Replacing the tennis balls in your machine will depend on some factors such as the following:
Tennis balls lose their bounce after a few games some may lose their bounce after one or two games more. When you have a tennis ball machine, make sure that your tennis balls are still up to par and have the bounce you are looking for, then it should be usable.
You can check the usability of your tennis balls by comparing them with a new tennis ball. You can drop the ball from the tennis ball machine and the new tennis ball at the same time and see the difference in the bounce.
If you see the old tennis ball struggling to bounce up, then it is time to replace the balls in the machine with new ones.
Sometimes you can also check the appearance of the balls from the machine and whether they already have a faded look or the logo is erased, maybe it is time to replace the set.
However, sometimes the faded logo is just the issue, but the balls still bounce well. It is up to your preference when this is the case.
One other noticeable issue is when the ball loses its fur, and the balls lose its elasticity.
If you do not use the tennis ball machine frequently, then your tennis ball set may still have a long life ahead of them.
What Causes Tennis Balls To Lose Their Quality Fast?
- Depending on the brand. Sometimes the tennis ball will also depend on the brand, and with each brand, they carry the quality of every ball they manufacture. You may need to add a few more bucks to get one that is of better quality.
- Frequency of usage. Balls will quickly lose their bounce depending on how the tennis ball machine is used. If it is just used once a month, then the ball will last longer compared to the tennis ball machine used daily.
- Flaw in Manufacture. They make most of the tennis balls perfect, but there can be flaws in the lot. This may cause some balls to get scruffy fast compared to the other balls in the set.
How To Check The Tennis Balls?
- Weight. Each tennis ball has a certain weight at the start when it is just new, but after some use, it will lose weight as it also loses fuzz. With frequent use, the tennis ball will also have a different performance.
- Tennis Ball and its diameter. It has a perfect diameter at the start, but with frequent use, and every time it is hit or squashed, it will change its shape. You will be able to notice this with your tennis ball machine, and you’ll know it is time to replace them.
- Bounce. New tennis balls will have a perfect bounce, but not when it is already overused. This is the most telling factor as to the need for a new tennis ball replacement.
- Softness. When the ball becomes soft and loses its stiffness, this will no longer be a usable piece. One can squeeze it, and you can check for this quality. Frequent use of the tennis ball causes it to lose air with the smashing and hitting, eventually, the tennis ball will soften.
- Sound. Although this is hard to pick up on, there is a certain dull sound coming from a dead tennis ball. A newly bought tennis ball has a ping sound to it every time it is hit.
- Fuzz. A tennis ball is surrounded by fuzz or soft felt, but with frequent use, it will slowly come off. When you squeeze a new tennis ball, there is a certain softness because of the fuzz, but once this has come off, you notice it has patches and has a smoother quality.
- Logos. This may also give you a reason to replace your tennis balls cause faded logos just makes the tennis balls look old and used up. This may not give you a boost when your tennis ball already looked scruffy and cannot take another hit.
What To Do With Your Old Tennis Balls?
- For practice. As long as your old tennis balls still have some bounce left in them, you can use them to practice your serve and some of your best strokes. While you are warming up, your old tennis balls can be your partner instead of using your newly bought tennis balls.
- Pool Cleaner. Tennis balls can absorb oils in the pool, that is why some homeowners toss a few in the pool, for this purpose.
- Packaging materials. Old tennis balls can be used as a shock absorber when you need to ship something fragile in the mail. Instead of using other expensive materials, why not use your old tennis balls lying around the house? This is better than using styrofoam materials or any polystyrene blocks for packaging.
- For your pets to play with. Dogs love to have their own toys, and it includes tennis balls. If you have old tennis balls, you can have your dog inherit them and let them have some fun in your backyard. Your pet will surely love you for it.
- Repurpose them. You can check for some DIY crafts using old tennis balls online, and you will find something else to do with it. Instead of throwing your old tennis balls, you can repurpose them as home decor or other arts and crafts that you can display around the house.
- Donate them. You can find charity schools and some shops that recycle old toys and tennis balls. Your old tennis balls will have another purpose for sure. If you want to earn extra for your old tennis balls, you will also have the chance with some company willing to buy them for a small price.
- Use on your furniture. Sometimes the leg of our furniture can scratch our wooden floor or can even give some glaring marks on other floor types, by using your old tennis balls as chair legs you will prevent any scratches on the floor from happening.
