
* dunlop grand prix

interesting that folks like them better than aus open balls (which seem like us open?) - i never played with aus open balls.

One of my clubs uses the Dunlop Grand Prix, I hate them cos they're heavy and don't last.
I don't recall using the Penn ATP.
The Wilson US Open, don't remember using those either, but the Aussie Open ones are pretty similar to the Slazengers, light and quick, for a few games. Then they go flat.
The Slazengers go fluffier than the Wilsons, but they hold the pressure much better.
 
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Deleted member 23235

Guest
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
One of my clubs uses the Dunlop Grand Prix, I hate them cos they're heavy and don't last.
I don't recall using the Penn ATP.
The Wilson US Open, don't remember using those either, but the Aussie Open ones are pretty similar to the Slazengers, light and quick, for a few games. Then they go flat.
The Slazengers go fluffier than the Wilsons, but they hold the pressure much better.
might have to give the slaz's a go
 
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
to answer your original question, i always thought hacks objected to 4 balls, because they are more expensive :p
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
I have a problem with 4 ball cans because I have a 3 ball Ball Saver, so one ball always gets left out. Now if they made a 4 ball Ball Saver pressurizer I would be all in. I like having 4 balls especially when playing doubles.
 

user92626

G.O.A.T.
4 balls may be good for a place where there aren't a lot of people or games going in the adjacent courts. It's already hard to constantly track the third ball, ie making sure it's still in your possession, in your court corners.

Another thing is..having more balls is not necessarily good in that the extra ball might never get used. With 3 balls both parties are required to make sure the server has at least two balls. This constant attention actually makes life easier than sometimes you do, sometimes you don't.
 

OrangePower

Legend
I use the Costco Penn balls. Cheap and convenient. You'll always have 5 cans for league, ect. What happened to those Babolat balls people complained about? I actually liked those.
Same here. They only last 2 hours max, but that's fine, since I open a new can every time I play.
I'd rather have new balls every time than balls that last twice as long but cost twice as much.
Also, I know the Costco balls haven't been sitting on the shelf long (nothing sold at Costco sits on the shelf long).
 

Dags

Hall of Fame
Same here. They only last 2 hours max, but that's fine, since I open a new can every time I play.
I'd rather have new balls every time than balls that last twice as long but cost twice as much.
I'm pretty sure this is the reasoning - it's a local market thing.

In Europe, we pay a pretty high price for balls. If I buy in bulk in the UK - bulk meaning a minimum of 18 four-ball cans (6 dozen balls) - and choose quality balls, then my goal is to get it under £1 per ball. That's not always possible with some brands. So the general consensus over here is that we expect our balls to last longer, and the fourth ball makes quite a difference to that.

Three-ball cans are available online, but you never see anyone buying them. As a note, Wilson US Open are readily available as a four-ball can over here.

Oh, and the Slazenger - the ones they sell to the public are pretty awful now. The actual balls they use for Wimbledon are bloody lovely to play with, but you can't buy them. Hate to think how much they'd cost if you could... but the British public probably wouldn't go for it anyway, as they only come in cans of three...
 

spaceman_spiff

Hall of Fame
4 balls may be good for a place where there aren't a lot of people or games going in the adjacent courts. It's already hard to constantly track the third ball, ie making sure it's still in your possession, in your court corners.

Another thing is..having more balls is not necessarily good in that the extra ball might never get used. With 3 balls both parties are required to make sure the server has at least two balls. This constant attention actually makes life easier than sometimes you do, sometimes you don't.

I grew up playing in the US and have lived in the UK for the last 11 years, so I've got plenty of experience using 3- and 4-ball cans. It's really not much more difficult keeping track of 4 compared to 3, and it's not any more difficult to ask "you got 2?" to make sure the server is ok.

The main benefit of a 4-ball can for me is the doubles warmup. It's much easier when both sides of the court have 2 to hit with.
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
Same here. They only last 2 hours max, but that's fine, since I open a new can every time I play.
I'd rather have new balls every time than balls that last twice as long but cost twice as much.
Also, I know the Costco balls haven't been sitting on the shelf long (nothing sold at Costco sits on the shelf long).

My problem with these balls is how they fuzz up so much and very quickly. They are virtually unusable on clay surfaces. I also hate the fact that it's so environmentally unfriendly. I can only keep so many balls in my serve hopper. With these cheap Penn's I'm constantly tossing balls in the trash.

I'd rather get better balls, use a ball saver and play several matches with them before turning them into shag balls for the dog.
 

Dags

Hall of Fame
That would be awesome if it could be easily attached and removed. taking 6 wingnuts off every time you want to take the balls out would be tiresome indeed. I'll stick with my Ball Saver for now.
He's updated the design - you just need to loosen the wing nuts and the top can then be twisted and removed. I think it's a very good product... that he hasn't reflected the new design on the website is indicative of the customer service. Everything arrived for me, but he's very slow to respond to emails and process orders.

The other one I tried was Pressureball, which is a plastic tube and can hold up to 8 (possibly 9) balls. I prefer the Zombie Tube: the seal on the Pressureball is more likely to fail over time, and it can't hold as much pressure.

I think one of the most important factors with these products is giving the balls time to regain pressure. If you were playing several times a week, I'd argue that you'd get much better mileage from the balls by purchasing multiple pressurisers, using a different set of balls each day, and rotating them so that each set could sit for a week between hits. Of course, if you play on an abrasive surface that strips the ball of its felt, then re-pressurising is something of a waste of time.
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
He's updated the design - you just need to loosen the wing nuts and the top can then be twisted and removed. I think it's a very good product... that he hasn't reflected the new design on the website is indicative of the customer service. Everything arrived for me, but he's very slow to respond to emails and process orders.

