While the whole tennis world is talking about improved racquets and other gear, you are as likely to read an article or catch a conversation on tennis balls, as finding water on moon! However, abouttennis.com.au brings you all information you always wanted about tennis balls.
History of tennis balls
Tennis is rich in history, and not surprisingly the history of tennis balls makes for an interesting reading as well. Tennis balls dating to as far back as the reign of King Henry VIII have been discovered. These early tennis balls were made of leather with human hair or sheep wool stuffed in. These balls then gave way to balls having a cork core with white strings sewn around.
Modern tennis balls
The emergence of lawn tennis in the 1870s paved the way for tennis balls manufactured from vulcanized rubber. These balls are used till date. The modern tennis balls consist of two parts:
- The inner core made from rubber
- The outer cloth covering
The inner core consists of two half shells of rubber joined together by a special adhesive to form a single core.
The outer cloth covering is also consists of two parts. Each of the parts is stuck over the core by means of an adhesive. The thickness and density of the outer cloth covering depends on the type of court for which the ball is manufactured.
The outer cloth covering for today's tennis balls is greenish yellow. About 25 years back, white coloured tennis balls were in use. Remember those videos of Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon ?
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has approved three types of tennis balls – Type I, Type II and Type III with varying performance characteristics.
Dimensions of tennis balls
The ITF has specified the following dimensions for tennis balls:
Diameter: The diameter of a tennis ball should be between 6.35 cm and 6.67 cm.
Weight: A tennis ball should weigh between 56.7 grams and 58.5 grams.
Other characteristics
The ITF has also specified a few other guidelines for tennis balls. The colour of a tennis ball should be either greenish yellow or white. It is also required that the seams of a tennis ball are without any stitches.