Pickleball balls used in world's top leagues criticized as inappropriate

The PPA Tour has recently made a change by using Life Time balls in its official matches instead of the Vulcan ball as before. According to The Dink, this is an agreement between the PPA Tour and Life Time because the Atlanta Slam and Orange County Cup are both held at Life Time facilities.

Life Time's pickleball model was rated as not delivering the expected results (Photo: The Dink).

However, the introduction of the new ball into the PPA Tour tournament has received criticism. Many athletes believe that this new product still has many shortcomings when compared to the previously used ball line.

The Life Time ball still has a lot of extra details inside, which makes the trajectory not as expected. The small holes on the new ball are also smaller and more numerous than the Vulca. This makes the ball fly slower in the air.

Both weigh 26 grams, but the Life Time ball feels a little heavier when hit, causing many players to complain of slight arm pain after switching to the new ball.

The Dink website said that the Life Time ball's spin is also significantly reduced compared to the Vulca ball. The biggest advantage of the Life Time may be its precise bounce, which allows players to easily predict its direction.

Along with that, Life Time balls have higher durability, allowing athletes to hit a single ball throughout the entire match without worrying about changes over time.

The PPA Tour is one of the largest professional tournaments in pickleball. Organized by the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA), this tournament attracts many top players from all over the world to compete, so the organization's rules regarding the court and ball are also very strict.

The tournament is held annually at various locations across the United States and several other countries. The format of the tournament is divided into brackets, where individuals and teams compete to achieve high scores and advance to the finals with a total prize value of up to millions of dollars.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/loai-bong-pickleball-o-giai-dau-hang-dau-the-gioi-bi-che-khong-phu-hop-20250522173742556.htm