Biggest Downfall of the Plastic Ball

They are too expensive. Other than that i don't mind them.

edgy said:

They are too expensive. Other than that i don't mind them.

Click to expand...

+1

Agreed.

I'm kinda over talking about what's bad about them. Feel like it's getting to be old news. It didn't really need to happen but they made the switch. It's done & over with. I don't really see the point in complaining about them now.

Just my 2 cents.

I want agreement on a single standard. Ideally it would be based on current Nittaku Premium, or (next best) based on various seamless balls. The Chinese seamed balls are still bad, and while they made some progress, I think whatever approach they are using should be abandoned. It just isn't resulting in very playable balls.

In other words, there should be more uniformity from one brand to another. I am quite happy to play with either the Nittaku Premium or the various seamless balls. No complaints from me on either. I very much enjoy playing with either one, as much as ever.

Of course price is an issue to, it would be good if it was lower, but that may be a feature, not a bug, of the change IMHO. The major rule changes on equipment since 2000 all led to increased equipment costs not long afterword.

Differences between brands and types of 40+ ball are, in my opinion, a big problem.

With the celluloid 40mm balls, if you trained with a Nittaku 3 star, or even a Nittaku 2 star and showed up to a tournament that was using a DHS 3 star, you did not need to do anything but 2 or 3 hits to get used to the ball. With these Poly balls, each are so different from any of the others, that it is really like you have to adjust to a new ball every time you change what kind of ball you are using.

Also, why, after so long, are there still no orange (or is it yellow) plastic balls?

What is good about them? The Nittaku Premium and the Seamless ones last quite well.


Sent from the Subterranean Workshop by Telepathy

UpSideDownCarl said:

Differences between brands and types of 40+ ball are, in my opinion, a big problem.

With the celluloid 40mm balls, if you trained with a Nittaku 3 star, or even a Nittaku 2 star and showed up to a tournament that was using a DHS 3 star, you did not need to do anything but 2 or 3 hits to get used to the ball. With these Poly balls, each are so different from any of the others, that it is really like you have to adjust to a new ball every time you change what kind of ball you are using.

Also, why, after so long, are there still no orange (or is it yellow) plastic balls?

What is good about them? The Nittaku Premium and the Seamless ones last quite well.


Sent from the Subterranean Workshop by Telepathy

Click to expand...

This. Human develops muscle memory after doing the same thing repetitively after all. Having practice with the same balls for 3 months and then required to adjust to a different ball for a competition is frustrating.

Not to mention that I'm having competitions soon that use chinese seamed balls while I use chinese seamless balls and Nittaku Premium most of the time

That is actually interesting. We have a club where it can be very humid during warm weather. I had some particular playing nights where the balls almost literally slipped down my rubber, never thought about it as the issue of the plastic ball...

What does the plastic ball actually change when playing? I think it makes the ball heavier and cannot go as fast??

Does the humidity make them weaker? They seem to pop easier when humid.

As much as I hate to say, the new ball will likely be the death of penhold. The heavier ball requires greater conditioning to perform at the same level as shake hand. Plus, the added spin advantage has diminished enough for next generation of coaches (i suspect) to argue too much effort for too little gains.

I should also add in my experience, looping a plastic ball using the shake hand grip is more rewarding, just as looping a celluloid ball is much more rewarding using a penhold.

When I started to play in the year 1998 we used de celluloid ball and so until year 2002 when I stopped playing, In 2015 I returned to the tables and only then I realized the ITTF had changed the ball by a plastic one. At the club where I play we use celluloid balls in multiball excercises, but when we play matches we use plastic balls.
I think there are two worst things on the plastic balls, one is the price and the other is they are too fragile, you hit it with the edge of your racket and the ball is dead.
Thanks for reading.

Sakumi said:

What does the plastic ball actually change when playing? I think it makes the ball heavier and cannot go as fast??

Click to expand...

