By Chris SimnettA normal can of extra duty balls (Wilson, Penn, Dunlop, Slazenger) should last three tough sets between a couple of advanced players on a well-maintained, clean hard court.
Courts that are surfaced with asphalt will be harder on balls, ripping and blackening the cover, so take that into consideration when you pick a public court.
Beginners and novices can use a tin for three or four sessions within a couple of weeks of opening before the balls get worn out or become flat.
Replace balls when the cover (felt) gets worn down and/or they don't bounce like they should.
The cover should be soft. If it's hard or scratchy, the balls are dead.
To test the proper bounce of a ball, hold it at eye level and drop it. It should bounce to your belt or slightly higher. If it doesn't, put it in a bucket so you can practice your serve.
Don't throw balls out. Buy a hopper or use a bucket or bag to keep your used balls for serving practice or to teach your kid or your spouse how to play. Really dead balls can go to the road hockey players or dogs in your neighbourhood. Some kids will happily play street soccer with used balls, too.
There are many different brands of balls out there.
I would stick with the name brands, Wilson, Dunlop, Penn and Slazenger. Use extra duty felt balls for hard court play and regular duty felt for clay courts. Extra duty balls are heavier with more felt and will play too slowly on clay while regular duty balls will get ripped up too quickly and won't last on hard courts.
Buy balls in cans, not bags.
Don't open a can of balls until you are ready to use them. Balls will go flat if not under pressure.
A final note: Isn't the greatest smell in the world the scent of a freshly opened can of balls?
