Low Compression vs. Pressureless Tennis Balls

Low-compression balls are made with less internal pressure than standard tennis balls. They are designed to make learning the game and skills of tennis easier; low-compression balls travel at slower speeds and bounce at heights to match a student’s age, size, skill level and mobility. Pressureless balls are made to look like regular tennis balls; however, they have no pressure inside and are designed to maintain their bounce longer.

  1. Low-Compression Ball Specifications

    • According to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), standard tennis balls are made with 11 to 14 psi internal pressure and have a controlled bounce of 53 to 58 inches. Low-compression balls have reduced amounts of internal pressure which makes them softer and slower, and make them bounce lower than regular balls. There are basically three types of low-compression balls approved by the ITF: Stage 3 (red), Stage 2 (orange) and Stage 1 (green). The red ball is slightly larger than a standard tennis ball; it's designed to be 75-percent slower and bounces 35 to 41 inches. The orange ball is the same size as a standard ball, is 50-percent slower and bounces 41 to 47 inches. The green ball is also the same size as a regular tennis ball, but is designed to be 25-percent slower with a bounce of 47 to 53 inches.

    Benefits of Low-Compression Balls

    • Low-compression balls were originally designed and used by the United States Tennis Association's 10 and Under and QuickStart tennis programs. With these programs, different court dimensions are used to correspond to the type of ball. Low-compression balls are also used to teach players with disabilities and seniors who have mobility limitations. With softer, slower balls, players have more time to react, move to the ball and maintain a rally without arm-jarring impacts. Low-compression balls keep the bounce appropriate to the height of player, allowing for a more comfortable contact point for smaller children. With the three types of low-compression balls, beginning players develop and improve in stages. This makes the transition to playing on a full-size court with regular balls easier.

    Pressureless Ball Specifications

    • Sometimes referred to as practice balls, zero-pressure or non-pressurized balls, approved ITF pressureless tennis balls have an internal air pressure no greater than 1 psi. Where regular pressurized balls rely on the internal pressure for their bounce, pressureless balls get their bounce entirely from the thickness and hardness of the rubber core. The look and size of these balls are basically the same as standard pressurized balls; however, they are stiffer and are designed to have a controlled bounce of 48 to 53 inches.

    Benefits of Pressureless Balls

    • Over time, standard tennis balls lose their bounce, become soft and go dead. This is because the internal pressure slowly seeps through the walls of the ball. With pressureless tennis balls there is no loss of pressure, so they maintain their bounce longer. Some players find it more economical to practice with pressureless balls. It takes many balls to fill up some tennis ball machines and having to replenish a supply of regular tennis balls often can be expensive — using pressureless balls may save you money in the long run.