Pickleball Balls: Everything You Need To Know About
What is Pickleball Ball?
Pickleball balls are based on the wiffle ball invented by David Mullany in Connecticut in 1953. It is a hard plastic ball with a hole, a smooth surface, and elasticity. Officially regulated, the ball shall be made of a durable material molded with a smooth surface and free of texturing and have a minimum of 26 to a maximum of 40 circular holes, with spacing of the holes and overall design of the ball conforming to flight characteristics. Usually, the diameter of the ball hole for outdoor use will be relatively small, and the diameter of the ball hole for indoor use will be larger. There are many colors of balls, but only one color is allowed per ball.
What is a Pickleball Made of?
- Pickleball balls are made of relatively light, hard plastic. Compared to standard wiffle balls, pickleball balls use lighter plastics and have varying degrees of durability and drilled holes, usually PE-type materials.
- There are two primary ways to produce pickleball: injection molded or rotocast. Injection-molded balls consist of two molded halves with holes formed in the molding process. The two halves are then glued together, creating a ball with a seam down the middle. In contrast to this, rotocast balls incorporate the hole-drilling process after the balls are rotationally molded with one-piece construction, creating a ball without a seam.
- The ball must have a manufacturer’s or supplier’s name or logo printed or embossed on the surface.
Pickleball Ball Size
Diameter
2.87 inches (7.29 cm) to 2.97 inches (7.54 cm). The tolerance should not be greater than +/-0.020 inch (0.51 mm).
Weight
- 0.78 to 0.935 ounces (22.1 to 26.5 grams).
- Outdoor balls are heavier than indoor balls.
Circular Holes
- 26 to 40 circular holes, with spacing of the holes and overall design of the ball conforming to flight characteristics.
- Indoor balls are 26 holes (larger hole diameter), and outdoor balls are 40 holes (smaller hole diameter)
Bounce
In a windless test environment: 30 to 34 inches (76.2 to 86.4 cm) to the top of the ball when dropped from a height of 78 inches (198.1 cm) onto a granite surface plate that is a minimum of 12 inches (30.5 cm) by 12 inches (30.5 cm) by 4 inches (10.2 cm).
Hardness
40 to 50 on a Durometer D scale at an ambient temperature of 75 to 80 degrees F (24 to 27 degrees C).
Pickleball Colors
Pickleballs come in many colors, and official regulations allow only one color per ball. When choosing the color, you need to refer to the color of the court. Generally, a dark court uses a light-colored ball, and a light-colored court is matched with a dark ball. Of course, there are also glow pickleballs, which are used in poorly lit courts.
Buy Pickleball
There are many manufacturers making pickleball balls for sale. You can buy them online or offline sports stores. Pickleballbyyou has selected the best pickleball balls for you:
FAQ
Indoor balls have 26 holes, while outdoor balls generally have 40 holes, and the holes are smaller than indoor balls. This is because outdoor balls need to be more resistant to the effects of wind on the ball. And outdoor balls are thicker than indoor balls. Thicker plastic balls are more durable.
Pickle balls are generally made of plastic and are approximately 2.87 inches to 2.97 inches in diameter. Weight is about 0.78 to 0.935 ounces.
The official has no strict regulations on the color of pickleballs. As long as the balls are all one color, they are allowed. From the list of officially approved pickleballs, we can observe that most of the pickleballs that are allowed to play are green and yellow. White, red and pink balls are also approved but less common.
Before being selected for the competition, it needs to be certified by USAPickleball before it can be used in the official competition. After being certified, it will enter the pickleball balls list, and all the pickleball balls on the list can participate in the championship.
About 5 regular games. We should be more concerned about what kind of ball should be replaced than how long a pickleball ball will last. When you observe serious wear marks on the ball, and when you throw it from your hand and bounce back into your hand If it is already difficult, then the ball needs to be replaced.