I am mostly practicing with NP40+ which is now generally available.  I originally bought them from TT-japan, and various other places, when they were pretty much back-ordered everywhere.  Sometimes I practice with XSF, you can get those at lots of places.  I'm not sure who has best price in US or Europe at moment.  I bought my G40+ from Butterfly NA, since it is currently only place in North America selling them.

I hope to try the G40+ again tonight.

Had another session with G40+ balls, this time on Butterfly tables.

My conclusion is that this is a really nice ball to play with  (it better be for the price!) but I still had the impression that heavy topspin shots did not arc quite as much, but they were still effective.  It is a pretty subtle thing, though.  Not that big of a deal.

I think if you are used to either XSF or NP40+, you will transition to this ball easily -- more easily than if you transition from NP40+ to XSF.

Early indications are that the ball is quite durable.

Baal is spot on.

Tried G40 last week using a borrowed, worn ball. Very quick, nasty sound but within 15 minutes it was sliding through very low on pushes in a randomn fashion and mostly bouncing quite high on topspin. The key is that it was unpredictable and inconsistent. I didn't post earlier as it was one borrowed ball so I have no idea how much use makes it behave like this and whether it is normal. Disliked it immediately.

I have mostly played XSF for 3 months. Generally OK in fast venues / on fast tables but recently I have had issues in slow venues ....... a number just play very undynamically on topspin in these slow venues but will suddenly fly on smashes / hard drives out of nowhere. Seem like there must be a mix of soft / hard spots. In quick venues I can stick to loop and loop-kill variations and quite like the XSF overall.

Gave the Nittaku Premium 40+ a test also ....... really consistent but lower bounce than the XSF. Seemed very true and the rubber seemed to pick it up more easily with my old celluloid stroke varieties; with the XSF I have to stick to pretty solid loop-drive contact. I don't like the price but I am considering whether I can play these in matches but multiball train with celluloid training balls as the Nittaku Prem 40+ is definitely the closest to celluloid (overall cost will then start to be acceptable).

More experimentation to do and have lent some Nittaku balls to my team mates for more input.

Well, Baal, you were right this time, i LOVE the G40 ball. Flies so straght and predictably! It has the consistant flight trajectory of NP40+ but the high bounce of the old BTY 40+. 

Hello,

I think this ball and the Nittaku Premium will dominate.  USATT has a sponsorship deal with Nittaku whereas Butterfly sponsors many other important events.  Nittaku Premium is a little cheaper at the moment and nearly everybody likes the way it plays. 

It is true also that in tournaments you will not be using balls that are worn.

One thing for sure, the G40+ is vastly better than the seamed Chinese stuff we were getting all of last year. I never actually tried an Easy Ball but I believe they are also made in Germany using the same plastic and process, so I am not surprised you find them pretty much the same.

I have ordered some new DHS 40+ balls supposedly made with their new materials thanks to a post from Igorponger where he found an Ali Baba site selling them.  They shipped out two days ago.  I will write a review as soon as I can.

The pessimistic side of me says since their balls have been utter crap earlier, there is no reason to get too excited.

The optimistic side of me says that DHS has had their backs against the wall making something better in time for the January 2016 deadline, so they have probably tried many different plastic mixtures, and these balls may be ok.  Other companies have found a way.

Another pessimistic thought says that the companies that have succeeded have used a very different process to make plastic balls that bounce high enough and that don't break.  I think DHS has tried to adapt plastic to the methods they used for celluloid. 

We will see.

Is g40 . Gambler 40?

Oh lmao.

In my experience with dozens of these balls over 19 months, XSF and other seamless ITTF approved balls are most durable on average.  They do break sometimes if they hit sharp edges, but in general I think they retain their playing qualities longer than celluloid.

I would say that Nittaku Premium 40+ is about the same as Nittaku celluloid.  Not quite as good as XSF but I like their playing properties better (matter of taste).

I think G40+ does not break but quickly becomes not very much fun to use (possibly a matter of taste, but I really dislike it after 60-90 min).  My distinct impression is that they are not going to break.

Chinese seamed balls have been the least durable.  Now they claim to have a new material.  I will find out later how they are.

Sorry for my ignorance but what balls are XSF?

Johnny Erasure wrote: Sorry for my ignorance but what balls are XSF?

XuShaoFa 

Sorry. Have not bought XSF in bulk.

Dave. How new were the Joola. Has

There will be a four letter code on the box that indicates when balls were made. The reason I am asking is supposedly the balls made by DHS got better around June this year (that is who makes the Joola seamed balls). This is because of changes in their plastic formula.  Code will be XFAE for balls made after June. Maybe second letter could be G H etc (July, August, etc).  I am trying to figure out if they really did manage to make a better ball.

Sometimes the code is hard to see, it is sometimes pressed into the box without ink.  ITTF requires this code for approved balls.

They may be freshly minted but it could also be they were made a long time ago and have sat on a shelf for a long time.  I don't think balls go bad with time, but if they start crappy they don't get better.