Why Are Tennis Balls Vacuum Sealed

Ever wondered why you hear a popping sound every time you open a brand new canister why are tennis balls vacuum sealed?

Tennis balls come in an air-tight sealed can, containing 3 balls in it. The can is then pressurized and closed after being air-tight. This is why it makes a weird sound every time you open it.

What Is The Reason Behind Pressurizing The Balls

The reason behind pressurizing the balls is that they are empty from inside, completely hollow. And the inside is filled with a certain type of gas, nitrogen. Which totally depends on different manufacturers to choose.

After filling them with the nitrogen gas, the balls are put in air-tight cans which are vacuum sealed. To stop it from any leaking.

The Reason Behind Sealing The Cans

The types of sports, football, and volleyball, all use pressurized balls. But tennis balls are way different as they can not be pumped. This is the reason why they are put in an air-tight can. Maintaining the inside pressure of the ball undamaged.

Pressurized And Depressurized Balls

Pressurized balls are better than the other ones since they are very light and bouncy. They spin well. This is why they are packed in a pressurized, airtight vacuum-sealed can to get the desired bounce.

The pressure-less tennis balls are balls that are way different than the pressurized ones, they feel dead as soon as you unpack them. These balls are made up of rubber and are not even as bouncy as pressurized balls.

But once you use them continuously the pressure-less ball’s bottom surface becomes softer making them bouncy. But still, they are very heavy and hard to play. Which also leads to serious injuries while playing.

Pressurized tennis balls are always sold in airtight vacuum-sealed canisters to maintain the pressure inside the can and the ball. Just because the pressure inside the ball is pretty much higher than the air pressure outside, the pressure of the gas might leak out eventually with time. The pressure inside the cans creates an equilibrium pressure in the can around the ball preventing the air inside the ball from leaking out.

Soon as you open the can, the pressure will start to leak.

But this can also happen with time even if you don’t use it. When you start using the tennis ball, by hitting it with a racquet or so, it increases the pressure of the ball and damages the rubber inside the ball which allows the air to pass or leak out. It will last a couple of weeks only.

However, pressurized vacuum-sealed tennis balls are better in every way. Which also gives a decent performance. All over the world pressurized tennis balls are preferred by tennis players as well.

We only need to take it out of the cans by breaking its seal for the first time only when playing. To maintain its freshness and bounce.

Why To Use An Airtight Can

The purpose to keep the balls in an air-tight vacuum-sealed can soon after it is manufactured until the beginning of the game is to maintain the pressure and the bounce required while playing the game.

The cans are designed like drink cans. These special air-tight cans keep the pressure off the balls intact inside.

Duration Of Unopened Tennis Ball Can

Have you ever thought why the can of tennis balls are never opened first, but the racquets, shoes, and grips are opened first?

Just because to keep the pressure and the bounciness of the balls. As with time they lose their pressure and become almost dead to use. Which is not good for a professional match.

The duration of an unopened tennis ball can is up to 2 years. It also comes with an expiry date. As it starts to leak air after the expiry date has passed.

After opening the can of the tennis ball, the lifespan of the balls becomes shorter. Even if you don’t play with it much it will still become less bouncy over time due to the pressure inside and outside.

When choosing a tennis ball, it is very important to check them. As not all balls are the same.

How Are Tennis Balls Cans Pressurized

Half of the shells are placed in a hydraulic press machine, with an air pressure of 17-18 psi. Then the shells are combined into a ball core. Now the pressurized air is all trapped inside the can. After the adhesive is applied, they are then cooled to the maximum level so that they won’t explode.