The other one I tried was Pressureball, which is a plastic tube and can hold up to 8 (possibly 9) balls. I prefer the Zombie Tube: the seal on the Pressureball is more likely to fail over time, and it can't hold as much pressure.

I think one of the most important factors with these products is giving the balls time to regain pressure. If you were playing several times a week, I'd argue that you'd get much better mileage from the balls by purchasing multiple pressurisers, using a different set of balls each day, and rotating them so that each set could sit for a week between hits. Of course, if you play on an abrasive surface that strips the ball of its felt, then re-pressurising is something of a waste of time.

Good to know about the Zombie tube.

I have 4 ball savers on the go so no ball tends to get used more than twice a week. That seems to keep things well pressurized. The bounces stay equivalent to fresh balls that way and I just toss em when the felt wears down. Which takes awhile on clay and slick hardcourts.
 

OrangePower

Legend
My problem with these balls is how they fuzz up so much and very quickly. They are virtually unusable on clay surfaces. I also hate the fact that it's so environmentally unfriendly. I can only keep so many balls in my serve hopper. With these cheap Penn's I'm constantly tossing balls in the trash.

I'd rather get better balls, use a ball saver and play several matches with them before turning them into shag balls for the dog.
Makes sense; I play exclusively on hard courts so no experience with usability on clay. On hard courts, nothing lasts very long at least for me.
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
Makes sense; I play exclusively on hard courts so no experience with usability on clay. On hard courts, nothing lasts very long at least for me.

Yeah when I play in Palm Desert, I find the felt just wears away off those Costco Penn's. Those courts have a very abrasive surface (love the topspin I can get). It's different at my club where the hard courts are slick.
 

Angle Queen

Professional
OK, guys. Oh ye with the pants pockets (usually deep enough to hold '2' tennis balls).

Our gals clothing rarely has pockets of any kind or those stupid downward dog 'pockets' that don't hold c-rap. It's hard enough sometimes to have a place to put one spare whether you're the server or their dubs partner or their opponent (in singles). A fourth ball is a loose one.

Although I suppose I could get used to the ball holding protocol with four...for now, just three for me, please.
 

Dags

Hall of Fame
OK, guys. Oh ye with the pants pockets (usually deep enough to hold '2' tennis balls).

Our gals clothing rarely has pockets of any kind or those stupid downward dog 'pockets' that don't hold c-rap. It's hard enough sometimes to have a place to put one spare whether you're the server or their dubs partner or their opponent (in singles). A fourth ball is a loose one.

Although I suppose I could get used to the ball holding protocol with four...for now, just three for me, please.
Nothing to stop the ladies from wearing baggy shorts. Apart from style...

I've been playing for about 30 years now, and 4 balls is the norm. We don't hold them all. At the start of a service game, it's common for all four balls to be sent down the server's end. If it's singles, the server takes two, and leaves the other two by the fence. Doubles and the server's partner usually holds an extra ball.

When a point is over, if the ball is out of harm's way (tight into the net, in the corner by the fence, etc), it will be left there and the server will retrieve one of the spares from the back of the court. If it ended up on the receiver's side and needs to be cleared, they may hold onto it, or they may send it back - really depends on the individual. Rule of thumb I've seen is that they're more likely to hold it in doubles.

Mostly, it's just about what you're used to. We do have ladies playing over here in Europe too, and I haven't seen any resort to the baggy shorts yet.
 
...the server takes two, and leaves the other two by the fence.

Yes! Just leave the extra balls behind you at the fence. Even if you're only playing with three balls, you shouldn't keep all three on you, if you hold two in a pocket it will more likely pop out necessitating a hinder call. Inspect the three or four balls for the one you want to serve with depending on the state of the nap and discard the one or two extras safely behind you to the fence, leaving one in your hand and one in your pocket, panty, tights, clip on ball-holder or cleavage.
 

OrangePower

Legend
Yes! Just leave the extra balls behind you at the fence. Even if you're only playing with three balls, you shouldn't keep all three on you, if you hold two in a pocket it will more likely pop out necessitating a hinder call. Inspect the three or four balls for the one you want to serve with depending on the state of the nap and discard the one or two extras safely behind you to the fence, leaving one in your hand and one in your pocket, panty, tights, clip on ball-holder or cleavage.
No, no, no.
This is why the almighty in his infinite wisdom created us as bilateral animals - so that we can have both a left pocket and a right pocket.
Clearly he meant for us to play with three-ball cans, so that the server can have one in hand, one in the left pocket, and one in the right pocket.
Four-ball cans violate the laws of nature since as you point out, they require two balls to be stuffed into one pocket (unsafe), or a ball to be discarded elsewhere (uncivilized).
Of course we are talking singles here; there are other options available for dubs, but dubs is a blasphemy unto itself and so deserves no further consideration.
 

OrangePower

Legend
Nope - ball in right pocket doesn't work since I am holding my racket in my right hand.
One ball in hand. One ball in left pocket for 2nd serve. Third ball in right pocket in case of a second serve following a let. It's tough to have to momentarily hold racket in left hand to retrieve ball from right pocket, but these are the sacrifices we make.
 

Mr.Lob

G.O.A.T.
4 ball cans could create a hindrance in play to those with o.c.d issues. We have one guy in our league who'll stop play over any stray ball, whether its in the way or not. There will be a ball five inches from back curtain, he'll yell "WAIT!" We do play under time constraints...let it go dude. :rolleyes:
 
Why are there no 2 ball cans? You only need 2 balls for continuous serving of first and second serves.

Here's a flavorless variety of the two ball can used in Japan :

  • 61kTVshOZoL._SY679_.jpg
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DUNLOP(ダンロップ) ダンロップ・フォート

DUNLOP(ダンロップ)
16件のカスタマーレビュー


価格: ¥ 513 通常配送無料



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