New vs. Old vs. Repressurized Balls

What Do the Tests Say, and What About the Environment?

We all know the feeling: fresh balls from a newly opened can play fantastically, while old balls from the bottom of the bag barely bounce. But can you really make a used ball bounce like new again? And what does it mean for the environment if we extend the lifespan of our balls instead of throwing them away?

This blog post delves into scientific data and test results on ball pressure and bounce, as well as the environmental impact of prolonging the lifespan of sports balls.

From Fresh to Flat: How a Ball Changes

A new tennis or padel ball meets strict bounce standards. For instance, a tennis ball must bounce between 135-147 cm when dropped from a height of 254 cm. Initially, the ball has the necessary internal pressure (~14 psi for tennis / 10-12 psi for padel) to deliver the required bounce. However, after just a few hours of play, the difference becomes noticeable.

A tennis or padel ball loses approximately 20% of its pressure after just one hour of play. This pressure loss continues gradually, and the ball’s bounce becomes lower and lower.

After just 1-2 matches, you can already feel the difference. An experienced padel player notes that after two to three matches, “you will notice a clear difference in the ball’s bounce,” indicating that it’s time to open a new tube.

This also means that by the second and third match, you are already playing with balls that have lost a significant portion of their bounce, affecting your shots and the consistency of your game. In short, balls become unpredictable, and the game loses some of its dynamic quality.

Old vs. Repressurized Balls: Bounce and Pressure

The good news is that modern pressurizers can restore a significant portion of lost pressure in balls. If you have old balls that still look fine but no longer bounce properly, they can actually be revived.

Tests from the padel world show that if flat balls are placed in a pressurizer (such as PressureBox) for a period, they can regain their original bounce. One user reported that after 9 days in a pressurizer, even old padel balls “bounced like new again.”

By using the right method, it’s possible to restore a worn ball’s internal pressure back to its original level, so it once again meets the standard bounce requirements.

Even informal tests confirm this effect. A tennis enthusiast estimated that using a simple pressurizer at normal can pressure (~14 psi) allowed a used ball to recover 90% of its original bounce height fairly quickly. Achieving a full 100% recovery took longer.

At higher pressures (20-30 psi), the restoration process is even faster. The key takeaway is that it is possible to restore a ball’s bounce almost entirely by allowing it to absorb air again under sufficient pressure.

Comparing Three Scenarios

  1. New Ball:

    • Fully pressurized (12-14 psi for tennis, 10-12 psi for padel).
    • Bounces high and consistently (135-145 cm in standard test).
    • Provides optimal speed and predictability in play.

  2. Used Ball (Without a Pressurizer):

    • Has lost significant pressure after multiple matches.
    • Bounces noticeably lower (often below 135 cm in tests).
    • Feels “dead,” moves slower through the air, and requires more force.
    • Makes gameplay less consistent.

  3. Repressurized Ball:

    • A previously used ball restored in a PressureBox.
    • Regains most of its internal pressure.
    • Bounces nearly as high as a new ball.
    • In practice, users report that these balls feel almost like new, with only minimal differences.
    • The biggest difference is often the felt wear, but the bounce and speed remain intact.

A concrete example:
One padel player reported that after using a pressurizer, he could play up to 20 matches with the same set of balls while maintaining a consistent bounce. Previously, he had to replace them after just a few matches.

Now, instead of pressure loss, it’s the felt wear on the ball’s surface that ultimately determines when the balls need to be replaced. In other words, the balls last so long that the exterior wears out before the interior does.

What Does Science Say?

The physics behind why a ball can regain pressure lies in diffusion and equilibrium. The rubber of the ball naturally tries to balance the pressure difference between the inside and outside. Normally, this means the ball loses pressure, as the internal pressure is higher than the external pressure.

However, if the situation is reversed (by placing the ball in a high-pressure chamber), air will move into the ball instead.

It should be noted that completely flat balls (those that have been left unused for too long) may not always be fully recoverable. If a ball has been without pressure for too long, its rubber might no longer be able to hold new pressure.

The best results are achieved by repressurizing balls early in their lifecycle before they become completely flat. By using PressureBox consistently, you can prevent balls from going flat between matches, significantly extending their lifespan.

Environmental Impact: From Waste to Reuse

Beyond the performance benefits, reusing balls has a significant environmental advantage. Tennis and padel balls create a bigger waste problem than most people realize.

Globally, around 330 million tennis balls are produced each year, and almost all of them end up in landfills. Because they are made from vulcanized rubber and felt (nylon/wool), they degrade extremely slowly—it can take up to 400 years for a ball to decompose in a landfill.

In the meantime, they release microplastics and other pollutants into the environment. Millions of used balls are discarded every year, as they cannot be easily recycled due to their mixed-material composition.

By extending their lifespan, we can reduce the number of balls that need to be manufactured and disposed of.

For example:

  • A player who normally uses 3 sets of balls per week could reduce that to just 1 set per week with a pressurizer.
  • That’s fewer balls produced, less raw material used, and fewer discarded balls.
  • Even reusing a few dozen balls per player per year adds up significantly when considering the millions of players worldwide.

A Sustainable Approach with PressureBox

PressureBox directly helps reduce ball waste. Balcour highlights this sustainable aspect: by keeping balls playable longer, we throw away fewer balls. This appeals to many environmentally conscious players who want to enjoy the sport without unnecessary waste.

For example:
Instead of needing 100 balls for six months of play, you might only need 20-30 if you reuse them actively. Think about all the packaging (cans/tubes), transportation, and CO2 emissions saved by purchasing fewer new balls. It all adds up.

There are initiatives to recycle or repurpose balls (e.g., turning old tennis balls into granules for courts or dog toys), but these solutions only address a fraction of the issue.

The most effective way to reduce ball waste is to delay the point at which they become waste—using fewer balls overall. Pressurizers like PressureBox are a smart solution: they keep balls fresh and functional for much longer.

Conclusion: Data and Sustainability Go Hand in Hand

It’s clear that repressurizing balls works—both practically (in bounce performance) and scientifically (in air diffusion principles). Old balls can regain bounce, as proven by both manufacturer tests and user experiences.

At the same time, the benefits extend beyond performance—they save money and reduce waste.

The numbers point to a win-win:

  • More consistent balls to play with
  • Significant cost savings
  • Less waste and environmental impact

With PressureBox, players can enjoy their sport more sustainably—playing with the same balls again and again.