Tennis gear in general is cheaper in US compared to Europe. Might be due to the size of the market and popularity of tennis. Even Europe-based companies are cheapear with their balls in US than Europe, eg. Babolat Gold 3-ball can is less than or around 5$ whereas it costs 6.50€ in EU. This could also be due to higher production costs and higher tax schemes in EU🙄
Balls are made in Thailand and Philippine. The shipping charge and insurance play a role. Besides, there are less population In europe. Besides, you may need high attitude balls instead of regular.
Years ago cans were $2 in America while Europe was $6. It was said that companies in America made less profit. Sometimes even at a loss. Now of course, the prices have skyrocketed here and are closer to Euro prices. But still cheaper. Another factor may be taxes in some Euro countries.
I've been using the Penn Extra Duty balls in my teaching basket for many years. For me, they are the most cost effective with a favorable combination of cost, playability and durability. I'm also happy to play matches with them (then toss them into the basket). Some of my playing partners believe the Dunlop ATP ball to be superior, but in my experience they fluff up way too fast and become very slow within an hour. Nice vid, Nic. This is the sort of content we don't find from other YT tennis coaches.
so why do all these GS tournaments play sub-par balls? Tried the official french open ball on clay some years ago and it was actually quite bad. Durability was really bad and it was very average to begin with. Have a Dunlop ball and you could wait to exchange balls a little longer in pro player matches
Thing with the Penn Championship XD is quality control is all over the place. You may get rocks and/or death balls from the same 6 can pack. The USO fluffs up but after a while loses all the fluff and ends up bolder than me 😅 That's a huge variety at WM. Last time I visited the USA got me different cans, but didn't make sure about checking the pressure (amateur error). 2 of them were dead.
I always play with the US Open, they do get fluffy but like some other comment said, it will become very bald after a while, and then the feel and playability is superb, also the speed actually increases. At this stage there's definitely no problem playing a few matches with it, as the durability is also insane. Only problem I found is new balls can be quite stiff in cold weather.
Dunlop ATP is my top pick. Speed is just nice, fuzz is just nice, durability is good , bounce is good, price is very decent. The Dunlop AO comes second becos it fuzzes more and is not as durable. Price wise also very decent for what you get. Wilson US open plays well when new but loses fuzz way too quickly just as Slazenger so it feels too bouncy and too hard after a while.
Thank you for a great review. It’s crazy how much the price of tennis balls has increased since the pandemic. You used to be able to buy the Penn extra duty for $1.88 to $1.99 and the Wilson US Open ball for about $3.45 at Walmart.
Meh ... i find they they feel weird. They don't bounce nice and fell a bit heavy. US Open feels nice, but they do fluff up and actually turn almost green after a set and a half. For clay court, Dunlops are really good IMO. Not Championship ... the higher level ones.
All the old guys that I play with love them. Extra duty for hard courts, and regular for the artificial turf. I still prefer Dunlop, but if someone else is opening a can of balls, I don't get picky.
i have tried all of these balls, except the athletic and penn coach, and i think diadem premium balls are the best by far. they bounce great out of the can, keep their bounce/pressure, and don't fuzz up as bad as the us open balls. the only complaint i have heard is from players who are used to the penn balls think the diadem balls are too heavy - but i think it's b/c the penn balls lose their pressure quicker so they aren't used to hitting with a ball over many hours that maintains the same pressure.
Played with Wilson us open for a long time, I find they play best in hot weather, but my recent favourite is the Dunlop ATP ball. Feels great on the strings, gives you that extra confidence to go for it when opportunity presents itself, one downside is it does not last longer than 2 hours of solid hitting. I’ll take the feel though.
I disagree. In colder weather like the northeast and playing indoors, Penn balls feel dead. Even though Wilson balls fluff up, they maintain their bounce and last more than 3 sets.
Seconded with extra duty Penn. Played with my girlfriend in 48F & sunny weather recently. Balls went dead so fast. She just opened the can that very day.
@@patrikmarflak6559 I really like the feel and the bounce on the Trinity, but once hitting against the wall on (dry and a little dirty) tarmac which is not ideal, the felt got shredded and the white threading underneath got exposed. Maybe it wasn't their fault tho, maybe it was a tough test. The cheapest pressureless balls from decathlon became rubber balls in under half an hour on the very same day, for instance.
Another for Wilson Extra Duty. Penn I would get 1 half dead ball in a can often. The Dunlop extra duty while being heavier were my preferred ball for hardcourt
I’ve played with Wilson usopen during college years it was brutal, good thing we had new balls for our third set!! Nowadays I play with head tour, I don’t play as much so it is ok for me and they feel great on clay
In the early 2000s you could buy Penn championship balls here in London, but I haven't seen any in the shops for a long time. I remember going to Paris Bercy tournament in 2003 and buying balls the players used at a lesser price. They would put a red x on the balls to indicate they were used. Not sure if tournaments still do that, maybe some do. I also used Wilson US Open balls but disliked them intensely because they fluffed up too quickly. So I don't buy Wilson at all. The tennis balls I settled on since around 2006 are Dunlop Fort All Court. They are slightly heavier and take a lot of topspin, great for serving, work on hardcourts as they don't mind a bit of a pounding, and work on clay as well. Recently I have been playing with Babolat Team which are quite nice, especially on clay. I play mainly on hardcourts and clay courts at the Westway Centre in West London. I would love to play on grass but difficult to find grass courts in London, haven't played on any grass since the 2000s when I played fairly regularly on it. Although if the grass is not well maintained then playing on grass is a bit of a waste of time.
