What are table tennis balls made of?
Rachel Ellis
Published Jan 12, 2026
The official material used in table tennis balls was changed from celluloid to plastic, a material free of celluloid, in 2014.
What is a table tennis ball made out of?
Plastic balls, poly balls, or 40+ balls are all terms used to describe the current table tennis ball. They are usually made from Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, more commonly known as ABS plastic. ABS is a widely used plastic, as it is both strong and relatively safe.
What are table tennis balls filled with?
Contrary to a popular myth, they are filled with air and not a flammable gas. The reason they burn is because they are made of celluloid. Celluloid is a flammable polymer, much like nitrocellulose of guncotton.
What are tennis balls made of today?
What are tennis balls made of? Tennis balls consist of a two-piece rubber shell that manufacturers mold together to form a hollow core, injected with pressurized gas to give the ball its bounce, and wrapped with a synthetic felt that glues to the surface for durability.
What makes a good table tennis ball?
Table tennis balls are given a number of stars, from 1 to 3. Balls with 3-stars are of the highest quality and are the most durable, while 1-star balls will break or lose their shape quicker. Novelty balls, toy balls, beer pong balls, and table tennis balls intended for children often don't have any stars at all.
35 related questions foundHow are table tennis balls made?
Balls are cut by machine, with hot water dripping onto them to avoid cracks. Ball halves are then transferred by hand into gluing stations, with solvent spread evenly on each half. Double Happiness may not be Apple in terms of secrecy, but the company does keep a few things to itself.
What is the difference between orange and white ping pong balls?
The difference between orange and white ping pong balls is the color. The right ball is chosen by looking at the playing environment and the athlete's clothing. If the area is light, it's best to choose an orange ball. If the area is dark, then a white ball is the best choice.
Are tennis balls made from wool?
Modern Composition
Today's tennis balls are made of a hollow, two-piece rubber shell filled with pressurized gas. The rubber shell is covered with felt made from nylon or wool. The ITF states that tennis balls should be between 2 1/2 and 2 5/8 inches in diameter and weigh between 2 and 2 1/16 oz.
What kind of rubber are tennis balls made of?
The rubber in tennis balls can be made from synthetic rubber or natural rubber.
How tennis balls are made and manufactured?
This rubber-based core compound made of materials including clay (which deadens rebound), is repeatedly crushed in an open mill for five minutes. Slugs are cut from the rubber-based core compound, which is then compression moulded for 90 seconds into a thin shell. Once the slugs are compressed, a sheet is made.
What is the difference between indoor and outdoor table tennis balls?
Ping Pong. There is no difference in terms of the ball whether it is outdoor or indoor table tennis. Both use the 40+ table tennis with new ABS materials.
What does 40+ mean on ping pong balls?
The reason the balls are labelled with 40+ is that when the ITTF made the plastic balls legal for competition, they also allowed the balls to have a bigger size tolerance. So a celluloid ball tends to be around 39.6mm whereas the new plastic balls measure around 40.2mm, making the plastic balls about 0.5mm bigger.
Are all table tennis balls the same?
Table tennis balls are not all the same. There are many different types available and each one will be suitable for a different purpose.
Are ping pong balls celluloid?
As of July 1, 2014, all ITTF events started using Plastic Polystyrene 'Poly' balls. The playing characteristics of the new balls are unique but very similar to celluloid. They transport more safely and are more environmentally friendly.
Are tennis balls made of natural rubber?
In general, tennis balls are made with a rubber core and covered in felt, which can be made of wool or synthetic materials. Most balls are also filled with compressed air and sold in pressurized cans.
What fiber is in tennis balls?
Tennis balls are made using rubber and felt. The rubber is molded into a ball by joining two pieces. This rubber ball is covered using felt.
Are tennis balls made by hand?
The covering is either done by machine or by hand, with hand covering being the more accurate method. Next, air bubbles are removed in a rolling machine and then the balls move on to another vulcanizing process, whereby the felt covering is bonded firmly to the rubber sphere.
What is inside a tennis ball?
description. A tennis ball consists of a pressurized rubber core covered with high-quality cloth, usually wool mixed with up to 35 percent nylon. Balls gradually go soft with use, and in tournament play they are changed at regular intervals agreed upon by officials and depending upon such…
Are tennis balls made out of latex?
Bladders of tennis balls are natural rubber latex.
Do table tennis balls wear out?
They don't tend to wear out but they do break. The plastic will get a crack in it and then be unusable. You will notice the ball will stop bouncing the same way and you may even notice a slightly different sound to the bounce.
What are the three colors a ping pong ball can be?
Balls are now made of a polymer instead of celluloid as of 2015, colored white or orange, with a matte finish. The choice of ball color is made according to the table color and its surroundings.
What is the name of the most common grip in table tennis?
The most common grip used by top players is called the Shakehand grip. Although there are other successful techniques, this program concentrates on this technique.
Why are ping-pong balls so flammable?
The material of the ball is usually celluloid (or some other plastic), which is the real reason why it burns up so rapidly when lit. Celluloid is a highly flammable substance, and since table tennis balls are made of celluloid, they burn up easily too.
Where are Butterfly ping pong balls made?
3 Star Plastic 40mm Ball
High Quality 3 Star Poly Table Tennis Ball is Made in Germany.
How many types of balls are there in table tennis?
Table tennis balls are typically divided into 3 different star ratings (1-star, 2-star and 3-star). In simple terms, the 1-star balls are the most basic and are suited to social environments and casual play. 2-stars can be useful for practicing and learning, and the 3-star balls are the premium for competition.