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How do they get air in a tennis ball?

Author

Emma Payne

Published Jan 22, 2026

The half-shells are placed in a hydraulic press, with the ambient air pressurized at 18 psi. As the shells are combined into a tennis ball core, the pressurized air is trapped inside. Once the adhesive cures, the shells are cooled to at least 127 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent the core from exploding.

How do tennis balls get pressurized?

Loaded into molds and placed in a hydraulic press, the half-shells combine to create a core. At this time, compressed air of 18 psi fills the chamber. The combining of the half-shells trap the pressurized air and the adhesive is cured during an eight-minute process that heats and cools the core.

Are tennis balls filled with air?

There is a thin layer of adhesive on the rubber. Pressurized tennis balls are filled with either air or nitrogen, with nitrogen keeping the balls inflated longer. On the other hand, non-pressurized balls are solid, which keeps them from deflating.

Are tennis balls Pressurised?

A new tennis ball has an internal ball pressure of around 14psi so to ensure the ball retains the new ball feel on the shelf, the cans also have the same pressure applied to the can. This ensures the shelf life of the ball is the same from day of manufacture to the day it is opened.

Why are tennis balls air sealed?

The reason for this is that tennis balls are hollow on the inside and its interior is filled with certain gas, such as nitrogen, which depends on the type of ball or the manufacturer, says e-tennis.org. The pressurization gives the ball its bounce.

41 related questions found

What is the pressure inside a tennis ball?

Unlike other types of balls, tennis balls feature higher air pressure on the inside rather than the outside. The pressure pushing against the inside of the ball sits at around 27 pounds per square inch.

Why are tennis balls in cans?

Tennis balls are sold in pressurized cans because otherwise, the air inside the tennis balls would slowly escape. However, if the can is pressurized to the same psi as the balls, the air will remain, and it will hold its performance. Keeping the balls pressurized will drastically help with bounce. So there you have it.

Should tennis balls be pressureless?

Match play generally requires pressurized tennis balls; ball machines and lessons are perfect for pressureless varieties. Either type is suitable for all skill levels, though pressureless balls are a bit heavier and require more force.

How long do pressurized tennis balls last?

Playing at a recreational level, a can of pressurised tennis balls will last anywhere between 1-4 weeks of light to moderate play. If used for competitive tennis, a pressurised set of tennis balls might last as little as 1-3 hours. Pressureless tennis balls can last 1 year and maybe even longer.

Is the inside of a tennis ball poisonous?

“Tennis balls are made for tennis; they are not marketed or sold as pet toys, but we want to assure our customers that no toxic materials are added to our tennis balls, and we would never knowingly market a product that harms animals or humans.”

What is inside a tennis ball made of?

Tennis balls are filled with air and are surfaced by a uniform felt-covered rubber compound. The felt delays flow separation in the boundary layer which reduces aerodynamic drag and gives the ball better flight properties.

What is a dead tennis ball?

A dead tennis ball signifies a ball that is old and has lost its bounce. In other words, it becomes flat and bounces much less than a ball fresh from the can. Depending on its use a new ball can become dull within just one session of constant hitting for a few hours.

Do tennis balls lose their bounce?

And remember, much a like an opened soda can that goes flat, an opened tennis can will lose their bounce as well, even if they are unused. Once they lose their bounce, which will be considerably noticeable, they are dead. Make sure to leave those ones behind or gift them to your dog!

How do you make tennis balls last longer?

sensible answers only please. Place three balls in a microwave on high and Nuke them. The balls will bounce higher. That bounce may last 30 minutes or more.

What are green dot tennis balls?

The Green Dot Ball is the closest to a regular tennis ball out of all of the ones talked about. It is a regular size ball, is deflated to about 75% of a standard yellow ball, and is meant to be played with on a full-size court. A player can still get some pace on this ball.

Why is a tennis ball green?

Broadcasting tennis in color brought the matches to life, but it made tracking the ball on screen difficult -- especially when it fell near the white courtlines. So the International Tennis Federation (ITF) undertook a study that found that yellow tennis balls were easier for home viewers to see on their screens.

Do tennis balls break?

You'll be surprised how many tennis balls actually break during fast serve contests and warmups in higher level tournies. I've seen 3 out of 21 break within 10 minutes in hot weather A/Open practices.

How often do tennis balls get changed?

The tennis balls must be approved by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The tennis balls in Grand Slams, ATP and WTA tournaments are changed after seven games and after every nine games thereafter. There are six balls in play in these events.

Are new tennis balls faster?

Tennis players may check three balls or more before serving so that they can select one smooth ball and one fluffy ball. The smooth ball is used for the first serve. Because the hairs are flattened down, the ball travels faster than an older ball, which should make it harder to return.

How fast do tennis balls go?

Tennis balls are fast (on average faster than every other ball, except golf balls) and tennis serves have been clocked as fast as 163 mph.

When should you throw away a tennis ball?

A new ball dropped from head or shoulder height (regardless of size) will bounce a little more than 1/2 way back up. If the ball bounces less than 1/2 way back up it is dead, or at least going dead.

How high should tennis balls bounce?

The ITF requirements are for a bounce between 53 and 58 inches at 69 degrees. Surprisingly, most balls bounced higher after the durability test than before — some more than 1.5% higher. We can speculate that the higher bounce of most of the used balls has to do with the removal of fluff.

Are tennis balls always yellow?

In 1972 the ITF introduced yellow tennis balls into the rules of tennis, as research had shown these balls to be more visible to television viewers. Meanwhile Wimbledon continued to use the traditional white ball, but eventually adopted yellow balls in 1986.

How heavy is a tennis ball?

Tennis balls must measure from 2.57 to 2.70 inches in diameter and weigh between 1.975 and 2.095 ounces, leaving a bit of wiggle room for differences. Plus, each manufacturer will have a different makeup in the way it weaves the felt, which is often a nylon-wool blend.