Helpful video, Nick! One thing I have noticed in my league play, is that some players go the Amazon route and buy a case of brand name balls, from the cheapest vendor of course. But often those balls are very old and can be flat right out of the can, so let the buyer beware!
I actually don't care how the ball plays out of the can. I care about how long the ball will bounce out of the basket that I use to teach my son. Recently I discovered that the Dunlop balls are the best at both. They do seem to fade pretty quickly, but not terrible. Then they bounce well enough for a few weeks to hit out of a basket.
Try the mid-range Technifibres. I prefer Dunlop AO for match play, but I've been surprised how well Technifibre keep their bounce & fuzz for the price.
In Wales, UK I use Head Tour in the summer and Head Team balls in the winter. Have also used Vermont balls which I like but other club members find hard on the shoulder.
Wallmart is expensive you're better off on Ebay or Amazon sales and getting bulk buy of ATP Tour Dunlop Championship all court ball in the plastic container. Their pressure lasts longer and they not heavy like Wilson Open Ball or most Head Balls.
Hehe, I have always liked Dunlop extra duty balls since they're very durable, but some friends of mine really dislike it because they feel it's too hard and can hurt their arm if they play with it too much. So I've always stuck with Penn extra duty or Wilson extra duty. I've recently tried Wilson Triniti pressureless balls and I actually really like them. They don't feel quite as good as Penn or Wilson extra duty, but they definitely don't feel bad. And they last forever! For affordability, try them. You're more likely to lose them than have them actually go bad on you.
Triniti balls are excellent. Great quality/price ratio. They are a little hard as you mention but I also prefer them that way, the only detail that people complain about is the sound they make as if they were dead. I have had a basket of balls for 1 year and they still play well.
Great and very well presented test. In line with my personal observations. Perhaps would consider a part 2 with a few other brands like Dunlop, Babolat and Head to get a broader picture.
I play with Wilson trinity and all my friends hate my balls and refuse to play with them now hehe. Personally I love the trinity, it plays great on the wall and lasts longer (way longer) than most balls. They bounce a bit higher so I guess that's a preference thing. The other ball I really like is the dunlop ATP, and to no surprise, they are also balls that have a reputation of bouncing high. Strangely enough, I find that playing with the cheaper quality balls is more risky for tennis elbow as they deflate faster and have irregular bounces which I believe contributes to timing errors provoking injuries.
Your friends are absolutely right. They care about their health and don’t want injuries from a pressurless ball (which Trinity is despite all marketing bs).
Triniti balls are excellent. Great quality/price ratio. They are a little hard but I prefer them that way, the only detail that people complain about is the sound they make as if they were dead. I have had a basket of balls for 1 year and they still play well. I recommend them.
You should have hit all three balls in a can. Extra duty Championship Penn now has huge quality control issue. The three balls often are not pressurized to the same level and would cause inconsistencies in a match. They are also far less durable and would change the bounce height and spin after an hour of hitting. The issue you observed on Wilson US Open balls is because you are hitting on a concrete surface and against a wall, which fluff them faster.
Not only Penn Championship (which is pure crap) but also previously good Pro Penn Marathon - at least one ball out of 2 cans will be bad. I found Penn Tour be the most consistent but may be it’s just from the old batch (I ordered 24 cans box from TW)
The Wilson US Open extra duty ball actually gets faster and skinnier after 2 hours of strong hitting. It keeps pressure the best (tho I have seen exceptions with depressurized cans)
Diadem's Premier Extra Duty hard court balls last me at least 3-5hrs of match play before I retire them for serving baskets. Most durable ball I've ever played with. If I'm just at a hitting session or playing just for fun, I'll use the costco balls (Penn Championship)
Unlike in the 80s, we don't have Penn balls here in Croatia anymore so I can't try it but my top 3 tennis balls for clay courts are... 1. by quite a margine.. Wilson Roland Garros Clay 2. Tecnifibre X-One 3. Tretorn (I think it was tour or something like that - from clubs basket) - great for practice
I also like the X-one. Don't like the Wilson that much, it bounces a lot more than normal, feels artificial, like it moves faster than it was actually hit. Try Head Pro coach, or Ball Unlimited Black code for cheap practice balls.
@@thefridgeman I've never heard of Ball Unlimited till today. If I get the chance, I'll try it. 👍 I'm not too fond of Head balls. I tried several and was never impressed.
I use Penn Extra Duty on the wall all the time. They have decent durability but I found that they are the best value for my play level. You can find a box of 60 for $45 at costco.
