I regularly play pickleball at an indoor tennis facility with an outdoor surface. Balls used are the Franklin X-40. My outdoor play in also on a tennis surface.
Yeah, you definitely can use indoor balls on an outdoor surface. You usually don't see it the other way around though. The outdoor balls are too hard and don't get enough traction for indoor courts.
As a tennis player growing up, I appreciate the bounce of the ball. I am newer to pickleball, but discovered right away the number ine thing I greatly dislike about it is the extremely poor bounce of the outdoor franklin balls that apparently are quite popular. The ball dies upon impact making it more difficult to reach, even if you are quick on your feet. Then I discovered the onix fuse that I purchased from walmart that is far softer and superior to the franklin with a simple bounce test. It also is far quieter on the court. Your review covered a lot, but 2 complaints about this sport is the noise, and difficulty getting to the ball because of its poor bounce. The onix I find improves both of those issues making the sport far more likeable to a novice like myself. John
Those are some great points, I think the low ball bounce playing into my favor. I come from more of a ping pong background, so being able to put a lot of spin on the ball and have it die quickly is something that I find a lot of scarification it.
@@itsallabouturanus2997 I think you meant much easier and not much better. Tennis is far superior as a sport but it is true, you can't get good at tennis on a weekend. High bounces in tennis are harder to handle and the problem with beginner tennis players is they are always lobbing the ball which constantly creates high bouncing balls on the other side which in turn if you rally partner is also a beginner leads to picking up the balls at the back fence instead of hitting balls and that is no fun for anyone.
Thank you for the kind words! If you have any other things that you would like to know about the game, feel free to throw it in the comments and I would love to make a video about it(:
Outdoors we play with Franklins in the summer and Onix in the winter. The softer Onix won’t crack as easily in cold weather but they are way too soft for hot weather
thxs for the video. was helpful. would be nice if you could actually run the equipment through some standard tests and produce a grid. like ball weight, lateral spin movement, durability, I ve seen one review that seems to think the selkirk pro s1 might be a top contender as an outdoor ball. in the north..we are now into indoor pickleball season...so trying to find an indoor ball that behaves more like an outdoor ball ( if thats possible)...36 hole hybrid balls????
Great explainer video Carlos. What are your thoughts on hybrid pickleball baffles like the Selkirk SLK Hybrid. Are they worth buying if I wish to play both indoors and outdoors?
Much appreciate Prabin, I think that they are a great idea. I have never played with a hybrid ball myself, but if you're just a casual player that wants to get out and have some fun, I believe they are a great option. Now, if you're really trying to improve your game and play at a higher level I would suggest using an indoor or outdoor specific ball.
They are pretty smooth, the do get a bit of grit and texture once the outer surface is scuffed up by the court. Majority of spin is actually generated from the paddle, a lot of the new paddles have a gritty texture on them that helps you with spin.
I still think the best overall ball is the Franklin X-40, but if you’re looking to get into competitive play you should go with Dura fast 40 ball. Hope that helps.
@damianmirizzi 😂😂 I had someone run up to me a few weeks ago while I was playing, and asked to trade for one of my pink ones because they just like the color. It was very strange, but I ended up walking away with a strange burnt orange colored ball 😂 But that’s true, not most people like playing the pinks.
And yes, apparently the different colors have slightly different plastic compositions and can play differently, this isn't the first time I've heard that.
I have a really hard time seeing Pink/red balls, I've asked around and that would be the most common ball that people have a hard time seeing. but I think that's more so because the Blue or the darker green ball isn't used very much. in general getting the highlighter yellow ball is the best choice when playing in like Open play. if someone has a hard time seeing that ball they should bring their own. but I think the biggest thing you missed because I think alot of beginners will hopefully find this video, your level of play lower level players aren't going to notice much difference between balls so buy what everyone in you're area is using. and you cannot play with 2 different balls. what I mean is if a ball is hit over a fence or something and you say I got one it has to be the same brand and type. I don't even like when people keep a ball in their pocket to "make the game go faster." it's not that big of a deal to walk 5 feet to pick up a ball. I know people from tennis are use to it but PB court isn't that big and you don't get 2 attempts at serving.
