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There are only two kinds of people in this world: those who bring a can of balls with them when they play, and cheap #!#?!@#!@?s. In the latter group’s defense, while you can’t play if you don’t have balls (no jokes, please), it’s usually the last thing you remember on your way to the courts. Which is odd because nothing spoils a game like having a set of dead or bald tennis balls. (By the way, this is the most gratuitous, but funniest use of the word “balls”) It’s clearly equipment we take for granted. Especially since it really hasn’t significantly changed in price for years. I feel like you’ve always been able to get a can of tennis for around $2. How can that be? When you think about how other precious resources have increased in cost (gas, milk, beer), it’s amazing that tennis balls have basically flatlined.
But that doesn’t prevent manufacturers from trying to improve on a good thing. Penn is launching its new Pro Penn+ tennis ball in July. It features LongPlay felt, which according to the company, has 25% longer wear and 19% greater visibility when compared to the original Pro Penn. It also has a stain-resistant property that is suppose to keep the ball cleaner longer. Hard to argue with any of those benefits.
I’m not much a ball snob. If it’s round, yellow, and somewhat lively, I’m game. My only indulgence is, no matter long I played with them, I generally don’t use a can of balls more than once. It’s like putting toothpaste back in the tube. But there are players who are quite particular about the balls they use. Whether deserved or not, they perceive certain brands to have different playing characteristics than others. For instance, I know guys who think a popular company’s balls play “heavier” than its competitors. After a handful of games, especially on clay, the balls get weighed down and the match turns into a rock fight. Since the difference in weight between balls can be no more than a few grams, it’s difficult to believe that they can honestly judge one to feel heavier at contact than others. But they’re convinced that it’s true. For them, perception is (without a doubt) reality.
So I ask: Can you really tell the difference between kinds of tennis balls? Golfers are famously loyal to their favorite brand of balls, even though studies have shown very little separating them in terms of performance. True, there are more subtle nuances to a golf ball that can affect characteristics like trajectory and spin. The same can’t be said for tennis balls, but are there makes that favor a particular playing style?
I tend to strongly doubt it. I’ve never left a match wondering if the choice of balls played a role in the outcome. When I purchase a can, price and availability are usually the determining factors. For a while I preferred a particular brand just because their cans had an extra ball in it and I was playing a lot of doubles at the time. Four balls for four players – logic overruled any functionality concerns. It’s an option I wish more companies would offer. But of course even with the extra ball, the can should still only cost around $2.
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