Quality Balls

I have very little experience and knowledge and I am looking for some info on good quality balls. I have the opportunity to purchase some Prince 3 star balls at a good price but I didn't know if I would be way better off getting something else.

Is getting 3 star balls a must?

If I get 3 star balls will I be safe in most cases no matter what brand I get?

If you play competition, you should make sure the balls are ITTF approved, since not all of them are. For example the Gambler and Prince are not ITTF approved, yet they may be very good balls and usually better value if you don't play competition. You can find the current list of approved balls here: http://www.ittf.com/stories/Pictures/Balls_01_14.pdf

Apart from this, most 3* balls are pretty good, and it comes down to a matter of opinion on which balls are best. There are also some variations between batches of balls, so sometimes a ball gets a bad wrap coz someone got a bad batch.

2* or 1* balls are usually still OK for practice or ball machines, but they generally don't havr the consistancy (roundness, weight, wieght distribution, etc) of 3* balls.

I'm seeing some balls that say CTTA approved...is this different in some way?

You know, I think the 3* Sportcraft from wal mart are decent in a pinch. Prince might be the same.

   POOR TABLE, POOR GAME.

Mind you don't play on the cheap, non-standard tables.
Highly reflective table's surface and the table's topboard to produce poor and irregular bouncing will make your life cursed and unhappy.

   Even for taking some 3star super-puper ball you most likely to get your eyes blind with time and your strokes uncontrolable while on the tables of poor quolity.. Yes.

haggisv wrote: If you play competition, you should make sure the balls are ITTF approved, since not all of them are. For example the Gambler and Prince are not ITTF approved, yet they may be very good balls and usually better value if you don't play competition. You can find the current list of approved balls here: http://www.ittf.com/stories/Pictures/Balls_01_14.pdf Apart from this, most 3* balls are pretty good, and it comes down to a matter of opinion on which balls are best. There are also some variations between batches of balls, so sometimes a ball gets a bad wrap coz someone got a bad batch. 2* or 1* balls are usually still OK for practice or ball machines, but they generally don't havr the consistancy (roundness, weight, wieght distribution, etc) of 3* balls.

Considering the OP is in the US.... and Gambler *** are  USATT approved, he is fine using them.

I use them in my robot and in play at the club and no one can tell the difference between it and the Nittaku Premiums that they've spent 7x more on.



Edited by j-bo - 01/08/2014 at 9:31am

what about tibhar 3 stars balls ? is it good enough ?


Edited by manraid - 01/29/2014 at 7:55am

I bought some Prince balls for the robot a while ago and they were okay.  If you'd like to get a good ball at a great price, I'd recommend the Double Fish three-stars (from www.ttnpp.com or elsewhere - don't buy off of Ebay).  You can get three ITTF balls for under a buck a piece which is cheaper than Prince, too.  

simonphelps wrote: I have very little experience and knowledge and I am looking for some info on good quality balls. I have the opportunity to purchase some Prince 3 star balls at a good price but I didn't know if I would be way better off getting something else. Is getting 3 star balls a must? If I get 3 star balls will I be safe in most cases no matter what brand I get?

Just buy Gambler Platinum 3-star from colestt.com - $13 for a bag of 36 is a bargain... or if you don't need that many, get the Double Fish 3-star from zeropong.com (as many as you want). Don't buy anything table tennis-related in Wal-Mart or at your local regular sporting goods store... just to be on the safe side.

Gambler 3 star are very sturdy. Check out the inside ball seam of a broken one compared to a Nittaku or other name brand. It is thicker.

A new, very good ball that has been checked for roundness (spin on table and look for wobble) makes just as much difference as a good table does -- both take unnecessary variability out of the playing equation.

A good ball bounces truer, provides a more reliable trajectory and it takes power and spin better.   Why? Because there is no wobble due to out of round or soft spots that feel funny, i.e. feel like you have no power and spin. A good ball has the right weight and it gives you a reliable dwell and rebound. Even once you get a good ball, there is a lot of feel difference between them:

Double Fish 3 star -- My favorite 40mm ball. Reliable bounce and spin and good medium hard feed with medium dwell.

Nittaku Premium 3 star -- Best ball during the 38mm era but became more fragile with questionable roundness quality after 40 mm.    I find it has a lighter feel and less dwell than Double Fish even though it weighs the same. It plays quick.

DHS 3 *** - A very good ball with a softer and longer dwell feel than the first two balls. DHS lets you get a better spin feel but it doesn't feel as balanced between hitting and spinning. Plays slower.

Gambler 3 *** -- Feels thin hard and light. I don't like it.

STIGA 3 *** - OK ball has always had a heavier feel to me.

Champion 3 *** Platinum -- On weight and round with good surface. Probably a good ball but haven't played it enough to have opinion (will do so today).


Spending money on a good ball seems like a no brainer benefit. You spend more on a cheap hamburger than on a good TT ball and it lets me enjoy the game more.      

I am sure that there are cheap balls that can be very good but I don't want to waste time discovering which ones are good and if the second batch will have the same quality as the first batch.

Edited by JRSDallas - 02/01/2014 at 1:53pm