0:46 The cans with no pressure have had their rings pulled; they’re not bad cans. This has started happening because of those plastic saving caps that leave the rings-pulls exposed. Supposedly kids walk past and cannot resist the mischievous temptation. 🤷♂️ The stores should place the balls on a higher shelf.
I'm at the point where I almost will refuse to play with these Penn extra duty balls. No control whatsoever, almost all shots are long. Everybody up here in Canada buys them from Costco for price. I have heard that the Costco Penns are different (even lower quality) from Penns sold at other outlets. Not sure if that is true, but what is true is that these balls are terrible. When I pull out a can of Dunlop AO or ATP, everybody's game improves and the game is more fun.
Penn extra duty is a good ball. The felt wears well. I like the Dunlop extra duty for the price which is usually cheaper. The Dunlop’s felt wears faster but they hold their bounce longer which I prefer. My 2 cents.
I feel like the Wilson Championship XD should have been rated higher. The Penn Championship XD seems to be the de facto in matches that i see. While it is a great ball for the price, i think it is mostly interchangeable with the Wilson. I think the Wilson may even be a little softer (negligibly) on the arm.
Triniti balls are excellent. Great quality/price ratio. They are a little hard but I prefer them that way, the only detail that people complain about is the sound they make as if they were dead. I have had a basket of balls for 1 year and they still play well. I recommend them.
Dunlop is the best in playability and feel. For me, Wilson is nowhere near to Dunlop balls. Dunlop AO are affordable and good. DUNLOP ATP official ball is the queen of balls. Try them out, you won't regret it😊
I know that Dunlop balls are used in many pro tournaments but for recreational players they are not the best IMO, they do not hold pressure as long as the Penn. I recommend you try Teloon Pound balls, they are used in the Singapore ATP 250 and I really enjoy playing with them (I am a 5.0 player)
Lol. Love the subliminal advertising for Dunlop... But I agree. Usually just order the Dunlop balls from Dick's and do the pick-up in the parking lot on the way to the courts. Super convenient and don't need to deal with the Walmart crowd.
Does anyone out there use the yellow canister (I forget the brand name) to repressurize used balls? I remember seeing them a lot about 30 years ago. If the fluff level is good but the pressure goes down quickly on certain balls, maybe that canister would be good?
I strongly believe that the best tennis ball for recreational players is the Wilson Triniti Pro .... recreational players keep hitting with a soft/flat ball for a long period of time and end up frustrated. The pressureless tenis ball technology is a huge improvement to recreational tennis players.
Just bought 24 can box of Wilson US Open Regular Duty from Holabird Sports for $110 including free shipping. That’s about $4.5 per can. And these are the best balls in terms of responsiveness and durability. They keep bouncing for months even after use in ball machine.
I have been playing with US open heavy duty balls for more than 15 years .I try a few times Us open regular duty but did not like them so much.. To soft and after 20 min they become very slow .However regular duty are perfect for doubles game
I tried the Dunlop AO or Dunlop Tour(cant remember)and found they lasted a long time.They did fluff up and consequently became a slower ball. But I found all 3 consistent and lasted for a few hits. Are these the balls that the ATP players are complaining about? I thought they were good but Im looking for multi day use and hard hitting...
The ball manufacturers have changed the balls in recent years most likely to extend rallies much to the players chagrin. The US Open ball used to be much different 20 years ago and was the standard by which all other balls were judged. Now that ball fluffs up almost immediately making it slower to play with.
Penn Championship balls are no good. Too much variability from can to can. Sometimes come out like rocks. Even if you start with a good bounce, are dead after a set. If I was at Walmart I'd grab the US Opens first than the Championship Wilsons. For this level of ball--Dunlop ATP is the best. Good value and bounces consistently with durablity almost as good as higher class balls. In fairness, Penn makes a good higher class ball--Penn Pro Marathon's. Lively and maintain a good bounce for a long time. Well worth the price.
Thanks for the vid Coach Nik, it matches my experience with the balls from local Walmart, those cheap balls are horrible. In my area I have been getting Dunlop AO extra duty from a sporting store for $3.50 (a very good deal these days) and I feel they are better than Penn extra duty. Have you tried those?
I don't think 5 minutes is enough time. The Penn Extra duty only lasts one session, they don't have enough rebound if you want to use them another day. The Wilson US Open lasts much longer. I can play with them for many sessions within 2 weeks. I also like the AO Dunlop, but it gets a bit too fluffy.
Worst balls I ever hit with were Wilson All Court 4-pack. Seemed like there was no fuzz. Hard as a rock, but super light weight like a ping pong ball. As soon as it touched the strings, it flew off. No way to control it. No dwell... Ugh, not sure why the guy that brought them loved them so much.
Nick for me the sound of the ball on the initial impact on the wall can differentiate a good ball and a bad ball based on the video. This works for me but i dont know if its true...
Hi Nikola, Thank you for a very nice review. I was told that the Penn ball with the yellow cap (I believe you call them Regular Duty) are good for clay courts; and the Penn with the black cap (Extra Duty) are good for hard surface courts. So, I was buying both, depending on which type of court I would play. Do I understand the the Extra Duty Penn balls can be used on either clay or hard surface?
