Padel is one of the fastest growing racket sports in the world. Growing across Europe, padel courts are popping up in some of the UK’s biggest cities like London, Manchester, Bristol, as well as smaller cities and towns like Wrexham, Swindon and Nottingham.
In this guide we will help you choose the best padel ball to suit your needs. We cover padel balls sizes and materials, the types of padel balls available, the difference between tennis balls and padel balls, and more.
What is Padel?
In short, Padel is a racket sport that combines elements of tennis and squash. It is played on an enclosed court that is slightly smaller than a tennis court and is typically played in pairs (doubles). The game places an emphasis on quick reflexes, strategy, and teamwork, with walls around the court being part of the play.
Padel ball sizes, weights and colours
Padel balls are smaller than tennis balls and have a lower pressure which delivers less bounce than a standard tennis ball does. Made from a rubber core with a felt outer, the International Padel Federation (FIP) have set size, weight and colour guidelines for padel balls which we have outlined below:
- Padel ball dimensions – FIP guidelines state a regulation size padel ball must have a diameter of between 63.5mm and 67mm, meaning the circumference of a padel ball should be between 199.5mm and 210.5mm.
- Padel ball weight - FIP guidelines state a padel ball must weigh between 56 to 59.4 grams, which equates to between 1.98 and 2.10 ounces.
- Padel ball colours - FIP guideline state the colour of padel balls should be either yellow or white.
Balls should feature a smooth surface, the outside material of the ball should be composed of cotton, wool and nylon fibres.
Padel ball performance requirements
To perform as required padel balls have set FIP requirements to meet. These requirements include having an internal pressure of between 4.6kg and 5.2kg per square inch which ensures the ball has the correct speed and bounce. This pressure equates to an internal pressure of around 10-11 PSI (pound per square inch) and a total pressure of 24.7-25.7 PSI with atmospheric pressure (14.7 PSI) taken into account.
As ball pressure is so important to performance, most padel balls are delivered in pressurised cans to ensure they maintain the required pressure. Once opened balls will gradually lose pressure which will affect their performance and bounce over time. This isn't true for all balls however, as some padel balls are pressureless to expand their lifespan. Whilst pressureless padel balls don't meet the requirements to be FIP approved they are ideal for practice sessions and non-competitive matches, as despite having no pressure they have a consistent bounce and are extremely durable. Another FIP requirement/test to ensure padel balls have the correct bounce is to drop a ball from a height of 2.54m onto a hard surface. To comply with FIP regulations balls should bounce between 135 and 145cm.
Another FIP requirement/test to ensure padel balls have the correct bounce is to drop a ball from a height of 2.54m onto a hard surface. To comply with FIP regulations balls should bounce between 135 and 145cm.
Types of Padel Balls
There are two main types of padel ball; training and match padel balls. Training padel balls are typically quite hard which makes them very durable. However, the felt in these balls is not as thick, so they don’t have the stability and bounce which is needed for competitive matches.
In contrast, match/competition padel balls are made to have the perfect bounce but don’t quite have the hardness and speed that a training ball has, meaning they are less durable and won’t last as long.
So which ball is best to use? That all depends on the circumstances the ball is being used in. If you are a recreational player looking to buy padel balls for practice or non-competitive play, then a training padel ball could be for you. Likewise, if you are on a tight budget a training ball is probably the best choice as they are cheaper and have a longer lifespan so won’t need replacing as often.
However, for competitive matches and tournaments a match padel ball is a must due to the performance characteristics they have. Professional and competitive padel players will also benefit from using match balls in training so they can get used to the bounce of the ball prior to using them in matches. Even amateur players can benefit from using match padel balls although you’ll need to consider the pros and cons we’ve mentioned above prior to making a purchase. It’s worth noting that if you do opt for tournament balls they offer less durability, so you'll need to replace them more frequently.
How can you tell the difference between training and tournament padel balls?
If you were handed a training and a tournament padel ball it would be tricky to tell the difference between them as they would likely be almost identical in appearance, size and weight. However, they can be distinguished! Retailers will usually name them differently, and their packaging should make it clear on what type of padel ball it is.
What is the difference between padel and tennis balls?
One of, if not the most frequently asked questions that people who are new to padel ask is ‘are padel balls the same as tennis balls?’.
The answer is that even though the balls look practically identical there are subtle differences that set padel and tennis balls apart. It’s these differences that mean it is not recommended to play padel with a tennis ball and vice versa.
A big reason for this is that padel balls have a lower pressure and bounce than tennis balls. The difference in PSI is roughly 3-4, with padel balls having an internal pressure of 10-11 PSI and an absolute pressure of 24.7-25.7 PSI, whereas tennis balls have an internal PSI of 14 and total pressure of 27-29 PSI. The felt on a padel ball is also thicker making the ball a lot slower.
Trying to play padel with a tennis ball would be difficult, as the games high pace momentum would be affected. Where the rackets in tennis are lighter with strings which suit high pressure and lighter balls, padel rackets have harder hitting zones meaning the ball needs to be thicker to withstand the high impact from rackets and walls.
Now that you have all the information you need you can buy padel balls with confidence knowing you’ve considered all the key points relating to which padel balls to buy.
At Net World Sports we have training and match padel balls available to buy in 3 ball tubes and 60 ball buckets. Our 3 ball tubes are perfect for recreational play, with many players opting to buy two or three tubes to ensure they have multiple balls available during play (it’s common to have four or more balls available to use).
For padel clubs, schools, leisure centres and other facilities our 60 ball buckets are the perfect choice! As well as balls we also have other padel equipment including padel rackets, nets and posts so you’ll find everything you need to play padel here.
