Ball color

White is the "classic" color of TT balls, and if I remember correctly, the orange ones didn't become legal in sanctioned play till some point in the 90's (could be wrong on that though). According to ITTF rules, the choice of color for the balls should be made in accordance with the playing area and surroundings. So, I think orange balls are really only used in the rare cases where some significant areas of white are present.

When i played regularly pre-glue era, orange balls were only allowed as practice balls. I see more orange now than white being used regularly except for tournaments where it's 50/50.

Edited by The Shakehander - 02/15/2013 at 4:14pm

jrscatman wrote: Rumour has it Nittaku white balls last longer than orange ones - I am seeing more people switching back to the white ones at our club. Previously, orange was used more

Hmm..interesting rumor :) Any ideas as to why this is so? :))

Ah I see. That's a very good point! Thanks!

davidwhang wrote: jrscatman wrote: Rumour has it Nittaku white balls last longer than orange ones - I am seeing more people switching back to the white ones at our club. Previously, orange was used more Hmm..interesting rumor :) Any ideas as to why this is so? :))

Edited by Tinykin - 02/16/2013 at 11:58am

Just last evening my hitting partner and myself consciously compared, switching between new white balls and new orange.  We both agreed that the yellow seemed easier to follow, but the white with greater contrast between printed logo and white ball was easier to accurately determine spin.

Sorry about double postings here...  I mis-typed.  We used orange vs white;  there was no yellow.

davidwhang wrote: jrscatman wrote: Rumour has it Nittaku white balls last longer than orange ones - I am seeing more people switching back to the white ones at our club. Previously, orange was used more Hmm..interesting rumor :) Any ideas as to why this is so? :))

davidwhang wrote: jrscatman wrote: Rumour has it Nittaku white balls last longer than orange ones - I am seeing more people switching back to the white ones at our club. Previously, orange was used more Hmm..interesting rumor :) Any ideas as to why this is so? :))

Edited by Snakefish - 02/19/2013 at 2:13am

GoldenDragoon wrote: I hate orange... You can't "see" as much detail in the orange ball as you can with the white. Makes playing pips players more difficult.

+1

come to think of it..i've never played with a yellow one

 I would love to see a vivid pink or ravishing red. Agree orange balls get lost when the venue has yellowish floors. Why just limit the current balls to just two colors...food for thought.

Pink Ballz......that's so............     jk.  

Actually I would like to dye a few white balls with a dayglo green sort of like a regular tennis ball color. 


roundrobin........in that picture above you posted.....no way should they of used that orange ball with the floor and especially the wood bleachers on one end.  Should of used a white ball for sure there.  I played in a school gym with wood floor and dark wood bleachers at one end like that....could barely see the orange ball.  But the problem was the opposite wall was a larger volleyball curtain an it was off white.  

jsr......the yellow ball is not photo-shopped.  I took a highlighter pen to it  haaa.   The color faded to a dull gold color after a day or two.  But I would imagine the yellow ball would still have the same problem with wood floors as the orange balls.   It all depends on what shade the wood is. 

Actually part of the reason I posted that pic was also a sarcastic rhetorical taunt at those who call orange ....yellow.  I for some reason find it odd when people whom are not color blind call something that is orange--- yellow.            SLIGHT DERAIL AND RANT OFF................> 

I do think a sort of chartreuse green tennis ball color would work well in many venues though. 

Rich215 wrote: Pink Ballz......that's so............     jk.   Actually I would like to dye a few white balls with a dayglo green sort of like a regular tennis ball color.  roundrobin........in that picture above you posted.....no way should they of used that orange ball with the floor and especially the wood bleachers on one end.  Should of used a white ball for sure there.  I played in a school gym with wood floor and dark wood bleachers at one end like that....could barely see the orange ball.  But the problem was the opposite wall was a larger volleyball curtain an it was off white.

I can't even see the ball.. haha