Best balls

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
May 2015
3,238
3,924
27,424
Read 5 reviews
What is the current best ball brand? I'm currently training with DHS 3 stars, but i like Butterfly and Stiga balls..

Like everything else in life:

it really depends what you're lookin' for.
In terms of being closest to cell-balls the already above mentioned Nittaku Premium P40+
In terms of being the fastest it is the Butterfly G40+
The most durable is the XuShaoFa seamless ball (keep in mind that ALL seamless Balls are made @ XuShaoFa Factory, no matter what kind of printing is on it)

I personally like all three, but prefer the Nittaku Premium 40+, 'cause many clubs in our league are still allowed to use Cell-balls and there is no big transition to the NP40+.
But some of my clubmates love the speediness of the G40+ even more.

I guess in the end it's a matter of Taste. A flat hitter probably prefers speed over spin, whereas a spinner would prefer a ball that is more spin-sensitive and a scrooge probably prefers XSF 40+...

[Emoji12]
 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Aug 2016
869
1,202
2,883
I buy the balls for our club so price is a factor. I don't care how good a ball is. 3 some dollars per ball IMO is highway robbery. Particularly when there are not good but great balls as alternatives for 1/2 that cost.

I'm a seamless fan for sure.

My favorite ball is the Gambler 3 Star ball. Next after that I would probably say XuShaoFa. 3rd Yinhe.

All these balls are seamless and play pretty much identical from my standpoint.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
May 2015
3,238
3,924
27,424
Read 5 reviews
I buy the balls for our club so price is a factor.

Me too, but we (our club makes democratic decisions) value quality over quantity. So in the long run we actually save more.

...My favorite ball is the Gambler 3 Star ball. Next after that I would probably say XuShaoFa. 3rd Yinhe.

All these balls are seamless and play pretty much identical from my standpoint.

Probably 'cause they're all made in the same factory
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Ilia Minkin
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Feb 2016
648
389
1,087
Me too, but we (our club makes democratic decisions) value quality over quantity. So in the long run we actually save more.



Probably 'cause they're all made in the same factory

Well, since TT is a much bigger sport in Europe (especially germany and sweden) compared to US I'm not surprised with the additional club budget to use such ball. Not to mention NP 40+ is one of the most used ball for championship in Europe.

I'm not sold on your comment about XSF seamless being the most durable though. I break seamless balls much faster to the point buying NP 40+ actually saves me more money in the long run
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,146
17,685
54,747
Read 11 reviews
....and a scrooge probably prefers XSF 40+...

[Emoji12]

Oh no you didn't!!!!

You done gone and outed Der_Echte for being a scrooge!!!!

It's not bad enough that he used to use an $8.00 rubber for his BH. Now you've given away why he likes the Nexy ball best. They are the heaviest, most durable of the most durable seamless balls. Hahahahaha.


Sent from Inside The Chamber of Secrets by Patronus
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,146
17,685
54,747
Read 11 reviews
All these balls are seamless and play pretty much identical from my standpoint.

Each seamless ball has slightly different specs for each different company. Like Gambler seems to be the largest. And Nexy seems to be the heaviest/densest, so, most durable. But they all are pretty much the same because the production process is the same.


Sent from Inside The Chamber of Secrets by Patronus
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Aug 2016
869
1,202
2,883
Each seamless ball has slightly different specs for each different company. Like Gambler seems to be the largest. And Nexy seems to be the heaviest/densest, so, most durable. But they all are pretty much the same because the production process is the same.

Sent from Inside The Chamber of Secrets by Patronus

I'd agree with this. That's why i ranked them. While they play very similar, I prefer the sound of the Gambler ball say to that Yinhe ball.

I don't think if our club switched to NP 40 we'd save any more. I don't recall a time that a seamless ball has cracked (at least in recent memory) just from hitting. At our club players grab several balls, put them in their pocket and go play.

I suspect what happens is balls either get forgotten in someones pocket for it ends up in someone's bad (i've even found club balls in my bag that must have bounced in) or the occasional accidental step on a ball on the ground. If the NP can withstand that, maybe we'd consider the switch. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Apr 2013
226
65
336
Read 5 reviews
"
Like everything else: it really depends what you're lookin' for.
In terms of being closest to cell-balls the already above mentioned Nittaku Premium P40+
In terms of being the fastest it is the Butterfly G40+
The most durable is the XuShaoFa seamless ball (keep in mind that ALL seamless Balls are made @ XuShaoFa Factory, no matter what kind of printing is on it)

I personally like all three, but prefer the Nittaku Premium 40+, 'cause many clubs in our league are still allowed to use Cell-balls and there is no big transition to the NP40+.
But some of my clubmates love the speediness of the G40+ even more."



