The tennis ball tester in your pocket.
BallCheck compares your ball with a new one on hard, clay, grass or carpet, and with the ITF 254 cm rebound test.
Or test a ball now in your browserBuilt on the ITF, FIP and USA Pickleball bounce testsWorks offlineNo account10 languages
What to do with each ball.
Pressureless balls have no extra air inside to keep, so a pressurizer does nothing for them. No independent published test of pressurizers was found, so testing before and after is the best check.
Demo with sample balls. Test a real one in the free web version.
Keep
Plays like new or close to it. Keep it for matches.
Pressurize or practice
Losing pressure. A night in a pressurizer may bring some bounce back, or move it to drills. Test it again after.
Retire
Too flat to come back. Use it for practice or recycle it.
What the official test says.
The ITF drops every ball it approves from 254 cm (100 in) onto a smooth granite block at 20 °C, and measures how high it comes back.
| Ball | Rebound from 254 cm | Made for |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 (fast) | 138 to 151 cm (54 to 60 in) | Slow courts, most clay |
| Type 2 (medium) | 135 to 147 cm (53 to 58 in) | Medium courts |
| Type 3 (slow) | 135 to 147 cm (53 to 58 in) | Fast courts, most grass |
| High altitude | 122 to 135 cm (48 to 53 in) | Play above 1,219 m (4,000 ft) |
A new pressurised ball holds about 10 to 13 psi above atmospheric pressure (70 to 90 kPa). Pressureless balls are allowed under Type 2 with no more than 7 kPa (1 psi) inside.
Source: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Appendix I
Every court you play on.
A ball bounces differently on clay than on a hard court, so BallCheck compares it with a new ball on the surface you pick.
- Hard court (acrylic)
- Cushioned hard court
- Clay, red or green
- Natural grass
- Artificial grass with sand
- Indoor carpet
- Hard floor off court, closest to the official test
Tennis ball guides.
All guidesHow to tell if a tennis ball is dead
Four ways to check if a tennis ball is dead, from the official 100 inch drop test to a squeeze test, and what the numbers mean.
Read the guide TennisDo tennis ball pressurizers work?
How tennis and padel ball pressurizers work, what the evidence says, and how to check whether yours is keeping your balls alive.
Read the guide TennisTennis ball types and the ITF rebound test
What Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, high altitude and pressureless tennis balls are, which court each is for, and how the ITF tests them.
Read the guideQuestions
How do you know if a tennis ball is dead?
A dead ball bounces lower and feels soft. The ITF test drops a ball from 254 cm and expects a new Type 2 ball to come back 135 to 147 cm. BallCheck times the bounces by sound and compares your ball with a new one on your court.
How high should a tennis ball bounce?
Dropped from 254 cm (100 in) onto a hard, rigid surface, a new Type 2 or Type 3 ball bounces 135 to 147 cm (53 to 58 in). Type 1 balls bounce 138 to 151 cm and high altitude balls 122 to 135 cm. A softer floor gives a lower reading.
How often do pros change balls?
The ITF rules let organisers change balls after an agreed odd number of games, with the first change two games earlier to allow for the warm-up. That is where the familiar 7 then 9 games pattern comes from.
Do pressureless tennis balls go dead?
They have no extra air inside to lose: the ITF says their bounce comes from a thicker rubber core. So a pressurizer cannot help them, but the felt and rubber still wear with play.
Be first on court.
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