Tennis Ball Story
A tennis ball is a yellow or white ball designed for the sport of tennis, a little smaller than a cricket ball or baseball. They differ somewhat in weight, composition, and color. Modern regulation tennis balls are kept under pressure (approximately two atmospheres) until initially used.
Contents
History
In the early days of tennis, balls were often made of leather stuffed with hair or wool. Early tennis balls were made by Scottish craftsmen. These tennis balls were commonly made from a wool-wrapped stomach of a sheep or goat and tied with rope. Those recovered from the hammer-beam roof of Westminster Hall during a period of recent restoration were found to have been manufactured from a combination of putty and human hair, and were dated to the reign of Pope Leo X. Other versions, using materials such as animal fur, rope made from animal intestines and muscles, and pine wood, were found in Scottish castles dating back to the 16th century. In the 18th century, ¾" strips of wool were wound tightly around a nucleus made by rolling a number of strips into a little ball. String was then tied in many directions around the ball and a white cloth covering sewn around the ball. This type of ball, but with a rubber core, is still used for the original game of tennis, today called real tennis. With the introduction of lawn tennis in the 1870s, vulcanized rubber was first used to manufacture balls, often in tubes of four with a package, but not with the name of the brand.
Modern Tennis Balls
Modern tennis balls are generally made in a fluorescent green color like the ball pictured above (called "slick green"). Yellow and white are the only colors approved by the USTA and ITF. Tennis balls must conform to certain criteria for size, weight, deformation, and bounce criteria to be approved for regulation play. The ITF defines the official diameter as "more than" 2 and 1/2 inches but "less than" 2 and 5/8 inches.
The most important test for amateur players is the bounce test, as tennis balls begin to lose their bounce as soon as the tennis ball can is opened. Most Tennis players prefer tennis balls with good bounce, extra duty, and can be used on all types of courts (e.g., lawn, clay, or concrete). To test a tennis ball for bounce, it is dropped from a height of 100 inches (2.5 m) onto concrete and must bounce back up between 53 and 58 inches (1.35 - 1.47 m). This test is assumed to take place at sea-level and 20° C / 68° F (high altitude balls have different characteristics when tested at sea-level).
Tennis balls are filled with air and are surfaced by a uniform felt covered rubber compound.
The ball is to weigh more than two ounces but less than 2 and 1/16 ounces. The ball is made from pure rubber, which is then mixed with 14 to 17 chemicals to get the proper consistency. Approximately 85% of the ball weight is the rubber/chemical mix. Over 90% of tennis balls are produced in Southeast Asia where the natural resource is abundant.
Each year approximately 300 million balls are produced, which contributes roughly 32.3 million pounds of waste in the form of rubber that is not easily biodegradable. Historically, tennis ball recycling has not existed and the most common use has been to cut the ball into two semi-spheres and attach this to the bottom of chairs in schools, nursing homes and the like.
Type of Tennis Ball
- Practice Ball
- Championship Tennis Balls
- Foam Warm up Balls
- Grand Prix Hard Court Ball
Tennis ball Manufacturers
Credit Content: Wikipedia
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