Looking After of Your (Padel) Balls
A topic not often spoken about enough, but is an essential part of Padel, are the balls.
In particular, how to look after them which is important if you live in countries that have high humidity, or if your padel balls get exposed to a lot of player perspiration during intense matches. A simple search on Google would suggest that on average, a Padel ball lasts between 2 to 4 matches and although the balls may still be ‘usable’ after that - you can expect less bounce and predictability during use - and no one wants that in a match!
Plus let’s face it, replacing balls regularly can be quite expensive!
Living in the tropics, I find that after matches my Padel balls tend to be quite frizzy, they have less bounce the next game day and the responsiveness off the racquet just isn’t the same as when you first open a can and use them. But fear not, I have put together 4 tips (some unconventional) to help your balls last just that little bit longer!
If you would prefer to watch and/or listen to these tips instead, feel free to click on the following video:
Tip number 1 - Invest in good quality balls
This might sound simple but it’s tip number 1 for a reason. Often it’s tempting to go for a brand that you might not know, or one that is cheaper and available at your local club but the quality of the balls make a BIG difference with how long they last. If you purchase high quality balls, not only will you have better matches, but in my limited experience, without doing anything to them, on average the balls last longer.
My balls of choice are the Adidas Speed Rx which I find are really fast, have a great bounce (needed in Singapore which is at sea level) and if looked after properly, can last around 5 games. I would suggest doing your own research of the best balls for you and your game, but if you haven’t tried these Adidas balls - give them a go!
The cheapest I have found them are on SmashInn via TradeInn.
Tip number 2 - Make sure your balls are dry
This is probably the BIGGEST mistake players make! Right right after a game, they put their balls back into their can and don’t take them out until the next time they play. I’ve been guilty of doing this when I first took up Padel and found that when I opened them again to play, there was a layer of moisture inside the can and the balls felt slightly damp. This meant they didn’t bounce as much as the moisture made them heavier and decreased their overall performance on the court.
The solution in simple, let them dry before popping them back inside the can. Some ways in which you can dry them are putting them into the tumble dryer, using a hairdryer on them or leaving them in front of or below a fan (remembering to rotate them every now and them). Some articles online have suggested microwaving them but truth be told, I’m too afraid to try this myself 😅
Personally, I like to keep things simple and leave them on a counter overnight and pop them back into the can once they’re dry. This usually does the trick.
Tip number 3 - Shave your Balls
That’s right, shave them! 🪒
This might sound silly to people reading this (trust me it feels just as silly writing it) but it works! All you need is an old razor, nothing fancy, I use my disposable Gillette razor, and lightly shave the frizzy outside layer of the ball. This decreases the moisture around the ball which can help it dry better, increasing it’s bounce more and prolonging their lifespan.
But I wouldn’t do it too much, once, max twice. Overdoing it is not recommended as this isn’t good for the ball either.
Tip number 4 - Invest in a Ball Pressurizer
I have the Pascal 3 Box from Bullpadel which I love!
It’s the 3B version which simply means it fits 3 balls and I was obsessed with getting it ever since I first saw someone using it, so bought it as soon as I could. It’s really simple to operate and I’ve found that since I’ve been using it, my balls still perform well after 6-8 matches. All you need to do after you’ve dried your balls, is pop them in to the pressurizer, tightly screw on the lid and use the hand pump to introduce air into it. There’s a handy gauge on the lid that is clearly marked for the right level of pressure required for a number of different types of balls including Padel, Tennis and Frontenis.
The only draw back with it is that it is a bit bulkier and heavier than other ball pressurizers out there but from speaking to people I personally feel it’s worth it as it’s one of the best pressurizers on the market at the moment. Again, do your own researcher but the most affordable place I have found them is on SmashInn via TradeInn.
So there there you have it - my 4 tips for looking after your padel balls. Sadly though, no matter how well we look after them, it’s inevitable that we will need to replace them eventually so here are some options of what to do with your used balls:
Donate them to your local club
Keep them as training balls for yourself
Donate them to your local dog park
Dispose of them at ball recycling centers
Let me know in the comments if you found these tips helpful or have any others that I have missed! Also, if you found this article and/or video helpful, support my content by clicking on your preferred social links on the top right of the page and give me a follow.
Until next time - see you on the courts!