A little heavier and larger diameter. This makes them fly slower and spin a little less and sink a little faster. Chinese seamed balls bounce lower and strangely. Seamless balls bounce higher but cleanly and predictably. They definitely seem the slowest ovetall but they are, like I said, predictable. So they are not at all bad. Nittaku Premium bounce about like celluloid. They are actually closest in every way to celluloid. Also most expensive. They have small seams and are the lightest plastic balls and probably smallest diameter.

Chinese seamed balls are fragile and rarely round. Seamless balls are indestructible unless you hit hard on the edge of your paddle. Then they shatter, but their average lifetime is long (better than celluloid). Nittaku Premium lasts about same or a little longer than their celluloid.

Butterfly G40+ are a category of their own. Super fast and very straight compared to others with strange sound. Tend to slide on the table when they get worn, which happens fast.

As Carl said, the differences between classes of plastic balls are large. We never had anything like this in cellulold days unless one goes back quite far in time to weird outliers like Halex balls. Not too many people here would be steeped in the lore enough to remember those attrocities.

Let's say you train with seamless balls and then go to a tournament with Butterfly G40+. You will not play well. You would want to train several days to be prepared for that! Same if they use DHS.

Lots of good reading in the posts. Has anyone experienced a dull ache in the arm when playing backhands with the plastic ball? I'm not sure if its the weight effect of the new ball but I notice players I coach and myself get a build up in tension in the arm which causes a strong ache which forces you to stop for a minute or so. This has led to bicep tendinitis for me Could the plastic ball be causing this? When using a celluloid ball I never noticed this as the ball was a lot more alive, spingier and less effort was needed.

To start off with, I'll echo the sentiments of the others.

My main gripe is the HUGE differences in playing characteristics between the balls - I play in 4 different leagues in the UK (there's around 8-10 teams in each League), and pretty much every individual team uses a different ball.

There is no "league standard" unfortunately, so it is up to each team to purchase balls - Like others, I'd favour the Nittaku Premium over anything else.

Dan - Regarding "arm ache", I know what you mean - Although I put this down to having to do that little bit more with the ball (on every stroke) - After a while, it all adds up!

NDH said:

To start off with, I'll echo the sentiments of the others.

My main gripe is the HUGE differences in playing characteristics between the balls - I play in 4 different leagues in the UK (there's around 8-10 teams in each League), and pretty much every individual team uses a different ball.

There is no "league standard" unfortunately, so it is up to each team to purchase balls - Like others, I'd favour the Nittaku Premium over anything else.

Dan - Regarding "arm ache", I know what you mean - Although I put this down to having to do that little bit more with the ball (on every stroke) - After a while, it all adds up!

Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. I play in British League and Grand Prix tournaments as well as my local league/tournaments and the variation between the balls that are used is ridiculous. This wouldn't be a problem if all the balls played the same, but they really, really don't. They even sound different! Not only this, but within each box of 6 balls, 1 or 2 will be what I consider an "egg". And these are just unplayable. The ones that are not "eggs" will have a lifespan of 10 minutes as all it takes is one "tin" (ball hits side/edge of the racket) and before you know it, it looks like its been snowing plastic! And the humidity is a whole other problem in itself...

Can anyone recommend any good training balls?

We currently use Xushofa training balls and to be honest they are not great...

Yecats Encerwal said:

Can anyone recommend any good training balls?

Click to expand...

great question, I would like to know also. I play nittaku premium and use old balls to practice, but they pop easy when I hit against my wall. It adds up quick at $3 a ball

Yecats Encerwal said:

Can anyone recommend any good training balls?

We currently use Xushofa training balls and to be honest they are not great...

Click to expand...

You might want to try Gambler seamless 3 star ball. It's roughly a dollar a ball and plays great IMO. Hard to tell the difference between that and the XSF ball IMO.

Our club uses it as our main tournament ball since it's relatively affordable and it's a 3 star. I like the ball a lot. Try it out.

dirtyD said:

great question, I would like to know also. I play nittaku premium and use old balls to practice, but they pop easy when I hit against my wall. It adds up quick at $3 a ball

Click to expand...

What are you doing where you are hitting with power against a wall?




Sent from the Subterranean Workshop by Telepathy