Ping pong balls come in several varieties and quality. Most of them come with stars that show their level of quality and recommendation. The stars can show you when choosing the best ball for you or your kids. ITTF rules of ping pong balls are majorly used in ranking the balls. To begin with, let’s check out the ping pong ball rules set by the ITTF.
ITTF official rules a ping pong ball should meet
The ball needs to be spherical in shape. It ought to be evenly spherical
The ping pong ball should be at least 40 mm wide. This means that its diameter should be 40 mm long if exceeding, it should not exceed the length with more than 0.5 mm.
It should strictly weigh 2.7 g
The ball should be made of plastic or celluloid
Your ball should be orange or white in color. It should also be matt.
All official ITTF matches should be used balls that meet the above rules. Other practice matches may be used balls that are not tested for the standards.
Some extra tips to help you
To get the most out of your ping pong ball, always make sure that you keep balls out of sunlight, heat, and high humidity conditions.
The color of ping pong balls will not factor into the game itself. The color of the ball doesn’t change the knowledge, though it might matter in international competitions (where white- and orange-colored balls are most popularly accepted). In the long run, make an effort to ensure that your chosen ball for games and practice is the most obvious given the conditions.
Also, remember to always pick up your balls when they fall. This is to avoid stepping in it and ruining them, which happens more than you’ll expect.
Star rating
The stars are used to show how much a ping pong ball is fit for the standards set by the ITTF. They also show the quality of that ball. All balls are good and can be used for various purposes. Let’s check out the non-starred balls.
The non-starred balls
1. Fun balls
Fun balls are also known as novelty balls. They are really good for children and other people can also use them in recreational games. They come with features that produce them good and appealing for simple plays. The balls come in various sizes and colors. The texture they have varies and the balls can be purchased in packs. Fun balls can even be used in competitions if they meet the rules set for a table tennis ball.
2. Training/ practice balls
These balls are suitable for beginners and young players. They can be specifically designed to favor the players who are not so good in ping pong. The balls normally don’t withstand strong hits and can certainly break. They are bought in packs and can be utilized in authorized competitions if indeed they meet the official ping pong ball standards set by the ITTF.
Starred balls
Starred balls are rated. They are simply given a number of stars depending how much good and fit they can be for a table tennis game. Many of them fulfill the ITTF official ping pong ball rules.
1. The one stars
These balls belong to the one-star group of classification. They are really good for players in youth clubs and schools. The balls are usually soft , nor withstand hard hits for long. They are readily available and can be purchased in packs. To get a ball of this class to be fit for competitions, it has to fulfill the ping pong ball rules.
2. The two stars
These balls belong to the two-star group of classification. They are really good for all players who are advancing in the overall game. The balls are good enough to use in robot games and various practices. Balls that only missed to meet the highest standards with a hardly noticeable thing fall in this group. They could be included in advanced matches if they are really orange or white, have a 40mm diameter and weigh 2.7 g.
3. The three stars
These balls belong to the three-star band of classification. They are really of the best quality and meet up with the international standards. The balls are authorized by the ITTF and really should be your choice if you need for taking your game to the highest level. They are normally tested and verified before release. The three stars can withstand hard hits and normally lasts for a very long time frame. ITTF has listed the companies it finds capable of producing these balls. The non-listed companies are also good and also have only not involved the ITTF when checking their balls. Their three star balls can be utilized in competitions.
Quality and sturdiness help in making the key point of differentiating between the various levels of ping pong balls. Stars are awarded according to quality and how much a ball fits with the standards set by ITTF. You should be able to choose which balls best fits your level of playing. When you are just playing for fun, low-level balls would be good as they are cheap. Highly rated balls would be good for you if your play is to be used professionally. Getting used to playing with table tennis balls that are of the highest star rating is important.
The higher the ping pong ball’s star rating is, the better the product quality. Three-star balls are definitely the most durable and offer the best playing experience. One-star balls are softer so break more easily but are much cheaper than three-star balls. Two-star balls are believed middle of the range.
3 star ping pong balls: created for tournaments and practice for high-level players
Two-star balls: created for training
One-star balls: made for informal non-competitive players
Three star balls undergo much more rigorous quality control procedures compared to one and two star balls. This means three star balls will have more regular speed, spin and bounce. This is impacted by the physical characteristics, meaning that three star balls will have a stricter weight, thickness and hardness conditions as compared to one and two star balls. Three star balls are also more spherical in comparison to lower rated balls that gives them more bounce and spin consistency.