There's no need to use top-quality tennis balls each time you practice, particularly if you're on a budget. Use less-expensive balls that have a similar bounce to the best balls if your goal is to save money. Choose modified balls if you wish to practice a particular technique with more control. Understanding the different types of balls available will help you make the right choice.
Types of Balls
Manufacturers offer three different types of balls for match play: professional, championship and regular, in descending order of quality. The better the ball, the more durable the ball and more consistent the bounce. You can purchase professional and championship balls in tennis retail shops and sporting-goods stores, and regular balls at those outlets, big-box retailers and even some grocery stores. You can also buy pressureless and semi-pressureless balls that last longer; these may however be harder, have a slightly different bounce and make a different sound on contact. Foam and low-compression balls let you practice strokes at a much slower speed if you are learning the game or want to get a better workout.
Match-Play Practice
If you are practicing close to your time of desired peak performance, use the same balls you will be using during your matches. Open a new can if you are playing a practice match and want to duplicate match conditions. You can re-use good balls several times if they are part of a hopper of balls because each one will be hit less frequently.
Regular Practices
If you practice every day, with an emphasis on drilling rather than playing matches, you have many options. Regular match-play balls are the best option for budget-conscious players who want a truer bounce. Look for hard-court, extra-duty balls, which last longer. Buy clay-court balls if you will be practicing on clay courts. Buy high-altitude balls if you will be practicing at higher elevations. Semi-pressureless and pressureless balls provide a bounce close enough to match-play balls that many clubs, camps and academies use them. If you are a very hard hitter who will be hitting many balls, pressureless balls may begin to hurt your arm, since they are harder than match-play balls. Look for X-out balls, which are less expensive because they have some cosmetic blemish. You might be able to get professional or championship balls cheaply because the company name or ball number was slightly blurred during the manufacturing process.
Stroke Practice
To slow the speed of the game and practices, manufacturers created low-compression and foam balls. These balls travel through the air more slowly and bounce much lower than match-play balls. These balls are good for beginners or or those looking to practice specific strokes. For example, a player who has reliable strokes but wants to add a slice or topspin stroke may want to start learning the new stroke with a foam or low-compression ball. Because these balls do not fly far when you mishit them, you will be less likely to hold back or abbreviate the new stroke you are practicing. This is also true for beginners just learning strokes.
Conditioning Workouts
The slow speed of low-compression and foam balls makes it difficult to hit winners with them. This makes points last longer and lets you get a better conditioning workout.
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