How often should we change the table tennis ball?

In this article you will find out when and why you should change your table tennis ball. Read more about table tennis balls here.

Table tennis ball construction and material

Here, we’ll take a look at the main types of ping pong balls you might find on the market, their characteristics and whether they’re suitable for your purposes.

You can find ping pong balls in specialist sporting goods stores, but the huge variety is likely to seriously confuse you, especially if you’re new to the sport.

Diameter and weight

Ping pong balls vary in size. Depending on it, one can conclude whether they are suitable for beginners or are meant for those more experienced in the game. The standard ones are 40+ mm in diameter. In other words the size is more than 40mm and less than 41mm

Material

The main material from which tennis balls are manufactured is plastic. Polymer balls are distinguished by the possibility of precise shaping

The first table tennis ball 

In 1900, the first table tennis ball made of celluloid and with a diameter of 38 mm was introduced. Remarkably, it remained almost unchanged for 100 years until it was replaced by a 40mm standard, and a little later the material changed from celluloid to plastic and the size became 40+mm

 

How often should we change the ball?

The frequency of changing the ball depends mostly on how often we use it. The more a product is used, the faster it depreciates. Naturally, it also depends on the quality of the material it is made of. The better the quality of the ball we use, the less often we will have to replace it. Most often, the replacement of the game ball with a new one is necessary due to a rupture of the material from which it is made. But high quality professional balls are much less likely to break. Rather their surface wears out as a result of playing with them a lot. They lose the natural roughness that they have when they are new, and hence we lose the ability to apply enough foul shots and achieve the desired result in games. Therefore, when we notice that the surface of the ball is already too polished and smooth, it is better to replace it with a new one, especially if we are not just playing for fun, but want to achieve higher results in this sport.

Material quality

In the characteristics of many tennis balls you will notice the presence (or absence) of stars. This is a scale for evaluating the quality of the respective balls and is important when choosing.

Off the scale (without stars) – a mass model that can be found in virtually any home improvement store and even in bookstores. The quality is low, it often has an outer edge that interferes with accurate strokes. They are not resistant to prolonged use, but they are affordable, ideal for children and come in large cuts.

1 star – relatively good quality. Suitable for practice against a robot or solo play.

2 stars – may have slight deviations from ideal shape and weight, which is the only reason they don’t have 3 stars. Not very popular and are rather rare.

3 Stars – the best choice when training regularly and making an effort to improve skills. They meet the requirements for accuracy, strength, density, have no edges and undergo a special selection procedure.

Top offers from TT store

The balls you will find here are made of high quality and durable material that makes them very durable. The even thickness is important for the quality and correct bounce of the ball off the table, and the ideal spherical shape is important for the control and flight of the ball. We offer a wide variety of sets, pieces and brands. Standard ball size is 40+ mm and colors are white or orange. You can get them in sets of 3,6,10 or larger quantities as well as individual singles.

 Here you will find a selection of amateur and professional table tennis balls that feature perfect control – ideal bounce, flight and following the desired trajectory. Suitable for use on all tennis tables – indoor and outdoor.

Training Balls

In the category “training balls” you can find our selection of the best training balls in the world of table tennis. Training ping pong balls come to the rescue when we have decided to get more serious about table tennis and want to flex our shots and combinations or foot movement. For this purpose, multiple ping pong balls are needed for multiball training. 

         Another use case for table tennis training balls is for hobby use or for schools, kindergartens hotels and other establishments. 

            Table tennis balls (even training balls) vary in hardness and sphericity. That is why we have tried to offer a wide variety to suit every taste. Some training balls are lighter, others heavier, some spin more and others have a longer life. We have offers from the brands GEWO,YINHE,DONIC,DHS,YASAKA.

Professional balls

In the category “Table Tennis Competition Balls” you can find our suggestions for some of the most elite and preferred balls in the World.

But first, let’s say a few words about competition balls. These are, by definition, table tennis balls marked with a 3-star signature. When a ball has such a signature, it means that it has passed the highest level of inspection and quality control. This ball must be of perfect sphericity and consistent hardness because it will be used to play table tennis on points.

The ping pong balls we offer in this category are some of the most sought after in their class. Such as the DHS/WTT DJ40+, which are used for world table tennis championships. Or Nittaku / Premium, which have legendary status among tennis players worldwide. We also offer other tennis balls, from brands such as Yasaka, Gevo and Viktas and Donik which are favored by millions of players worldwide.