The 11 Best Tennis Balls for 2025 – Reviewed & Buyer Guide

Tennis balls seem like a single product to choose, but by practising this sport, you will have realized that this is not the case. Tennis balls are not all the same: there are several aspects to consider, such as material and pressure, which can decisively influence their performance.

If you are not a professional and given the variety of models on the market, you may have some doubts about which tennis balls to buy.

For this reason, in our article, we will try to solve all the doubts that could arise when buying this type of balls. Remember that depending on the choice you make, the game experience will be different.

Here we had listed out the best tennis balls that are present below.

Tennis Balls Buying Guide

There are many types of tennis balls on the market. In the end, they are one of the most purchased brands of balls in the world.

It is not the same thing to use them to compete in tournaments or tennis competitions or to give them as a game to your dog. For this reason, below, we will try to answer users’ most frequently asked questions.

What Are Tennis Balls?

A tennis ball is a small diameter ball that is used to practice this sport. There are different types. For this, we will analyze below what the differences are between the various models, and we will see the importance of choosing the right ball according to the circumstances.

What Types of Tennis Balls Are There?

All tennis balls have in several common aspects such as, for example, the absence of seams that could damage the tube. Another critical element is the yellow color that is used to make them clearly visible in any type of field.

Besides, depending on the surface on which they are used and the speed, there are different variants, which you can see below.

• Type 1 For use on slow surfaces (clay)
• Type 2 For medium speed surfaces (acrylic and synthetic)
• Type 3 Quick surfaces (artificial or natural grass)

There may also be differences depending on the weight and diameter of the tennis ball.

In addition, there are also other differentiating factors, such as, for example, the level of the players.

• Balls with softcore Perfect for beginners. They are lighter, and this allows greater control.
• Rubber and felt ball. Experienced players use them. They have a higher weight and hardness.
• Powerful balls Used by Pro players.

How to Understand Which Are the Best Tennis Balls?

Before reading this article, you probably believed that tennis balls were something simple and that you didn’t need to consider many aspects to choose one.

Depending on what we choose to buy, we will have one game experience rather than another, since they can influence factors such as rebound or reception.

So that we can say that the balls are important as the shoe or the rackets. The first thing you need to do, to understand if what you are choosing is a good ball, is to read the label on the package.

There it will be written if it is a ball for children, for competitive tournaments, or occasional use.

The balls usually for use by children are often of different colours to make them more good looking and fun. Furthermore, they don’t have very high blood pressure: they are softer to bounce more and be less fast.

The hairs that cover them are longer so that the contact surface is more excellent, and its speed is reduced.

So the more pressurized the ball, the more influential the blow will be. Also, to prevent the direction of the shot from being changed, you should always check that there are no hairless patches in any part of the ball. They must also be hard and must not deform when you press them.

How to Choose the Tennis Ball if You Are a Beginner?

If you have just started practising this sport, we advise you to choose a slow ball, so that it does not take you by surprise in the rebound or because of excessive speed.

To get started, you should feel comfortable, and the strokes with it should be pleasant. To achieve this, you will need lightly pressurized balls (thick rubber) and a flexible centre.

You will be able to recognize them as they are composed of a mix of yellow felt and one of another colour. In short, choose a softball that doesn’t have too much pressure. As you improve your technique, you will need to change the type of nut.

How should training balls be?

Balls designed for training can be hit for hours, which is why they must be sturdy so that they deteriorate as little as possible, regardless of the length of the training session. They are non-pressurized and hard-core balls. To make them more resistant, they are made with hard rubber and coated with a beautiful felt.

What Is a Pressurized Ball?

A pressurized ball is a ball inside which air is injected at a specific pressure. This type of ball is comfortable and dynamic thanks to the flexible rubber with which it is produced. Often these balls are covered with thick felt. The trick to surprise opponents with them is not to make flat shots.

If the surface on which they are used is smooth, the shots you shoot will be faster. On red clay, they can be slow.

They also allow you to create interesting effects, but absorb moisture and weigh more as their thickness increases. Although they are the most expensive and the ones that last the least, they are the most purchased among amateur players.

Purchase Criteria

There are many models of tennis balls on the market. For this reason, it is essential to compare them before making the purchase.

In this section, we will show you what are the most important aspects to consider before buying a tennis ball. In this way, you will be able to choose the best one according to your needs.

• Game level
• Durability
• Felt and core
• The surface on which you will play
• Ball-type

Game Level

In the previous lines, we have already talked about the different levels that the various brands use to define their tennis balls. From balls for competitive tennis, with high performance, to those for beginners, cheaper and less resistant.

It is essential that you know your needs in order to find the ball that best suits your type of game.

If you are already well versed in the game, you will have to orient yourself on professional balls. But if you only play games with your friends or if you only play as a hobby, tennis balls for beginners or training could prove to be the best option.

If you keep this aspect in mind (which is one of the most important), we guarantee that you will be able to make an excellent purchase.

Durability

Even if tennis balls have a useful life, it would always be better to buy those explicitly designed to last a long time. Pressurized balls are known to have a little experience, but some components such as reinforced rubber coating or additional felts indicate that they will last longer than others.

Felt and Core

When buying tennis balls, you need to make sure that the felt is very resistant and that the core neck is highly elastic. These two factors are fundamental to determine the duration of the article.

Replacing the balls you choose to play matches with is a great idea, especially if what you’re trying to do is improve the power of your shots.

The surface on Which You Will Play

Although the jargon that is used to describe the type of balls that are used on one field rather than another may appear confusing at first, in reality, it is nothing more than one more way to describe the type of surface on which they will be used. Below, we reveal the terminology and characteristics of each of them.

Regular Duty Clay courts and covered fields. Softer but shorter felt
Extra Duty Designed for outdoor fields. The felt of the ball is woven with more wool to resist the impact with the hardest areas.
Special regular Duty For grassy surfaces. Their felt is subjected to an anti-stain treatment so that the grass does not change their color.
High altitude They are used starting from 1200 meters above sea level since ordinary balls tend to “fly” at these heights.

Ball-type

Intermediate balls are designed for children from 9 to 10 years old. They are located halfway between children’s and adult balls. They have a minor rebound. Softballs are designed specifically for children’s lessons. Finally, the sponge balls are intended for use by the little ones, since they are the lightest.

Conclusions

Tennis balls are sales in hermetically packed plastic tubes so that they do not leak pressure before they arrive on the court. In professional tournaments, a ball is used for a maximum of 9 games, because then deformations may begin to appear on its surface.

Over time, the improvements made to tennis balls are more and more. Among all the characteristics that a ball should have, there is one that makes the difference: speed.

Besides, they must be uniform: they should be made of a single material since the stitches of the seam could affect the stroke, making it worse.