Penn balls are too permeable. While they are the most lively when playing, they lose pressure insanely fast. I usually put my past balls in the ball machine bucket and even scavenge from the leftovers at nearby courts, but always have to discard Penn shortly. They just lose way too much pressure. I've been experimenting with the pressurized canister, it's great but I can't do that with the bucket balls for practical reasons (fitting 100 ball into 33 cannisters of 3 balls every session!) I compare playing with Penn to playing with natural gut: if you can restring three times as often for twice the price each, then you might as well play with Penn and toss your balls away every half hour!
how about the Wilson pressureless balls, i open a pack of that and it feels fast and heavy and after months it still handles the same BUT in a match they are like horrible :/ would you recommend those for practice?
Triniti balls are excellent. Great quality/price ratio. They are a little hard but I prefer them that way, the only detail that people complain about is the sound they make as if they were dead. I have had a basket of balls for 1 year and they still play well. I recommend them.
Disagree. The Penn Ball was used at Nationals Hard Court, and it went dead in cool conditions. The next day, under warm conditions, 63 degrees, it flew off the racquet. It's just not a consistent ball. I prefer the Wilson USO ball. By far, the best ball.
Remember that not only are the pros changing balls every few games (first 7, then every 9), they're also getting SIX new balls at that time. Not to mention that some tournaments (USO, Cinci) allow fans to keep balls hit into the crowd and replace them at that time. Durability is definitely not the name of the game for balls to be used in professional tournaments.
Why are tennis balls in Europe more expensive compared the USA. Better Quality? Someone with inside knowledge reply below.
Tennis gear in general is cheaper in US compared to Europe. Might be due to the size of the market and popularity of tennis. Even Europe-based companies are cheapear with their balls in US than Europe, eg. Babolat Gold 3-ball can is less than or around 5$ whereas it costs 6.50€ in EU. This could also be due to higher production costs and higher tax schemes in EU🙄
Cause they come in a can with 4 balls versus a can of 3 balls in US.
@@milanvincic9668 very good and valid points. I would also add in, the bargaining power of a giant corporation like Walmart.
Balls are made in Thailand and Philippine. The shipping charge and insurance play a role. Besides, there are less population
In europe. Besides, you may need high attitude balls instead of regular.
Years ago cans were $2 in America while Europe was $6. It was said that companies in America made less profit. Sometimes even at a loss. Now of course, the prices have skyrocketed here and are closer to Euro prices. But still cheaper. Another factor may be taxes in some Euro countries.
Dunlop ATP Tour Championship for me. Great wear and bounce maintenance with no fluff.
No fluff, rather cheap but man, I find they lose their bounce so quiclky.
Same. By far better than Penn, imho
No fluff at all,they are pretty durable great for coaches
Also on this train. Would be cool to see him test it.
I've been using the Penn Extra Duty balls in my teaching basket for many years. For me, they are the most cost effective with a favorable combination of cost, playability and durability. I'm also happy to play matches with them (then toss them into the basket). Some of my playing partners believe the Dunlop ATP ball to be superior, but in my experience they fluff up way too fast and become very slow within an hour. Nice vid, Nic. This is the sort of content we don't find from other YT tennis coaches.
100% agree that Dunlop are the best. My favourites are Dunlop AO and Dunlop Fort. I find Wilson US Open feel too hard/heavy on my racket personally.
💯
so why do all these GS tournaments play sub-par balls? Tried the official french open ball on clay some years ago and it was actually quite bad. Durability was really bad and it was very average to begin with. Have a Dunlop ball and you could wait to exchange balls a little longer in pro player matches
Thing with the Penn Championship XD is quality control is all over the place. You may get rocks and/or death balls from the same 6 can pack. The USO fluffs up but after a while loses all the fluff and ends up bolder than me 😅
That's a huge variety at WM. Last time I visited the USA got me different cans, but didn't make sure about checking the pressure (amateur error). 2 of them were dead.
I always play with the US Open, they do get fluffy but like some other comment said, it will become very bald after a while, and then the feel and playability is superb, also the speed actually increases. At this stage there's definitely no problem playing a few matches with it, as the durability is also insane.
Only problem I found is new balls can be quite stiff in cold weather.
My fav are Artengo TB930 Speed (available in Decathlon), Tecnifibre Club and X-One, Dunlop Fort All Court
Dunlop ATP is my top pick. Speed is just nice, fuzz is just nice, durability is good , bounce is good, price is very decent. The Dunlop AO comes second becos it fuzzes more and is not as durable. Price wise also very decent for what you get.
Wilson US open plays well when new but loses fuzz way too quickly just as Slazenger so it feels too bouncy and too hard after a while.
Thank you for a great review. It’s crazy how much the price of tennis balls has increased since the pandemic. You used to be able to buy the Penn extra duty for $1.88 to $1.99 and the Wilson US Open ball for about $3.45 at Walmart.
So true
Thanks Nick! I always felt like I was crazy for liking the Penn Extra duty because other channels have trashed them.
