Having played padel at sea level, at 1000ft, and at 2500ft I was surprised that did not affect the ball as much as I was expecting it to. That lead me to wonder what gas filled the padel balls to keep the bounce so consistent across the different altitudes. The answer surprised me.
Top-quality padel balls are filled with nitrogen to between 10 and 11 psi. The rubber linings of padel balls are more impervious to the size of nitrogen gas molecules than compressed air, therefore holding pressure for longer. Cheap balls are filled with compressed air but lose pressure quickly.
Let’s unpack why tournament standard padel balls perform better and last longer than cheap padel balls.
What Gas Fills Padel Balls?
Who knew that padel balls are filled with 10-11 psi of nitrogen? Inside the ball is a rubber lining to help keep the gas inside while also making them bounce well on hard surfaces like asphalt, concrete, and the glass wall.
There’s something else you might not have known: padel balls come in both pressurized air and nitrogen gas. There’s one significant difference between these two types – the ones with pressurized air will depreciate more quickly than the ones filled with nitrogen.
When choosing one of these, it all boils down to personal preference and how much you want to spend on a can of balls.
How Long Do Padel Balls Stay Pressurized
Padel ball cans have a pressurized seal that won’t let the air out until you crack them open. Once opened, they’ll last around five matches or three weeks. Other factors come into play as well: cold weather, court surface, brand, and how hard the players hit.
To make sure your padel balls last a long time in storage (in an unopened can), put them inside the fridge – this slows down air leakage, which means less pressure leaking out of the can and balls.
Why Are Padel Balls Pressurized?
Padel balls are pressurized for more reasons than you would think. The pressure gives the balls a better bounce, brand-new feel, longer lifetime, and better performance. They have an overall superior quality to unpressurized balls.
Unpressurized padel balls cost less, but they won’t last as long as their pressurized counterparts – which is why they’re only suitable to be used by beginners or practicing players before matches or tournaments begin.
Once the actual games start, it’s time to use the better-quality, higher-performance pressurized balls.
Are Padel Balls Different Than Tennis Balls?
Many people could confuse a tennis ball with a padel ball, as they look about the same; however, there are several differences between the two:
- Tennis balls are pressurized at around 14 psi, while padel balls are pressurized at about 10-11 psi.
- The outside of a tennis ball is not as rough on the surface as a padel ball.
- Padel balls don’t bounce as high as tennis balls.
Despite all the differences, it can still be difficult to tell one ball from the other; however, that’s where the difference of 4 psi comes into play. It means that less pressure makes padel balls smaller than tennis balls and is an easy way to distinguish between them.
Can You Use Tennis Balls For Padel?
The best way to ensure success when playing padel is to use a ball that has been designed specifically for the game. Tennis balls are just too different from padel balls, and they make it difficult for you or your opponents to play padel.
The high bounce of tennis balls will throw off an experienced padel player’s timing. The ball will bounce higher than anticipated, and it will go farther and harder than a padel ball. Hitting the ball off the glass would be even more challenging.
Even beginners and inexperienced players should only use padel balls to play padel, as using the wrong ball could throw your game off later.
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