tt balls

is nittaku, stiga, dhs 3 star balls are the same? i ask this because of price difference. 

what is the difference?

They arent the same. But there will be variations every day (temperature etc), as well as some ball-to-ball variation. So just buy the best value for money and be done with it.

Double Fish are nice and DHS too. And cheaper than the others normally. But if you can score a deal on any of the other balls, such as Nittaku or Butterfly, then by all means get them!

I believe most of the balls in the world are made at 2 factories (DHS and Double fish), and the other manufacturers just subcontract it out. The only other place is where some of the nittaku premiums are made (Nittaku premiums come in two types. Some are made in japan and some are not. Different stamping I think?)

For the most part, the big brands (Nittaku, DHS, Double-Fish, Butterfly) are similar and you shouldn't try to think one is better than the other. Their 3-star balls are all made to similar high standards and some from the same factory. I've seen people who claim one is heavier than another, etc. Don't let that get into your mind or else it will impact your game.

We have a couple of players which swear by Nittaku and others won't play with anything but DHS. But then again, these are the people who can produce diamonds from coal with their arses.

When it comes to the slightly not-as-popular brands (Donic, Joola, Killerspin, Gambler, 729, Stiga) , then it's just buyer beware as they are more chances of getting lemons. Just know how to test a ball, visually inspect it, spin it for balance, press on the opposite sides (not the seam) for consistent pressure, etc.

Of course, try stay away from the less popular brands (Sportscraft, GOGO, Pingpong, Champion, who else?). They aren't horrible, and some are fine for intermediate play. But, they have the greatest chance of being the most physically different and sub-standard and could impact your technique development.