It’s a great ball. Number 1 seller for a reason
Meh ... i find they they feel weird. They don't bounce nice and fell a bit heavy. US Open feels nice, but they do fluff up and actually turn almost green after a set and a half. For clay court, Dunlops are really good IMO. Not Championship ... the higher level ones.
All the old guys that I play with love them. Extra duty for hard courts, and regular for the artificial turf. I still prefer Dunlop, but if someone else is opening a can of balls, I don't get picky.
#1 because they are sold everywhere. and they are slow.@@IntuitiveTennis
Nick's crazy here. Those Penn balls suck compared to the USO.
i have tried all of these balls, except the athletic and penn coach, and i think diadem premium balls are the best by far. they bounce great out of the can, keep their bounce/pressure, and don't fuzz up as bad as the us open balls. the only complaint i have heard is from players who are used to the penn balls think the diadem balls are too heavy - but i think it's b/c the penn balls lose their pressure quicker so they aren't used to hitting with a ball over many hours that maintains the same pressure.
Played with Wilson us open for a long time, I find they play best in hot weather, but my recent favourite is the Dunlop ATP ball. Feels great on the strings, gives you that extra confidence to go for it when opportunity presents itself, one downside is it does not last longer than 2 hours of solid hitting. I’ll take the feel though.
this would be prime for a manscaped ad
I disagree. In colder weather like the northeast and playing indoors, Penn balls feel dead. Even though Wilson balls fluff up, they maintain their bounce and last more than 3 sets.
Yeah I agree .. Wilson extra duty balls are better during cold weather compared to penn extra duty balls on hard court.
Seconded with extra duty Penn. Played with my girlfriend in 48F & sunny weather recently. Balls went dead so fast. She just opened the can that very day.
@@patrikmarflak6559 I really like the feel and the bounce on the Trinity, but once hitting against the wall on (dry and a little dirty) tarmac which is not ideal, the felt got shredded and the white threading underneath got exposed. Maybe it wasn't their fault tho, maybe it was a tough test. The cheapest pressureless balls from decathlon became rubber balls in under half an hour on the very same day, for instance.
Agree Wilson US open are the best balls, not question about it
Another for Wilson Extra Duty. Penn I would get 1 half dead ball in a can often. The Dunlop extra duty while being heavier were my preferred ball for hardcourt
Thank you, you provide a great video and great analysis on the tennis ball and everything you reviewed.
I’ve played with Wilson usopen during college years it was brutal, good thing we had new balls for our third set!! Nowadays I play with head tour, I don’t play as much so it is ok for me and they feel great on clay
In the early 2000s you could buy Penn championship balls here in London, but I haven't seen any in the shops for a long time. I remember going to Paris Bercy tournament in 2003 and buying balls the players used at a lesser price. They would put a red x on the balls to indicate they were used. Not sure if tournaments still do that, maybe some do.
I also used Wilson US Open balls but disliked them intensely because they fluffed up too quickly. So I don't buy Wilson at all. The tennis balls I settled on since around 2006 are Dunlop Fort All Court. They are slightly heavier and take a lot of topspin, great for serving, work on hardcourts as they don't mind a bit of a pounding, and work on clay as well.
Recently I have been playing with Babolat Team which are quite nice, especially on clay.
I play mainly on hardcourts and clay courts at the Westway Centre in West London. I would love to play on grass but difficult to find grass courts in London, haven't played on any grass since the 2000s when I played fairly regularly on it. Although if the grass is not well maintained then playing on grass is a bit of a waste of time.
In Europe Head balls are Penn balls. They are just rebranded.
Helpful video, Nick! One thing I have noticed in my league play, is that some players go the Amazon route and buy a case of brand name balls, from the cheapest vendor of course. But often those balls are very old and can be flat right out of the can, so let the buyer beware!
Good to know
I actually don't care how the ball plays out of the can. I care about how long the ball will bounce out of the basket that I use to teach my son. Recently I discovered that the Dunlop balls are the best at both. They do seem to fade pretty quickly, but not terrible. Then they bounce well enough for a few weeks to hit out of a basket.
Agreed
Try the mid-range Technifibres. I prefer Dunlop AO for match play, but I've been surprised how well Technifibre keep their bounce & fuzz for the price.
In Wales, UK I use Head Tour in the summer and Head Team balls in the winter. Have also used Vermont balls which I like but other club members find hard on the shoulder.
Wallmart is expensive you're better off on Ebay or Amazon sales and getting bulk buy of ATP Tour Dunlop Championship all court ball in the plastic container. Their pressure lasts longer and they not heavy like Wilson Open Ball or most Head Balls.
For clay, get the Wilson regular duty French open ball. For hard court, get the Penn extra. Pretty simple.
Hehe, I have always liked Dunlop extra duty balls since they're very durable, but some friends of mine really dislike it because they feel it's too hard and can hurt their arm if they play with it too much. So I've always stuck with Penn extra duty or Wilson extra duty. I've recently tried Wilson Triniti pressureless balls and I actually really like them. They don't feel quite as good as Penn or Wilson extra duty, but they definitely don't feel bad. And they last forever! For affordability, try them. You're more likely to lose them than have them actually go bad on you.