Most durable ball is not seamles but Nittaku premium. Seamless balls brakes every time you hit with an edge of your racket. Nittaku premium is allmost too durable. Sometimes the surface gets a bit slick before ball brakes. Nittaku premium´s quality has drop. Last pach my friend recieved had about 1/3 of all balls different than others. They sounds like XSF and feels a bit harder that "normal" Nittaku balls. When you pay 2.5€/ball quality issues should not be a problem, but unfortunately it is.

So my 2cents are Nittaku is most durable and closest to celluloid. Seamles balls cracks really easy but are most fun to play with. Seamed balls (Stiga, Dhs etc.) stay away of these they are generally horrible.
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,146
17,685
54,747
Read 11 reviews
As far as balls though, I am not too picky, if I play with the seamless, the G40+ or the Nittaku Premium I am okay. I just don't want to waste my time with any of the balls that come out of the DHS or Double Fish factories. They are just not good. That ITTF actually gives them a 3 star approval is totally crazy. And, in my opinion ITTF looks bad as a result. And they look even worse when they try to pretend that there isn't a problem with what is going on with Poly ball production.

I also think the specs and playing characteristics of each ball is way too different from brand to brand. Even the material used in each different ball is different. I feel that it looks bad that ITTF allows balls that are so different to all be considered acceptable.


Sent from Inside The Chamber of Secrets by Patronus
 
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Sep 2011
12,822
13,211
30,390
Read 27 reviews
Oh no you didn't!!!!

You done gone and outed Der_Echte for being a scrooge!!!!

It's not bad enough that he used to use an $8.00 rubber for his BH. Now you've given away why he likes the Nexy ball best. They are the heaviest, most durable of the most durable seamless balls. Hahahahaha.


Sent from Inside The Chamber of Secrets by Patronus

I used to pay $10 for a 6 pack of high quality Celluloid balls in Korea when I played every damned day. They would last one week if I used only my balls. That is $40 a month. If I won a tourney, I would trade my rubber I won for match balls.

I sold a 6 pack of nexy 40+ balls to a chopper in one of the clubs I go to. He insists on playing every match with his balls. He plays 3x a week. He reported his first broken ball... FIVE months after I sold him the balls. Dude has 5 balls left after 5 months, and I gave him a discount off our normal $14 retail price for a 6 pack. At that rate, he will need to resupply in 2018. Pretty damned good.

Even Nittaku 40+ Premium, they seem to last at least a week, so a 6 pack can make to to two months if you are good, those suckas cost a fortune per ball, $3 per ball, but in the long run, they are more inexpensive than celluloid balls by 4 times easily.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
This user has no status.
How about $10 for one ball? Would you spend $60 for a pack of these?

3538bd95d42e0d415160cb05c393ca75.jpg


Good thing they play much better than the regular ones...
 
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Sep 2011
12,822
13,211
30,390
Read 27 reviews
the butterfly balls holy shit. i played a classification tournament today. and holy mother of jesus the ball would not behave itself.
the more you put into it the less it could make up its mind whether to like actually move or just sit there

That is a very colorful and accurate portrayal of how a seamed plastic ball behaves, especially on slow junk balls, simply unpredictable. I rely on allowing ball to come up higher and impact it. With balls like that, the ball is rarely at the height, depth or side postition you are anticipating. Since you already positioned yourself and committed to a strong swing, you cannot stop or re-direct the frieght train mid-stroke... you are screwed.

That is what playing with a Joola 40+ seamed plastic ball is like in USA... and Joola seems to pimp that ball a lot in USA. WHY not?? Business is all about pimping and I have no fundamental issues against pimping (puffing or marketing is the legal business term) Still, those pimping the 40+ Joola ball need to make Count Dracula in the dark and get it over with. Seamed plastic balls with erratic bounce and roundness and durability need to go and ITF needs to quit protecting those.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
May 2015
3,238
3,924
27,424
Read 5 reviews
Well, since TT is a much bigger sport in Europe (especially germany and sweden) compared to US I'm not surprised with the additional club budget to use such ball. Not to mention NP 40+ is one of the most used ball for championship in Europe.

Well, might be to a degree, though we don't just go around and burn money for fun. Actually the financial situation for many clubs is not so well at all, like e.g. 20 years ago. But i don't want to sound complaining and compared to other countries it still is pretty good.

But we use the 3***balls only for competitions or league matches.
Our practice-balls are the Easy Balls, and we hand out those to club members for free for their practice, but if someone wants to use any other than those, they have to bring it on their own.

But i agree, valueing quality over quantity has been actually a saving, IMHO
 
Top