Formulate the task of the test

First, determine what the ball is chosen for: training beginners, regular training Open Play, A single model can be comfortable for a quiet group and too slow for a competitive pace.

Write down coverage, wind, temperature range and regulations, and without that input, the comparison quickly turns into a discussion of brands and personal habits

Prepare the same conditions

Take three to five new balls of each model, hold them on the court so that the temperature of the plastic is the same, and don't compare one ball in the cold trunk with another ball that was in the sun all day

Use the same court, the same players and the same sequence of strokes. Color rate separately: it should be visible against the background of the covering, walls, markings and clothing

Check the geometry and the first bounce

Roll the balls on a flat surface and separate the visibly oval specimens. Then make a series of test bounces from the same height, the task is not to measure the lab, but to find a clear scatter within the game

If the new packaging already gives different trajectories and rebound heights, buying a large batch without additional verification is risky

Play six mandatory situations

For each model, do a feed, a deep return, a third soft kick, a dink, a block against a strong drive and a quick exchange by the kitchen, showing speed, altitude control, trajectory stability and behavior after hard contact

Don't pick one spectacular hit. Count the percentage of predictable hits and the number of random bounces for the same number of tries

  • 10 servings and 10 returns
  • 10 soft third strikes
  • diagonal
  • blockage
  • quick-change
  • game-play

Check the wind and smooth floor separately

Outside, compare flying in side winds to headwinds, not just in a calm spot on the court, and in the audience, look at the speed after the bounce, the sound and the visibility under artificial light

A model that works well in one site doesn't have to be the best in another, but it's conditional, not universal

Check the status after an hour of play

After the test, look again for roundness, surface, softness and microcracks, some differences only appear after a series of force strokes or playing in the cool

Compare not only the price of the pack, but also the number of hours that are available for playing, and a cheap ball becomes expensive if it has to be written off frequently or stopped constantly to replace the match

Set up the basic and backup model

It is useful for the club to assign one main model for a particular type of court and one reserve that can be bought, and the baskets are marked, different models are not mixed in matches and technical exercises

For the tournament, the model and color are announced in advance, and the current admission and the specific game are re-checked before the event

When to return to full choice

This material describes the test method, and selection criteria, storage, signs of replacement, and official sources are compiled in the master manual

After the test, compare the result with the material about the choice of the ball and only then make a decision about the purchase