Triniti balls are excellent. Great quality/price ratio. They are a little hard as you mention but I also prefer them that way, the only detail that people complain about is the sound they make as if they were dead. I have had a basket of balls for 1 year and they still play well.
Great and very well presented test. In line with my personal observations. Perhaps would consider a part 2 with a few other brands like Dunlop, Babolat and Head to get a broader picture.
Will do
Great video. I always been using penn extra duty felt when I practice on the wall or against a player
I play with Wilson trinity and all my friends hate my balls and refuse to play with them now hehe. Personally I love the trinity, it plays great on the wall and lasts longer (way longer) than most balls. They bounce a bit higher so I guess that's a preference thing. The other ball I really like is the dunlop ATP, and to no surprise, they are also balls that have a reputation of bouncing high. Strangely enough, I find that playing with the cheaper quality balls is more risky for tennis elbow as they deflate faster and have irregular bounces which I believe contributes to timing errors provoking injuries.
Your friends are absolutely right. They care about their health and don’t want injuries from a pressurless ball (which Trinity is despite all marketing bs).
They’re too hard for me
Triniti balls are excellent. Great quality/price ratio. They are a little hard but I prefer them that way, the only detail that people complain about is the sound they make as if they were dead. I have had a basket of balls for 1 year and they still play well. I recommend them.
Be careful with them if you’re prone to getting tennis elbow because they are harder than conventional balls…
I use Penn and agree with your asessment! The price has gone up though I suggets buying in bulk or at costco
You should have hit all three balls in a can. Extra duty Championship Penn now has huge quality control issue. The three balls often are not pressurized to the same level and would cause inconsistencies in a match. They are also far less durable and would change the bounce height and spin after an hour of hitting. The issue you observed on Wilson US Open balls is because you are hitting on a concrete surface and against a wall, which fluff them faster.
Not only Penn Championship (which is pure crap) but also previously good Pro Penn Marathon - at least one ball out of 2 cans will be bad. I found Penn Tour be the most consistent but may be it’s just from the old batch (I ordered 24 cans box from TW)
The Wilson US Open extra duty ball actually gets faster and skinnier after 2 hours of strong hitting. It keeps pressure the best (tho I have seen exceptions with depressurized cans)
That's with a set of 3 balls, so you can call that 40min per ball, playing points. Less if you're hitting continuously.
I buy Penn extra duty balls for 2.5$ a pop at Costco. It's a large box but very durable and worth 40$ per box.
💯
Diadem's Premier Extra Duty hard court balls last me at least 3-5hrs of match play before I retire them for serving baskets. Most durable ball I've ever played with. If I'm just at a hitting session or playing just for fun, I'll use the costco balls (Penn Championship)
1:10 "lange houdbaarheid" means long lifetime in dutch.
Lange Haltbarkeit in german.
and "lange Haltbarkeit" in german ;)
Nice shoes! Vapor 9.5s with the leather, I've got 3 pair. Also I prefer to coach with Dunlop Grand Prix - not always available.
Unlike in the 80s, we don't have Penn balls here in Croatia anymore so I can't try it but my top 3 tennis balls for clay courts are...
1. by quite a margine.. Wilson Roland Garros Clay
2. Tecnifibre X-One
3. Tretorn (I think it was tour or something like that - from clubs basket) - great for practice
I also like the X-one. Don't like the Wilson that much, it bounces a lot more than normal, feels artificial, like it moves faster than it was actually hit.
Try Head Pro coach, or Ball Unlimited Black code for cheap practice balls.
@@thefridgeman I've never heard of Ball Unlimited till today. If I get the chance, I'll try it. 👍
I'm not too fond of Head balls. I tried several and was never impressed.
In Europe Head balls are actually Penns. So you still have it , but under a different brand. They are the same ball.
@@marcelobarros5729 ahh that makes sense. I'm not too fond of Head balls. Do you know which Head ball would be Penn championship?
I use Penn Extra Duty on the wall all the time. They have decent durability but I found that they are the best value for my play level. You can find a box of 60 for $45 at costco.
Love the content! 👍
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Nice video. I like Diadem & Artengo TB930 as good value.
0:46 The cans with no pressure have had their rings pulled; they’re not bad cans. This has started happening because of those plastic saving caps that leave the rings-pulls exposed. Supposedly kids walk past and cannot resist the mischievous temptation. 🤷♂️
The stores should place the balls on a higher shelf.
Penn extra duty are like super balls. They fly off the racket. no control
I'm at the point where I almost will refuse to play with these Penn extra duty balls. No control whatsoever, almost all shots are long. Everybody up here in Canada buys them from Costco for price. I have heard that the Costco Penns are different (even lower quality) from Penns sold at other outlets. Not sure if that is true, but what is true is that these balls are terrible. When I pull out a can of Dunlop AO or ATP, everybody's game improves and the game is more fun.
I've had good luck with Penn tennis balls from Walmart. Except the can with discolored or non see through can.
Great video and forehands
Thanks!
Great video Nick! 😀😀
Thank you Hans
Thanks for this great video about tennis balls.👍
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Glad to hear the Penn balls we get at Costco are the best
Penn championship extra duty 1box less than $50 at Costco(20 cans)
$55 where I am but still a bit cheaper than Walmart.
