March 01, 2023
About table tennis balls.
Back in the old days (in this case "the old days" ends around 2015), table tennis balls were made of celluloid. This was changed, and these days table tennis balls are made of plastic - usually ABS-plastic which we all know from different products including LEGO. ABS-plastic is hard, impact resistant and light - and not too expensive. In our opinion this is the best material to use for table tennis balls (other balls are made of CA-plastic, and they have problems getting the right hardness and don't last as long). Both our Inzone Dura ** and Inzone Training * is made from ABS-plastic.
Compared to the old celluloid balls, ABS-balls are more durable, harder and – importantly – more evenly hard. Good quality balls of ABS-plastic don’t have the “soft areas” that characterized the celluloid balls - so the bounce is more predictable. Plastic balls (both CA and ABS) are more difficult to spin and requires better rubbers to get a good grip on the ball. The bounce on the table is different and a topspin shot don’t get the same aggressive ball curve as with the celluloid balls.
The number of stars on the balls don't say much about the quality, since there is no universal standards. Some table tennis balls (usually with 3 stars) have the ITTF-stamp. This means they are approved for tournament table tennis and live up to certain standards.
With out the ITTF-stamp there is no guarantee of a certain quality just because of the number of stars on the ball. At Inzone we have decided – at least for the moment – not to make an “ITTF-ball”. This is because this process is quite expensive. Instead, we decided to spend the money to ensure the best possible quality of our TT-balls. The Dura ** is as good as many ***-balls and a lot cheaper, while the Training * is on the same level as the ** balls from most brands.
Compared to the old celluloid balls, ABS-balls are more durable, harder and – importantly – more evenly hard. Good quality balls of ABS-plastic don’t have the “soft areas” that characterized the celluloid balls - so the bounce is more predictable. Plastic balls (both CA and ABS) are more difficult to spin and requires better rubbers to get a good grip on the ball. The bounce on the table is different and a topspin shot don’t get the same aggressive ball curve as with the celluloid balls.
The number of stars on the balls don't say much about the quality, since there is no universal standards. Some table tennis balls (usually with 3 stars) have the ITTF-stamp. This means they are approved for tournament table tennis and live up to certain standards.
With out the ITTF-stamp there is no guarantee of a certain quality just because of the number of stars on the ball. At Inzone we have decided – at least for the moment – not to make an “ITTF-ball”. This is because this process is quite expensive. Instead, we decided to spend the money to ensure the best possible quality of our TT-balls. The Dura ** is as good as many ***-balls and a lot cheaper, while the Training * is on the same level as the ** balls from most brands.