EVOLUTION
For indoor use, manufacturers create softer, more flexible balls that won’ t skid on wood floors. Softer balls will also bounce higher and play slower. For outdoor use, the opposite— a harder ball is made that will play faster and provide a fair bounce off the hard-court surface.
Process: One Piece or Two. The process of how the ball is made is another function of its playability. Most balls are created in two halves and then joined together( i. e. two-piece injection molding). The # 1 indoor ball on the market( Jugs) uses this process.
A more time consuming and expensive process, some manufacturers create balls using rotational molding where the ball is created in one piece, then all holes are drilled simultaneously afterward. The # 1 outdoor ball on the market, Pickle-Ball Inc.’ s Durafast 40, uses this process.
Why do balls break? All tournament pros know that some manufacturers’ balls tend to crack sooner than others. Manufacturers using rotational molding point out that most cracks occur on the seams of two-piece balls. They also claim that their one-piece balls are less likely to come out of round. Two-piece manufacturers claim that the most important function of durability is the correct polymer mixture making up
the ball and how it is heated / cooled in production. Companies such as Onix use two-piece injection molding and have an excellent reputation for ball quality and durability.
Hole Size, Count and Pattern. The smaller the hole size, the less wind can disrupt play. Nearly all indoor balls have larger holes not only because wind is not a factor inside, but also to grab the court a little more.
Additionally, some balls have more holes. For example, the Onix Pure 2 Outdoor ball has 40 smaller holes, whereas the Pure 2 Indoor has 26 larger ones.
Hole pattern is also important to balls being lopsided( out of round). Some manufacturers clearly make balls that are more uniform than others.
Diameter, Weight. The new ball diameter range established by the IFP is between 2.874” and 2.972”. Weight is to be set between 22 and 26.5 grams. There is no steadfast rule as to which weight is better or worse for indoor and / or outdoor use.
Bounce Height. Softer balls tend to bounce higher than harder balls. To test appropriate bounce height, the IFP has established the following criteria: The ball shall have a bounce of 30-34 inches when dropped from a height of 75 inches onto a concrete floor( at 75 to 80 degrees). With newly manufactured balls bouncing higher and higher, this was one of the lead
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IFP RULES FOR BALLS( NEW)
* 2. D. 1. Construction. The ball shall be made of durable material molded with a smooth surface and free of texturing. The ball can only be one single, uniform color, except for identification markings. The ball may have a slight ridge at the seam as long as it does not significantly affect straight flight characteristics.
* 2. D. 2. Size. The ball shall be 2.874 inches( 73mm) to 2.972 inches( 75.5mm) in diameter.
* 2. D. 3. Weight. The ball shall weigh between 0.78 and 0.935 ounces( 22 and 26.5 grams).
* 2. D. 4. Bounce. The ball shall have a bounce of 30 to 34 inches when dropped from a height of 78 inches to the top of the ball onto a granite surface plate. The test is to be at an ambient temperature of 75 to 80 degrees F.
* 2. D. 5. Hardness. The ball shall have a hardness of 40 to 50 on a Durometer D scale at a temperature of 75 to 80 degrees F( 24 to 27 degrees C).
* 2. D. 6. Design. The ball shall have a minimum of 26 to a maximum of 40 circular holes, with spacing of holes and overall design of the ball conforming to straight flight characteristics. The ball must have a manufacturer’ s or supplier’ s name or logo printed or embossed on it.
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