They are terrible, some balls are flat straight of the can. Maybe it is a problem for high altitude version only, idk
Penn extra duty is a good ball. The felt wears well. I like the Dunlop extra duty for the price which is usually cheaper. The Dunlop’s felt wears faster but they hold their bounce longer which I prefer. My 2 cents.
I feel like the Wilson Championship XD should have been rated higher. The Penn Championship XD seems to be the de facto in matches that i see. While it is a great ball for the price, i think it is mostly interchangeable with the Wilson. I think the Wilson may even be a little softer (negligibly) on the arm.
Coach I use Tretorn X pressureless balls - maybe the best pressureless sold - do you have an opinion of them?
I like the Triniti Pro from Wilson. I don't know where to buy Tretorn X balls in my area.
Agree, a bit solid as new, but great lasting ball. Not a fan of Penn balls.
Lose pressure here in Michigan.
Triniti balls are excellent. Great quality/price ratio. They are a little hard but I prefer them that way, the only detail that people complain about is the sound they make as if they were dead. I have had a basket of balls for 1 year and they still play well. I recommend them.
which dunlop is the best? is there a lot of difference between the dunlop and wilson/pen?
Dunlop is the best in playability and feel. For me, Wilson is nowhere near to Dunlop balls.
Dunlop AO are affordable and good. DUNLOP ATP official ball is the queen of balls. Try them out, you won't regret it😊
I was amazed at the Walmart selection in the video. We get one, maybe two options, but I live in Idaho where tennis is not nearly as big as Florida.
Interesting
Personally I like Wilson US Open better than Penn Extra Duty since it maintains its bounce for much longer. Agreed that Dunlop ATP is the best.
That also depends on the surface. If you play on outdoor hard court (which is pretty much all the courts in the US ,) you'll need extra duty.
I know that Dunlop balls are used in many pro tournaments but for recreational players they are not the best IMO, they do not hold pressure as long as the Penn. I recommend you try Teloon Pound balls, they are used in the Singapore ATP 250 and I really enjoy playing with them (I am a 5.0 player)
Lol. Love the subliminal advertising for Dunlop... But I agree. Usually just order the Dunlop balls from Dick's and do the pick-up in the parking lot on the way to the courts. Super convenient and don't need to deal with the Walmart crowd.
Does anyone out there use the yellow canister (I forget the brand name) to repressurize used balls? I remember seeing them a lot about 30 years ago. If the fluff level is good but the pressure goes down quickly on certain balls, maybe that canister would be good?
I actually use one of those when I have had a light hit and want to reuse the balls. It does help with pressure loss a bit.
I strongly believe that the best tennis ball for recreational players is the Wilson Triniti Pro .... recreational players keep hitting with a soft/flat ball for a long period of time and end up frustrated. The pressureless tenis ball technology is a huge improvement to recreational tennis players.
Too hard for my taste
You can always lower the tension on your strings @@Isalsero1
Best balls are Penn ,Technifibre xone. Balls in usa are cheap. In NZ we paying $24nz ($15usa) for 4 balls
I prefer Dunlop Australien 7,95 € 4 balls, Babolat Team 8,50€ 4 balls and Tennis Point Premium 6,50€ 4 balls
Dunlop atp (the official ball) is the best among i tried. Rly like head tour. For a cheaper ball i buy diadem premier all court 😊
Just bought 24 can box of Wilson US Open Regular Duty from Holabird Sports for $110 including free shipping. That’s about $4.5 per can. And these are the best balls in terms of responsiveness and durability. They keep bouncing for months even after use in ball machine.
I have been playing with US open heavy duty balls for more than 15 years .I try a few times Us open regular duty but did not like them so much.. To soft and after 20 min they become very slow .However regular duty are perfect for doubles game
Dunlop ATP tour. Then Penn Extras.
Would love to see a review of different pressureless balls for recreational level.
I tried the Dunlop AO or Dunlop Tour(cant remember)and found they lasted a long time.They did fluff up and consequently became a slower ball. But I found all 3 consistent and lasted for a few hits. Are these the balls that the ATP players are complaining about? I thought they were good but Im looking for multi day use and hard hitting...
All of the tour balls I tried are slow, some fluff up more than others
Very interesting thank you. I always thought the penn champs were a decent ball for the price.
Costco regularly has 20 cans of the Penn heavy duty balls for $40. Best deal I’ve ever seen if you can find it
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Penn extra duty has always been our go to for usta
The ball manufacturers have changed the balls in recent years most likely to extend rallies much to the players chagrin. The US Open ball used to be much different 20 years ago and was the standard by which all other balls were judged. Now that ball fluffs up almost immediately making it slower to play with.
Thank you I never would have known, great test.
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Do you have any Amazon recommendations? I live in London so we don’t get Walmart out here.
Dunlop 🙌
Penn Championship balls are no good. Too much variability from can to can. Sometimes come out like rocks. Even if you start with a good bounce, are dead after a set. If I was at Walmart I'd grab the US Opens first than the Championship Wilsons.
