Ping pong is one of the most popular games in the world. You can not play table tennis should you not have a table tennis ball.
Characteristics of a best ping pong balls
Based on these vital characteristics, you can judge to select the top table tennis ball according to your needs.
Appearance
Material
Seamed balls or seamless
Star rating
Packaging to identify the manufacturing date
Among these, the star rating, the house of seamed or seamless, and the material are the main element factors for your section. You must concentrate more on these three factors.
1. Appearance
A ping pong ball must be white or orange. The selection of ball colors depends on the background. For a dark background, the colour should be white, while for a white background it is orange.
One thing also to remember is the dominant color of a shirt, skirt, or shorts. Other than the sleeves or collar, the colour of a shirt must change from area of a ball.
2. Material
Though celluloid balls are going to be obsolete, you will still find these balls on industry along with plastic balls. Nowadays, these celluloid balls aren’t included in competitive tournaments and fortunately they are costlier than plastic balls.
To distinguish between plastic and celluloid balls, check the package for 40 or 40+, If it’s 40, then there are celluloid balls inside the package as well as for 40+, it is plastic table tennis balls.
3. Seamed or Seamless
In the market, you will find two variations of Table Tennis Balls. Some may be seamed, and the other one is seamless.
A seamed ball must consist of only 1 seam according to ITTF guidelines. Plastic balls are either seamed or seamless whereas only seamed balls are for sale to celluloid.
Advantages of Seamless balls over seamed
Seamless balls are stronger.
The generation of spin is more in seamless balls.
Seamless balls fly in the air comparatively quicker than seamed balls.
Roundness is superior.
The bounce is more uniform.
The feeling is better than seamed balls.
4. Star Rating
Fortunately, you can differentiate Table Tennis Balls using their star rating that will ease your option to choose.
Ping pong balls of just one 1 star, 2 star, and 3 stars
You can see three types of star ratings.
1 Star: It belongs to the cheapest quality of the three. If you are a beginner, you may make use of it for training, but these balls are more prone to damage.
2 Star: These table tennis balls are much better than 1 star in conditions of quality and durability. Two-star balls are popular at the school and club levels.
3 Star: It denoted the best level of quality. Tournament organizers at the international, national, and state-level use 3-star balls.
5. Stamp
The stamp of the ball may cover a maximum section of 280 mm². The stamp on the surface of the ball should contain only the following items.
ITTF approval
Star rating
Brand Name
40+ for plastic balls and 40 for celluloid balls.
“Made in” followed by the country of production.
6. Packaging
The ping pong ball must be packaged properly in paper or plastic boxes or a blister pack.
The date code must be visible in all packaging. The date code comprises 4 characters i.e. the first 2 for the month and the last 2 for the entire year.
Properties of a Ping Pong Ball
The following properties of a ping pong ball should match the standards fixed by ITTF (International PING PONG Federation)
Weight
Size or Diameter
Bounce Conformity
Spherical Conformity
Hardness Conformity
Veer
Color
1. Weight
The weight of the table tennis ball must be 2.7 gm with tolerance with an upper limit of 2.77 gm and a lower limit of 2.67 gm. Heavier balls are faster than lighter balls.
2. Size
For celluloid balls: The utmost limit of diameter is 40.50 mm, whereas the minimum diameter must be at least 39.50 mm.
For non-celluloid balls: The minimum diameter of balls must be at least 40.00 mm and the utmost diameter must be within 40.60 mm.
3. Bounce conformity
For celluloid balls: Every ball must rebound to the very least height of 240 mm and a maximum height of 260 mm when dropped from a height of 305 mm over a ping pong table.
For non-celluloid balls: Every limit is the same as celluloid balls except the limit of maximum height which is 265 mm.
4. Sphericity conformity
The table tennis balls must be spherical. The sphericity of an ball which indicates the lack of sphericity is the absolute difference between the maximum and minimum diameter.
For celluloid balls: The sphericity of any ball must be less than 0.35 mm.
For non-celluloid balls: The sphericity must be significantly less than 0.25 mm.
5. Hardness conformity
For balls with seam: The geometric mean pole hardness of any ball should be between 0.68 and 0.81 mm.
For seamless balls: It ought to be within 0.70 to 0.90 mm.
6. Veer
Ping pong balls must not veer. Veer not only measures the roundness but also defines the difference in thickness along the surface of the ball. You can test it by rolling the ball down from a slightly inclined surface. If the path of the ball follows a straight line, it does not veer.
7. Color
The color of every ping pong ball must be either white or orange. If the backdrop color is light, it is advisable to use orange-colored balls whereas, for dark-colored background, white balls are more suitable to use.
How To Care For Your Ping Pong Balls
Clean balls with a wet, clean cloth. Don’t use an air dryer for drying balls, instead use a dry, clean cloth.
Don’t keep balls under direct sunlight.
Don’t store balls in a bathroom, where there’s a lot of moisture.
Keep the ball away from heat.
Don’t leave the ball on to the floor to avoid stepping.
Don’t press the ball hard when there is any doubt about any type of crack, rather follow the undermentioned procedures.
Testing Before YOU GET
These days, you’re more likely to buy your ping pong balls online so when it comes to lowering costs that’s no doubt a smart idea. Still, there’s too much to be said for actually paying a visit to your local sporting goods store to check out the brands you’re considering buying.
For one thing, there’s an improved chance of speaking to someone who knows what they’re discussing and can give you advice on the best ping pong balls for your needs.
