Pressureless ball

Pressureless ball is a special type of tennis ball that does not have a core of pressurized air as standard balls do, but rather has a core made of solid rubber, or a core filled tightly with micro-particles. Quality pressureless balls are approved for top-pro play generally, but pressureless balls are typically used mostly at high altitudes, where standard balls would be greatly affected by the difference between the high pressure in the ball and the thin air.

To understand the difference between pressureless and pressurized tennis balls we need to know how they are constructed. Pressurized tennis balls have compressed air in rubber balls with fuzzy fabric cover. Pressureless tennis balls are solid inside. For example, Tretorn Micro-X pressureless tennis balls are filled with 700 million micro cells filled with air. The cover is also made from fabric like with pressurized tennis balls.

So the difference lies inside the rubber ball and it shows up in characteristic and way of the use of particular balls.

The main advantage of pressureless tennis balls is their long life span. They are sometimes called as forever balls as they never lose bounce. Pressureless balls can lose the yellow color as fabric wears out, but the core remains solid. That is the main difference against pressurized tennis balls that lose the bounce and flatten in the course of time depending on their use.

You can use pressureless tennis balls for any surface, they are essentially all court tennis balls.

Pressureless tennis balls are usually sold in buckets of 48 or 72 balls. Thanks to their longevity, if you do not mind a loss of fuzzy fabric covering over time, it is a cost-wise solution for clubs or for practice with tennis ball machines. You even can find Tretorn Micro-X pressureless tennis balls to be sold with an imprinted logo of Lobster Sports, one of the two most known ball machines producers.

They feel a little bit heavier during warm-up comparing to pressurized tennis balls. The bounce is the same as with pressurized balls but the speed of the pressureless balls is higher. There can be a problem to adjust as you need to quicken your reaction time.

Combination of weight and speed can be hard to absorb for beginners or even intermediate players. Sometimes you can feel the increased burden on your elbow and wrist due to the weight of balls. You will not feel the weight difference when holding the balls in hands, but you feel a slight difference during the hits. Your arms will need some time to adjust to playing with pressureless tennis balls.

The fastness of the balls can be an advantage for you. You will get used to reacting much quicker. That can be utilized successfully in competitive matches.

Good thing is, the balls do not show up any signs of wearing out or bounce deterioration after hours of practice during several weeks. They do not flatten and do not require special care in between practice sessions. The bounce consistency for months (or even years) of the practice playing is the biggest positive of pressureless tennis balls.

Pressureless tennis balls are really for long term use. They are recommended for flat shots practice or for practice with a tennis ball machine. You can be sure that every tennis ball has constant bounce and every shot by a tennis ball machine will be placed exactly at the same place.

They are very good for practice sessions, but remember that matches are played with pressurized tennis balls. Therefore, it’s recommended to switch back to them a few practices before competition matches. The adjustment period can be a little bit longer sometimes.