For this level of ball--Dunlop ATP is the best. Good value and bounces consistently with durablity almost as good as higher class balls.
In fairness, Penn makes a good higher class ball--Penn Pro Marathon's. Lively and maintain a good bounce for a long time. Well worth the price.
My favorite balls is "dunlop fort all court"
Thanks for the vid Coach Nik, it matches my experience with the balls from local Walmart, those cheap balls are horrible. In my area I have been getting Dunlop AO extra duty from a sporting store for $3.50 (a very good deal these days) and I feel they are better than Penn extra duty. Have you tried those?
Dunlop is my favorite
Tecnifibre xone is the best in france.
Artengo(decathlon)greats balls with lower price.
Dunlop AO ❤
I play on hartru and like Penn the best. Wilson fluff too much and hold too much moisture imo.
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What do you think about pressureless balls for coaching and ball machine drills?
Good for ball machine don’t like them for coaching
I don't think 5 minutes is enough time. The Penn Extra duty only lasts one session, they don't have enough rebound if you want to use them another day. The Wilson US Open lasts much longer. I can play with them for many sessions within 2 weeks. I also like the AO Dunlop, but it gets a bit too fluffy.
About 15 years ago I was buying tennis balls in Wall Mart Willson Match Point for 1.49$ usd...
Penn Champs were $1.97 per can not that long ago 😭
The problem I have is the lack of a use by date on tubes of balls( or a produced on date), so you don't know how old the tube is when you buy it.
The most helpful of all your videos hehehe
Worst balls I ever hit with were Wilson All Court 4-pack. Seemed like there was no fuzz. Hard as a rock, but super light weight like a ping pong ball. As soon as it touched the strings, it flew off. No way to control it. No dwell... Ugh, not sure why the guy that brought them loved them so much.
100% agree with everything in this video.
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Do you have a Costco membership? The Penn championship extra duty are great deal there.
Check out my you tube videos. Big Boy tennis. I play left and right handed forehands.
Have you tried the triniti balls or any other pressureless balls?
I have. Trinity are pretty good
ATP Dunlop
Head Tour XT
Thats it. Other balls are sht
Dunlop all the way! One love!
Since you are an accomplished tennis player, would you prefer playing with the Wilson US. Open (Extra Duty) balls?
They get too slow and big, do not like them. Dunlop is my preference
Dunlop fort is the best fort maintaining pressure
5 min per ball, that is dedication
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I agree 💯 Penn Champs is the best at Walmart
Nick for me the sound of the ball on the initial impact on the wall can differentiate a good ball and a bad ball based on the video. This works for me but i dont know if its true...
Hi Nikola, Thank you for a very nice review. I was told that the Penn ball with the yellow cap (I believe you call them Regular Duty) are good for clay courts; and the Penn with the black cap (Extra Duty) are good for hard surface courts. So, I was buying both, depending on which type of court I would play. Do I understand the the Extra Duty Penn balls can be used on either clay or hard surface?
Hard court eats up balls faster, extra duty is better
@@IntuitiveTennis Thank you. Therefore I will stop buying the yellow-cap balls, even when playing on a clay. I will buy Extra Duty for any surface.
@@dmitryprivate6558You should stick with regular duty on clay. Extra duty felt picks up & holds onto clay, making them inconsistent.
Penn balls are too permeable. While they are the most lively when playing, they lose pressure insanely fast. I usually put my past balls in the ball machine bucket and even scavenge from the leftovers at nearby courts, but always have to discard Penn shortly. They just lose way too much pressure. I've been experimenting with the pressurized canister, it's great but I can't do that with the bucket balls for practical reasons (fitting 100 ball into 33 cannisters of 3 balls every session!) I compare playing with Penn to playing with natural gut: if you can restring three times as often for twice the price each, then you might as well play with Penn and toss your balls away every half hour!
how about the Wilson pressureless balls, i open a pack of that and it feels fast and heavy and after months it still handles the same BUT in a match they are like horrible :/ would you recommend those for practice?
Not a fan of pressureless balls, tough on the arm, poor playability
Triniti balls are excellent. Great quality/price ratio. They are a little hard but I prefer them that way, the only detail that people complain about is the sound they make as if they were dead. I have had a basket of balls for 1 year and they still play well. I recommend them.
what about head pro tour and slazenger Wimbledon
Slagenzer is the best for arm.
Disagree. The Penn Ball was used at Nationals Hard Court, and it went dead in cool conditions. The next day, under warm conditions, 63 degrees, it flew off the racquet. It's just not a consistent ball. I prefer the Wilson USO ball. By far, the best ball.
When comparing new and used, you should drop them together at the same height instead of squeezing it
Im happy to live in Asia where AO dunlop balls are the standard 🎉
Diadem? Thanks.
Remember that not only are the pros changing balls every few games (first 7, then every 9), they're also getting SIX new balls at that time. Not to mention that some tournaments (USO, Cinci) allow fans to keep balls hit into the crowd and replace them at that time. Durability is definitely not the name of the game for balls to be used in professional tournaments.
Dunlop extra duty is the best