Interesting take, I see where you're coming from and it makes sense if you have a group of people you play with a lot. But honestly, I have played a game with different types of balls in a single game/session and I don't mind it too much. As soon as I pick up most balls I already know how it is going to play, so I adapt pretty quickly to a change in ball. I am a casual player so it isn't a huge deal for me. Usually we will just have one person pull out 2 or 3 balls that are the same brand and play with those though. Again, I think it is just one of those things that is totally up to personal preference.
I like Cheetah outdoor balls. They are durable and one of the coaches sells them at cost. 5 balls for $11. Have you tried them? Most people at my rec center like the orange Onix balls.
Interest, I have never heard of cheetah pickle balls. I just checked them out and will have to look into them. That is also a pretty solid price per ball as well!
Thanks for all of that. A lot of great information. I need to pass this along to the two centers we play at as they don't know much about pickleball or anything about the balls and you covered pretty much all they need to know.
I agree with you Roy, I think it’s helpful to have a couple colors of the same ball if you play on different courts frequently. I have yellow, orange, blue, green, pink you name it haha. Each ball has its place for sure!
@@joycebeekman8607 honestly I have played quite a bit of pickleball here in Utah and have never played in har-tru, to be honest I’ve never even see one of those courts in my life haha. So I am not a source of information when it comes to to har-tru lol
I am also red and green color blind. There are different levels of red and green color blindness but for me when I see a neon green ball my eyes don't recognize the green but it does the yellow so the ball looks bright yellow to me not grey.
That's interesting. I grew up with a buddy that was red-green color blind and I would always ask him all kinds of questions about it. It was so fascinating to me. Thanks for sharing!
Indoor balls have larger holes. They grab more air. Play with an indoor ball outdoors and you'll see how much you can bend the ball. Outdoor balls have smaller holes which don't grab as much air, this compensates for wind. That's why I love the Dura 40, it has some larger holes for a bit more curve on spin shots and is also hard. I've used them on indoor courts, love it. Not for everyone though. But yeah, hole size makes a difference.
Hey Diogo, hope you're doing well man! Haha that is so funny to hear, I am surprised your paddles didn't break using that tennis ball🤣 I am glad that I was a able to give some helpful information. Hope you and your family are doing well brother, thanks for the support 💪
@@Carlos1Silva Because paddles was tennis paddles too 😂 and I notice other people playing with different stuff. I knew I was doing something wrong 😅 I already subscribed and waiting for more videos bro
I would 100% refuse to play with a $1 wiffleball. If it's too squishy I'll hit every ball out of bounds. I actually recently refused to play because of that reason, someone had balls from Five Below or something. I won't play with those. And Franklin and Onix both have 1 piece molds, they're not 2 piece balls like most cheap ones. There's a reason why decent balls are $3 apiece.
I regularly play pickleball at an indoor tennis facility with an outdoor surface. Balls used are the Franklin X-40. My outdoor play in also on a tennis surface.
Yeah, you definitely can use indoor balls on an outdoor surface. You usually don't see it the other way around though. The outdoor balls are too hard and don't get enough traction for indoor courts.
Great video and informative. Thank you!
Of course! Thank you for the kind words.
As a tennis player growing up, I appreciate the bounce of the ball. I am newer to pickleball, but discovered right away the number ine thing I greatly dislike about it is the extremely poor bounce of the outdoor franklin balls that apparently are quite popular. The ball dies upon impact making it more difficult to reach, even if you are quick on your feet. Then I discovered the onix fuse that I purchased from walmart that is far softer and superior to the franklin with a simple bounce test. It also is far quieter on the court. Your review covered a lot, but 2 complaints about this sport is the noise, and difficulty getting to the ball because of its poor bounce. The onix I find improves both of those issues making the sport far more likeable to a novice like myself. John
Those are some great points, I think the low ball bounce playing into my favor. I come from more of a ping pong background, so being able to put a lot of spin on the ball and have it die quickly is something that I find a lot of scarification it.
The low bounce is why the game is popular. Much better game to playing tennis.
@@itsallabouturanus2997 I agree, much easier for the average person to pick up and enjoy.
