7 Best Tennis Balls For Practice
There are a massive amount of tennis balls on the market and choosing one can be quite confusing. All balls have different abilities and choosing the right one depends on what you are looking for.
When it comes to finding tennis balls to practice with, the main factor to consider is durability. You want to be able to hit the balls over and over again for hours without feeling like you have to replace them all the time.
To make your practices more pleasant, I created this list with the most durable balls on the market, that still don’t sacrifice quality.
Here are the 7 best tennis balls for practice sessions.
1. Dunlop ATP Extra Duty
Surface: Hard courts
The first ball on the list, Dunlop ATP Extra Duty. One of the most popular tennis balls right now, both at the recreational level and the pro scene. It’s the official ball for the ATP World Tour, which is a sign of quality.
What makes this ball stand out for me is its durability. I practice with the Dunlop ATP Extra Duty myself and It feels like I can play forever with this ball without feeling like it lacks in quality.
If you want a practice ball that has a great combination of quality and durability, the Dunlop ATP Extra Duty is here for you. The ball is mainly made for hard courts, so if you spend more time on clay courts, you should consider other balls on this list.
Pros
- Quality
- Durability
- Official ball for the ATP World Tour
Cons
- Expensive
2. Penn Pro Marathon Extra Duty
Surface: All surfaces
The Penn Pro Marathon Extra Duty is one of the most popular practice balls on the market right now. It’s marketed as the most durable Penn ball and from my own experience practicing with this ball, it’s definitely up there.
You can practice with this ball for endless hours without feeling like it’s unplayable. While the durability is amazing, it still got the quality that you are looking for. In addition, the Penn balls use something called Smart Optik felt, which makes the ball very visible during night play.
Due to its durability, longevity, and visibility, the Pro Penn Marathon balls are the choice of the PTR pros. Apart from that, it’s one of the most popular balls to use for practice at the recreational level. You can’t go wrong with the Penn Pro Marathon Extra Duty.
Pros
- Durability
- Visibility
- Official ball for PTR Pros
Cons
- Different feel
3. Penn Championship Extra Duty
Surface: For all surfaces
The Penn Championship is, if not the most popular tennis ball in the world, one of them. This is the ball that I use for my practices and I love the amount of longevity the ball has without sacrificing any quality. I have play-tested most tennis balls on the market and If I would pick 1 ball to practice with for the rest of my life, It would be the Penn Championship.
There is no other ball on the market that has the same quality and durability as the Penn Championship. You can expect to practice with these balls for many hours without feeling like it lacks quality. It’s a pretty cheap option, so you won’t break the bank when you have to buy a new can.
The Penn Championship is overall, from my experience, the best option available when it comes to practicing tennis. The ball has excellent durability, quality and it comes at a very cheap price, what more could you ask for?
Pros
- Durability
- Quality
- Cheap
Cons
- Couldn’t find any
4. Wilson Championship Extra Duty
Surface: For all surfaces
The Wilson Championship is another excellent option to practice with. From my experience, the ball has pretty good durability, but not close to the same amount of durability as other balls on the list. The Wilson Championship is a great option for those who don’t mind spending a little extra on their balls.
What makes this ball stand out is the consistent bounce and the out-of-can feel. You can expect a high-quality ball that will last longer compared to the average tennis ball, but compared to other balls on this list, the durability isn’t anything to brag about.
The Wilson Championship is overall a great option to practice with. You can expect the ball to deliver great quality and slightly above average durability.
Pros
- Quality
- Durability
Cons
- Expensive
5. Wilson US Open Extra Duty
Surface: Hard courts
The Wilson US Open Extra Duty, is as the name suggests, the official ball of the US Open. The ball is made with exclusive felt from the Tex Tech industries, for superior playability, durability, and consistency.
This ball got all the ingredients to be the perfect practice ball. Although, it also works excellent for match-plays and tournaments. The Wilson US Open has the perfect combination of quality and durability. But the downside is the price, it’s one of the most expensive balls on the market right now. But, you get what you pay for.
The Wilson US Open Extra Duty is hard to compete with if you don’t mind spending some extra bucks on your tennis balls. You won’t be disappointed about what the Wilson US Open Extra Duty delivers.
6. Dunlop Grand Prix
Surface: For all surfaces
The Dunlop Grand Prix has for quite some years now, been one of the most popular tennis balls in the world. I can see why, as it offers the ultimate combination of performance and durability.
A special mix of 14 ingredients creates the secret rubber core formula that is combined with the finest woven felt to produce a ball with outstanding feel and performance.
What I love about the Dunlop Grand Prix is the visibility. They use something called MaxGlo felt that is 14% brighter than the regular cloth. This allows you to sight the ball earlier and gives you more time for shot preparation.
An overall great tennis ball to practice with. You can expect to hit the ball for plenty of hours without feeling like it will lack much quality.
Pros
- Durability
- Visibility
- Consistent bounce
Cons
- Expensive
7. Penn World Tour Extra Duty
Surface: Hard courts
The last ball on my list, Penn World Tour Extra Duty. Known for being as the name suggest, the official ball for the ATP World Tour. Which is a sign that the quality is excellent. But, what about durability?
From my experience practicing with this ball, the feel is beyond great out of the can. But, after playing with it for a while, the bounce becomes a little inconsistent. However, I love practicing with this ball and it takes many hours before experiencing the inconsistent bounces.
The durability is great, but not as good as other balls on this list. On the other hand, the out-of-can feel is better than all balls on this list. You can expect a decently durable ball with great quality and a great out-of-can experience.
Pros
- Quality
- Feel, out of the can
Cons
- Inconsistent bounce
Things To Consider
All the tennis balls that were listed above are pretty similar, so it doesn’t matter too much which one you pick. But, something that is important that I can recommend based on my own experience, is to buy balls in bunches.
Buying 1 can at a time is going to be so much more expensive in the long run, than going for a big one-time purchase. I have been pretty bad at doing so during my career, but I have started to do so in recent years. I don’t only buy in bunches to save money, but also because it’s very time-consuming to buy new balls all the time.
If you have a hard time picking 1 of all the balls listed, I would recommend going with the Penn Championship. It’s my go-to option for my practices and it has everything you could ask for in regards to quality, durability, and price.
Here is the full list of the best tennis balls for practice
- Dunlop ATP Regular Duty
- Penn Pro Marathon Extra Duty
- Penn Championship Extra Duty (Editors Choice)
- Wilson Championship Extra Duty
- Wilson US Open Extra Duty
- Dunlop Grand Prix
- Penn World Tour Extra Duty
