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| All About Tennis Balls | | Print | |
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Tennis balls are one of the greatest aspects of tennis. In a way, it's even the focus of the game, because, as the saying goes "keep the tennis ball in play, and never let it out of your sight." So let's discuss tennis balls.
Tennis balls have a uniform outer surface, no matter what the brand or who makes it, and if there are any seams, they are stitch-less. The color of the ball is usually either white or yellow, and the size is more than two and a half inches and less than two and five-eighths inches in diameter. Its weight can be in excess of two ounces and less than two and one-sixteenth ounces. They have a bounce of more than 53 inches and less than 58 inches when dropped 100 inches upon a concrete base, and shall have forward bend of more than .220 of an inch and less than .290 of an inch and return bend of more than .315 of an inch and less than .425 of an inch at 18 lb load. Tennis Ball ConstructionAlmost all tennis balls are constructed from inflated rubber covered with fabric and are hollow. The fabric which is called the "nap" or "felt" is the component that changes the most, mainly basing on what type of surface court the ball is intended for. Tennis balls that are intended for grass courts have different felt than those meant for play on asphalt or clay. Playing with the incorrect ball may have performance variations on the surface courts that they are not intended for, like using grass court balls on hard-court surfaces which will weigh them down and cause the felt to peel more quickly. Tennis balls cans are almost always labeled so make sure you get the appropriate type for where you play and activity level: * Heavy duty or Extra Duty * Regular duty * Balls that are for indoor and clay courts * High-Altitude if you play 4,000 feet or more above sea level * Occasional tennis players * For outdoor hard courts or grass courts. Titanium BallsThese tennis balls are recently developed and are made with specially formulated rubber that is blended with powdered titanium. The metal strengthens the bonds in the core and boosts the playable life of the ball. Like any other regular tennis ball, titanium balls will lose their strength over time but they will take longer to wear out.Air Filled Tennis BallsAs with the fabric "felt," the air inside the ball may also be controlled. Some manufacturers prefer to use nitrogen instead of regular air because these types of balls usually lose their pressure slower than other balls. But the longest-lasting tennis balls are the pressure less balls which contain solid, rubber cores. Because these tennis balls have no air inside them to escape, they are ideal for those who play occasionally, as they do not lose their liveliness over time.High Altitude BallsThese tennis balls are for use above 4,000 feet in altitude above sea level. Two additional types of ball may be played, the pressurized ball and the non-pressurized ball.Numbered Tennis BallsNumbers on tennis balls can be found right below the logo, which is to avoid a mix-up of someone's ball when you are playing on adjacent courts and they're using the same brand or type of ball as yours. The numbers make it easier to keep track of your tennis balls; you can tell which court to throw the extra ball to the same way they can return your ball to you easily. The colors are typically black numbers on hard court balls and red numbers on clay court balls. |
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