@@itsallabouturanus2997 I think you meant much easier and not much better. Tennis is far superior as a sport but it is true, you can't get good at tennis on a weekend. High bounces in tennis are harder to handle and the problem with beginner tennis players is they are always lobbing the ball which constantly creates high bouncing balls on the other side which in turn if you rally partner is also a beginner leads to picking up the balls at the back fence instead of hitting balls and that is no fun for anyone.
thanks your breakdown on indoor/outdoor pickle balls very informative and help get me up to speed on the game aspects when choosing a ball.
Thank you for the kind words! If you have any other things that you would like to know about the game, feel free to throw it in the comments and I would love to make a video about it(:
Very helpful. Thanks
Glad I could help, appreciate the support!
Outdoors we play with Franklins in the summer and Onix in the winter. The softer Onix won’t crack as easily in cold weather but they are way too soft for hot weather
That makes a lot of sense, I appreciate the input. I will keep that in mind this fall when it gets a bit colder.
thxs for the video. was helpful. would be nice if you could actually run the equipment through some standard tests and produce a grid. like ball weight, lateral spin movement, durability, I ve seen one review that seems to think the selkirk pro s1 might be a top contender as an outdoor ball.
in the north..we are now into indoor pickleball season...so trying to find an indoor ball that behaves more like an outdoor ball ( if thats possible)...36 hole hybrid balls????
Great explainer video Carlos. What are your thoughts on hybrid pickleball baffles like the Selkirk SLK Hybrid. Are they worth buying if I wish to play both indoors and outdoors?
Much appreciate Prabin, I think that they are a great idea. I have never played with a hybrid ball myself, but if you're just a casual player that wants to get out and have some fun, I believe they are a great option. Now, if you're really trying to improve your game and play at a higher level I would suggest using an indoor or outdoor specific ball.
I've never played pickleball before so are the balls smooth or do they have some texture to it.. to help create more spin.
They are pretty smooth, the do get a bit of grit and texture once the outer surface is scuffed up by the court. Majority of spin is actually generated from the paddle, a lot of the new paddles have a gritty texture on them that helps you with spin.
Very good video. Thank you so much.
Thank you, much appreciated! Hopefully we will be able to get some more videos out soon 🤞🏽
What kind of ball would you recommend for indoor pickleball on an outdoor court?
I still think the best overall ball is the Franklin X-40, but if you’re looking to get into competitive play you should go with Dura fast 40 ball. Hope that helps.
The Franklin X-40 comes in different colors. The pink balls are made from a slightly different material & have different feel to them in play.
That is good to know, thank you Jerry! I have the pink as well as the yellowish green.
I found the pink last considerably longer too. It could be that no one ever wants to play with them though 😂
@damianmirizzi 😂😂 I had someone run up to me a few weeks ago while I was playing, and asked to trade for one of my pink ones because they just like the color. It was very strange, but I ended up walking away with a strange burnt orange colored ball 😂 But that’s true, not most people like playing the pinks.
@Carlos1Silva Franklin makes a few colors for the X40, lava being one and I assume that's the burnt color you got lol
And yes, apparently the different colors have slightly different plastic compositions and can play differently, this isn't the first time I've heard that.
I have a really hard time seeing Pink/red balls, I've asked around and that would be the most common ball that people have a hard time seeing. but I think that's more so because the Blue or the darker green ball isn't used very much.
in general getting the highlighter yellow ball is the best choice when playing in like Open play. if someone has a hard time seeing that ball they should bring their own.
but I think the biggest thing you missed because I think alot of beginners will hopefully find this video, your level of play lower level players aren't going to notice much difference between balls so buy what everyone in you're area is using. and you cannot play with 2 different balls. what I mean is if a ball is hit over a fence or something and you say I got one it has to be the same brand and type. I don't even like when people keep a ball in their pocket to "make the game go faster." it's not that big of a deal to walk 5 feet to pick up a ball. I know people from tennis are use to it but PB court isn't that big and you don't get 2 attempts at serving.
Interesting take, I see where you're coming from and it makes sense if you have a group of people you play with a lot. But honestly, I have played a game with different types of balls in a single game/session and I don't mind it too much. As soon as I pick up most balls I already know how it is going to play, so I adapt pretty quickly to a change in ball. I am a casual player so it isn't a huge deal for me.
