Which poly ball should you choose?

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It’s the million dollar question right now, isn’t it? I’ve done a bit of homework and it’s my hope is that this post will help you gain a greater understanding of the poly ball, to lessen the confusion surrounding it and hopefully to ease your decision on what poly ball to choose.

So which poly ball should you choose? To be frank, it’s not perfectly clear. The overall situation is still quite dynamic and things have not yet settled down. On the other hand balls are evolving and seem to get better by the batch. There’s much moaning and complaining still to come, but the fact of the matter is that that is utterly pointless at this stage. The change isn’t coming - it’s already here and all we can do is embrace it and make the best out of it.

plastic-balls.jpg


MANUFACTURERS AND BALLS


At the moment there are 4 active manufacturers of the new poly ball (compared to 5 or 6 factories for the celluloid ball). All seamed “Made in China” balls are manufactured by either Double Happiness and Double Fish (their clones are listed below). Seamed “Made in Japan” balls are made by Nittaku. The seamless balls and their clones are all made in China by Xushaofa.

The fifth manufacturer is Weener in Germany, but they have yet to release any balls on the market. (UPDATE: They have just announced the release of the new Butterfly 3-star ball.)

The different balls all comply with the ITTF regulations for balls with the - temporary - exception of the DHS/DF balls which are allowed to be a little bit overweight until sometime 2016. After that they will have to comply with the original weight specs.

The manufacturers comply with the regulations employing widely differing ways. For example, the seamed DHS/DF ball and the seamed Nittaku Premium use different manufacturing methods and different plastic materials even though they are both seamed. To add to that, the seamless ball is again manufactured in a completely different way using different materials.

Please note: The slight increase in ball size and the change of material isn’t relevant to and isn’t not covered by this thread as it is focusing on playing characteristics and durability only. It doesn’t matter what the ball looks like, smells like, sounds like or how big it is as long as it plays well. That and the feeling in play is what ultimately matters to us players.


SEAMED BALLS & CLONES


DHS/Double Fish clones

DHS
40+
Double Fish
40+
Andro Speedball Mi1

Donic
40+ Cell-Free
Nittaku SHA

Tibhar
SYN TT
Joola Super-P

Stiga Optimum
40+
Butterfly
40+
Yasaka
40+
TSP
40+
Cornilleau P-Ball
Chenvul Marura
Xiom
729 P.S. 40+
Komann
Gewo Ultra
40+

Nittaku
Nittaku PLS Premium

Weener
Butterfly G40+


SEAMLESS BALLS & CLONES


Xushaofa (XSF) clones

Xushaofa
40+ POLY
Yinhe
Palio
40+
Nexy
40+
Stag Peter Karlsson
40+
Xiom
40+
Kingnik
40+
Hanno
Gambler (not ITTF approved, but USATT-approved. Same quality as 3-star ITTF balls)
Tibhar SYN SL
Joola Flash
Schildkröt
729
40+
Asian Pacific 40+

All currently ITTF approved balls can be found here:
http://www.ittf.com/stories/Pictures/Balls_01_2016.pdf

HOW DO SEAMED AND SEAMLESS COMPARE?


So how do the poly balls compare to celluloid and to each other? Below is just a brief comparison chart with info gleaned, compiled and interpreted from forums and blogs in Germany, Singapore, Australia, North America, the UK, Sweden, Denmark and from discussions with fellow players ranging from Div 2 local leagues to Top50 players in the UK.

Naturally, it isn’t scientific in any way, shape or form. It is however based on a large sample of players and their thoughts, actual experiences and findings, and not my own. Furthermore, a greater emphasis has been placed on comments on the latest, improved batches of the balls and much less on comments on the first, lower quality batches.



=============================================================================

On a scale of 0-10 where celluloid balls are represented by an “8”, this is how the poly balls appear to compare on average.



SEAMED
DHS/DF
SEAMED
Nittaku
SEAMLESS
XSF clones
SEAMED
Weener
G40+
Durability5-678-97-
Roundness688-98
Spin7777
Bounce consistencyInconsistentConsistentConsistentConsistent
Bounce height788-98
Weight8888
Speed7778-9
Feeling (vis-a-vis celluloid)6867

<tbody>
</tbody>

=============================================================================



SO WHICH POLY BALL SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?


