What Are Padel Balls? + How to Use Them Best
When I first came to padel, I presumed that padel balls were the same as tennis balls. I didn’t properly realise until a couple weeks after playing that the balls were different and why this was important.
What are padel balls? Padel balls are similar to tennis balls, the only difference being the internal pressure. That being 14psi for new tennis balls versus 11psi for new padel balls. They are made from the same materials and manufacturers, but the pressure is lower causing less of a bounce.
Why Are Padel Balls Not The Same As Tennis?
People often think why? Why give a ball with less bounce, surely that is less fun right?
Wrong, padel is a lot more fun with the less bouncy balls, if they are too bouncy, it would make it too easy for players to kick the ball out the court or pop it straight out.
Padel is also a much softer game than tennis, which means that if you make the padel balls have a high pressure, it makes the ball travel a lot faster round the court. Again, making the smash too tricky to get back and too easy for the opponents to win the point.
Padel balls are not the same as tennis balls because they have to be adjusted for a softer game, with tennis balls, padel would be frustrating!
What Are the Best Padel balls?
From my experience testing every type of padel balls, the following below are really great.
Bullpadel balls (My favourite)
This type of ball is really good, in the dry it is nice and bouncy, and even after getting wet, it maintains it’s bounce and lasts a long time.
Kuikma balls (Very popular)
This ball is just like bullpadel, possibly a little too bouncy in the hot conditions in the summer, but maintains really well through the winter and cold conditions.
Head balls (Used in the WPT)
Head balls have the best and more professional bounce. They are the best for hot and dry conditions and tournament scenarios. For me, I don’t like these balls in the wet, they lose there bounce quite easily.
How Do You Maintain Padel Balls?
If you want to keep your padel balls for the absolute longest possible, make sure to keep them in warm, dry conditions, and avoid getting them wet.
When the balls are warmer and drier, they bounce a lot better.
What do I do if my padel balls get wet?
If your padel balls do get wet, then you need to put them in a warm, dry place for a long period of time. Around 10-14 hours would be great. They will not bounce as well as they once did, but it will help preserve there life for longer.
You could put them in a place such as a warm fire or a heated floor/radiator.
Posts We Think You Will Like
4 Secret Padel Tips and Tricks They DON’T Tell You About
Do you want to get that slight edge over your competition and your opponents?
BEST Padel Rackets For 2021 (Ultimate Buyer’s Guide)
The best padel rackets, the ultimate buyers guide for 2021.
The 2 BIGGEST Mistakes When Choosing A Padel Racket
The 2 BIGGEST Mistakes When Choosing A Padel Racket When choosing a padel racket, there are 2 HUGE mistakes that people make that often
Need Help Choosing A Padel Racket?
Give The EP Team a Call Or Drop Us A Text – 07704048874
We Will Help You Find The Right Racket For You.