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Approximately 345 million tennis balls are produced every year, and most of the last is in dumb fills. The main reason for this dumping is that Tennis Balls lose their bounce very fast, making them reluctant to use in a game.
Lack of bounce can affect game efficiency, and players cannot enjoy the game, so multiple tennis balls are used to make every game enjoyable.
Tennis Balls Changing Rules
At the start of a tennis match, the first set is played with six balls, and at the seventh game, the balls are changed. For three sets, six tennis balls are used in each set, and then after that second set starts with another ball change.
In four sets, eight balls are used, and for final sets, nine balls are used. This process continues until the end of the match.
Tennis players should prefer five or six balls, making them easier to move because they lose their bounce fast and don’t have good accuracy and efficiency. It also increases the risk of injuries because these balls hit players’ shoulders hard.
Players must feel free to ask the umpire for one or two extra balls if he feels more comfortable with those balls.
This kind of management also allows umpires to deal with multiple balls by keeping an eye on both teams simultaneously. However, there are few situations where fewer tennis balls may improve performance.
Benefits Of Changing Balls
There are some benefits which use several balls has to offer. They include comfortability, increasing ball life, convenience and accessibility, accessibility to help other players, overall confidence, and a better environment for matches.
The next point that makes many players choose two or more balls for play is safety. Many people find it risky to have just one ball when playing tennis because if a ball gets out of court, they have to run after it.
Otherwise, it can lead to player injuries. Some people choose four balls for safer play because it can help other players get back into play without delay if one gets out of court.
Another advantage of using more balls is increasing the durability of the ball; this way, you will be able to use tennis balls for a longer period and be sure that your match will not end before your rivals do.
Finally, more balls mean better opportunities for you to win a match because it means that your opponent will be unable to respond as quickly as you do, especially when you are not tired from the game and therefore can focus better on each shot.
Balls used in Australian Open and Wimbledon
In 2021 there were around 1000 total matches of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, in which 48000 balls were used in Australia open and about 56000 in Wimbledon tours.
Personal Thoughts About Changing Tennis Balls
I love the use of three tennis balls during matches because I feel more connected to the ball when I use them during my practice sessions;
I am also much more comfortable with different sized balls than only two and therefore enjoy the way that my body responds when I change between different sized balls during practice sessions.
This brings me much more experience with the way my body moves and feels while playing tennis, so when I go on court with other players, I can give a better service than if I was playing with two different-sized balls.
Also, this helps me understand what type of grip or pressure is best for me to play with during practice sessions.
Opinion About How Often We Should Change Our Tennis Balls?
No such number or exact number can tell us exactly how often we should change our tennis balls; however, as long as we don’t wear out the first one, it doesn’t matter what size of tennis balls we use.
We need to keep an eye on how we are playing with each ball so that we don’t run out of them before finishing a set or a match.
Final Thoughts
Every set brings new balls in the game, which means every 7th, 16th, 25th, 34th, 43rd, 52nd, etc. Games are the tennis balls changing the game. Tennis is always there to enjoy and be successful with, but not everyone can enjoy it as they desire to do.
If you find yourself facing trouble while playing tennis and losing points every time you play, this frustration will increase day by day, and ultimately you will stop playing tennis altogether.
However, if you change your balls and strategy of playing tennis, it will automatically increase your interest in playing tennis as it makes you believe that the reason why you lost was because of the strategies that you had chosen for the game.