I hope this post will help you make a better informed decision. Some of the choice of ball comes down the question of whether we are prepared to accept lower bounce, poor durabilty and inconsistent bounce. In reality we do not need to accept this, as both the seamless ball and the Nittaku Premium do not have these problems. By choosing and buying them we as players will send a clear message to the manufacturers and the ITTF that we only accept quality products and certainly not inferior ones.

The Nittaku Premium (NOT the Nittaku SHA!) does seem to be the best alternative if you’re looking for a ball as close as currently possible to the behaviour of the old celluloid. However, it suffers from fragility and it’s not widely available today. Also, all indications are that it’s significantly more expensive than other poly balls. All things taken into consideration, the Xushaofa clones seems to be the balls to choose at the moment. What is abundantly clear however, is that the DHS/DF balls are inferior in almost every aspect and perhaps best avoided.

In the end however, there’s nothing better than to try out the balls with your friends and pick the one that that you think feels the best. Whatever you choose, play and get used to that ball (it won’t take long at all). And most important of all: keep on enjoying your table tennis!

Good luck!
 
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As things stand today it seems the seamless poly ball is the best choice if you’re looking for something durable and close to the feeling of the old celluloid ball. However, it can be a little bit difficult to get hold of. All major retailers carry the DHS/DF clones, but only a few carry the Xushaofa clones.

Here’s an incomplete list of online retailers carrying the XSF clones below. Please feel free to add to it. Together we’ll make it better resource.

UK

bribartt.co.uk : Xushaofa
teessport.com : STAG Karlsson
ppong.co.uk : Yinhe


GERMANY

ttdd.de : Palio
tt-shop.net : Xushaofa
tt-shop-jesumann.de : Hanno
contra.de : Xushaofa
spinfactory.de : Xushaofa, Palio


SWEDEN

japsko.se : Kingnik, Xushaofa
sydsport.com : Xushaofa


FRANCE
misterping.com : Yinhe
castanosport.fr : Xushaofa
tabletennis11.fr : Xushaofa


BELGIUM
killypong.be : Xushaofa
Dandoy : Xushaofa.


SPAIN
tenismesa.es : Hanno, Xushaofa, Nittaku Premium


NORTH AMERICA
pingpongdepot.com : Xushaofa, Palio
colestt.com : Yinhe
alphatabletennis.com : Xushaofa
nexyusa.com : Nexy


INTERNATIONAL ONLINE, eBay, ETC
eacheng.net : China : Xushaofa, Palio, Yinhe
presports.com : Malaysia : Palio
tabletennis11.com : Estonia : Xushaofa
tt-store.eu : Bulgaria : Xushaofa
TTNPP : Xushaofa, Palio, Yinhe
 
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any yellow balls 40+ ? thanks
As far as I know there aren't any yellow balls for sale anywhere today, but there have been reports or rumours of them popping up soon-ish. Yellow balls are legal according to the regulations and I see no reason why they won't be for sale in the future.
 
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I'd suggest to use the ball that is most common in tournaments near you.. Practise with the same equipment as you play in matches :)
That's great advice :)

The way things stand here in the UK the situation is quite unclear. For people who play British League and the UK Grand Prix circuit, using the seamed (seemingly inferior) balls is necessary as they are sponsored by the big name, seamed balls.

For the local leagues, it's still up in the air. I think local leagues should adopt the seamless ball because it plays closer to the celluloid and it is very durable. It may therefore decrease the risk of moaning, of old players getting fed up and quitting and it could ease the general upheaval of the change.

Personally I think the difference is very small between the balls and getting used to them is a quick transition for me, but others disagree to varying degrees. I do favour the seamless ball though because of its playing characteristics. Apart from that I'm not too keen on cracking a ball or two a night and ending up factoring in ball purchasing alongside rent, phone bills and crisps in my monthly budget :p
But your advice is very sound :)
 
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I'd suggest to use the ball that is most common in tournaments near you.. Practise with the same equipment as you play in matches :)

Could not have said it better myself, absolute the best advice since there is a big difference between some of the brands balls.
 