Usually we will just have one person pull out 2 or 3 balls that are the same brand and play with those though. Again, I think it is just one of those things that is totally up to personal preference.
Very helpful 😊
Thank you, I appreciate the kind words!
Thanks for your video,are you interested in test our pickleball paddles?
I would love to check them out!
I like Cheetah outdoor balls. They are durable and one of the coaches sells them at cost. 5 balls for $11. Have you tried them? Most people at my rec center like the orange Onix balls.
Interest, I have never heard of cheetah pickle balls. I just checked them out and will have to look into them. That is also a pretty solid price per ball as well!
Orange Onix are my favorite indoor balls because they're hard like the outdoor balls.
I enjoy a harder ball as well, super soft balls can be frusterating to play with.
Found the cheetah color balls too bright, I prefer the regular orange color.
Thanks for all of that. A lot of great information. I need to pass this along to the two centers we play at as they don't know much about pickleball or anything about the balls and you covered pretty much all they need to know.
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you found the information useful enough to pass it along. Much appreciate!
I find that the yellow balls can be difficult to see when there is any strong glare, especially in a high contrast on the court.
I agree with you Roy, I think it’s helpful to have a couple colors of the same ball if you play on different courts frequently. I have yellow, orange, blue, green, pink you name it haha. Each ball has its place for sure!
What about Har-true clay court??
@@joycebeekman8607 honestly I have played quite a bit of pickleball here in Utah and have never played in har-tru, to be honest I’ve never even see one of those courts in my life haha. So I am not a source of information when it comes to to har-tru lol
@@Carlos1Silva well they suck.
@joycebeekman8607 glad I haven’t encountered one then haha
I am also red and green color blind. There are different levels of red and green color blindness but for me when I see a neon green ball my eyes don't recognize the green but it does the yellow so the ball looks bright yellow to me not grey.
That's interesting. I grew up with a buddy that was red-green color blind and I would always ask him all kinds of questions about it. It was so fascinating to me. Thanks for sharing!
So you’re saying if you’re playing indoor but on a tennis court surface, you should buy an outdoor ball. Is that correct?
Yes, that is correct! The surface is what matters, not if you’re actually inside or outside.
@@Carlos1Silva Excellent, thanks! 👍
@@BoostITFORward of course!
Indoor balls have larger holes. They grab more air. Play with an indoor ball outdoors and you'll see how much you can bend the ball. Outdoor balls have smaller holes which don't grab as much air, this compensates for wind. That's why I love the Dura 40, it has some larger holes for a bit more curve on spin shots and is also hard. I've used them on indoor courts, love it. Not for everyone though. But yeah, hole size makes a difference.
I had no idea about that. First time I was planning with tennis ball 🤦♂️😂
Hey Diogo, hope you're doing well man! Haha that is so funny to hear, I am surprised your paddles didn't break using that tennis ball🤣 I am glad that I was a able to give some helpful information. Hope you and your family are doing well brother, thanks for the support 💪
@@Carlos1Silva Because paddles was tennis paddles too 😂 and I notice other people playing with different stuff. I knew I was doing something wrong 😅 I already subscribed and waiting for more videos bro
@@diogobarbosa8636 That's awesome 😂Thanks again man, more video coming soon!💪
Helpful!
I appreciate it, glad I was able to provide you some value!
Wilson
What about Wilson? Is that what you play?
Indoor Pb is just entertainment and not real pball!
Interesting take haha, I think it’s still a great way to get together and get some exercise in. It is very different though.
When is 105+ for 50 days in Texas, I'm playing inside.
I’m with you there, that’s a death wish😂
Your kidding right? They are whiffle balls, $0.99
Not quite, but if that's what you want to play with go for it haha.
I would 100% refuse to play with a $1 wiffleball. If it's too squishy I'll hit every ball out of bounds. I actually recently refused to play because of that reason, someone had balls from Five Below or something. I won't play with those. And Franklin and Onix both have 1 piece molds, they're not 2 piece balls like most cheap ones. There's a reason why decent balls are $3 apiece.
@@130rne I’m with you there, if I’m going to take the take to play, I want to do it right. Not with cheap equipment.
You’re