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Ok thats weird....We've started using XSF seamless balls since our Nittaku SHA stock depleted, and these things are pretty much like eggshells. They are brittle like one and they shatter into pieces like one. We break like 20-40 of them every training session (2 and 1/2 hrs, high intensity drills) depending on the attendance that day and right now we are ordering 5000 more of them in preparation for next season.

I actually think the nittaku SHA's are somewhat more durable and feels more like celluloid balls....but yea the XSF's does bounce higher and more consistently than the Nittaku SHAs.

Im not saying any of them are better or your analysis is "wrong", im just stating my opinions here after playing with them for a considerable amount of time (+-300/400 hours all together)

Also, the European Games have confirmed to be using Joola seamed balls and the BUCS is only going to change the balls next season....got to say that the UK TT scene is actually pretty slow at adapting to this ball change.....
 
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I used joola polly ball. Its weight is good and also good for playing.
Joola ball is good and its prize is also good.
It is also very oft ball.
 
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I used joola polly ball. Its weight is good and also good for playing.
Joola ball is good and its prize is also good.
It is also very oft ball.
I thought all the traditionally good balls (Nittaku premium jap/DHS 3 stars etc) are towards the hard end of the scale.....
care to explain why do you think being very soft is a good thing? im interested
 
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Im not saying any of them are better or your analysis is "wrong", im just stating my opinions here after playing with them for a considerable amount of time (+-300/400 hours all together)
And that's exactly what we need. One opinion is just an opinion, 100 opinions points to something, 1000 opinions will near something like the "truth". The more personal opinions we get, the clearer the overall picture will be so thanks for you observations :)
 
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JHB

says Aged and infirm of purpose
For those of you who are interested in reading more about the poly balls, Ben Larcombe over at experttabletennis.com has written something similar about them. It's a good read. :)

You can find the article here: http://www.experttabletennis.com/be...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

I think Ben Larcombe is absolutely spot on there, an excellent analysis. Strange that even he is persuaded by Nittaku's previous reputation to sing the praises of vapourware, but he seems to back off fairly quickly and make the most practical recommendation.
 
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Simply, i use any poly ball, it doesn't matter really, if there is no high quality poly ball yet then why i cry? i use what they made or available now regardless of its quality, i have enough time to wait until they can produce something that is worthy, but to be honest, i have 2 packs of poly balls in my bag and i never opened them yet, different brands to be honest, and i keep playing with celluloid balls, i don't have to use poly balls so urgent or early yet, and i also really wonder and confused about why is all those talk about poly balls when we can play with celluloid yet and we can just play with any poly ball until we can have something sooner or later that can satisfy us, i still don't feel sad or disappointed about any poly ball i tested so far [Nittaku, Butterfly, XSF & DHS].
 
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I also ordered Yasaka poly balls to give it a try and it is cheap [3 balls pack], i am still waiting it, and i feel that any plastic ball i can play now with their cons will make it much much easier for me to adjust for the new poly with higher quality or more pros, patience is not my friend but i think it is the best solution now.
 

JHB

says Aged and infirm of purpose
Which polyball to use ? None. With great respect I would like to point out that you are all morons. I think the manufacturers are artificially keeping the price high to rip you off. This is why I keep recommending that everyone use the celluloid balls until the pros figure out the issues and the quality improves & price drops. If you keep deluding that you are professional players just because you "try" do everything they can ( but you can't ), the ball price will never come down. Think about it...they do not even have orange balls yet. How much would they cost when they first come out ? $5 a ball ? Get a clue Get a life all you EJ losers (not good enough to be professionals) LOL

Lol anyone who disagrees with you is a moron as your sites make abundantly clear.

What's an EJ when it's at home ?
 
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I used joola polly ball. Its weight is good and also good for playing.
Joola ball is good and its prize is also good.
It is also very oft ball.

I agree that they feel soft, but did you not have problem with the quality? I trained with them for a few practices and way to many broke.
 
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