Best Tennis Balls for Beginners

For beginners, the best tennis balls are those that provide a slower, more controlled bounce, making it easier to learn proper technique and develop consistency. Here are some great options:

Beginner Tennis Balls

There are 4 different tiers of beginner balls that you can choose from based on age and strength.

Tier 1:Red Stage Balls (Low-Compression, 25% Speed of Regular Balls)

Best for: Kids under 8 or beginners on small courts
Pros: Larger, slower, easier to control
Example: Penn QST 36, Wilson Starter Red

Wilson Starter Foam Tennis Balls, Yellow/Red

The Wilson Starter Foam Tennis Balls in Yellow/Red have been a game-changer for kids and adults who have just started their tennis journey. These foam balls offer a consistent bounce, making them perfect for beginners. Many kids love them, thanks to their vibrant colors and lightweight design.

The only flip side we’ve noticed is that they tend to attract dust and hair easily. Despite that minor drawback, I highly recommend these tennis balls to parents starting their kids’ tennis adventures or even adults starting out. These balls are safe, durable, and enjoyable, they’ve made our tennis practice sessions a real joy!

Penn QST 36 Tennis Balls

For those who have not taken their kids through the standard tennis progression, this foam balls are designed for very young kids under the age of 8. The foam ball is much lighter than a regular tennis ball (32 grams vs about 58 grams of a standard tennis ball), and quite a big larger (I measured 90 mm in diameter, vs 65 to 68 mm of a standard tennis ball). The benefit of this ball is that it flies slower, bounces lower, and would not hurt a child if they are hit with the ball.

Likewise, you can practice against the garage door or in the house without the risk of breaking something or disturbing your family members with noise since they are foam.

These balls will wear out over the time, but on the other hand, they will not lose pressure and will not go dead after 1-2 months of storage as yellow pressurized tennis balls. As it is foam, it does not like wet weather.

Tier 2: Orange Stage Balls (50% Speed of Regular Balls)

Best for: Kids 8-10 or beginners moving to a bigger court
Pros: Lower bounce, easier to rally
Example: Dunlop Stage 2, Wilson Starter Orange

Dunlop Tennis Ball Stage 2 Orange

For kids the normal yellow balls are way to quick for them to hit. These balls on the other hand are much slower than regular tennis balls and are also much softer. These balls still have the same great quality you would expect from Dunlop Tennis Balls

WILSON Orange Youth Tennis Balls

These tennis balls are great for kids who are just learning how to play. They are soft and the lower air pressure decreases the bounce on the ball which slows the ball down enough so beginner kids can hit them back. They work well, but a bit pricey for just 3 balls. They are not that durable either so if you practice even a decent amount they will wear out quickly.

Tier 3: Green Stage Balls (75% Speed of Regular Balls)

Best for: Older kids or adults who are learning
Pros: Slightly softer and slower than regular balls but closer to the real game
Example: Wilson Green Dot, Penn QST 60

WILSON US Open Green Youth Tennis Balls

Even pro’s are training with Wilson Green Balls as the balls are 25% slower compared than regular duty tennis balls which makes learning faster and easier. The balls feature a high visibility felt and are designed to offer greater control for longer rallies. This ball can be used on a full size court. New ITF rules state that all tournament for 10 year and younger are to play with Green Balls. which means that using these balls, kids get used to it and can offer them greater success in competitive play.

QST 60 Tennis Balls

My child loves this ball when they go and play tennis with us. The reason is that the ball is not as springy as a regular tennis ball, but not as soft as the red ones. We (the adult players) find this an easier ball to play with when playing with kids. Way eiaser to hit than to try hit the squishy red balls. This is a great ball to have in our kit.

Tier 4: Regular Pressureless Balls

Best for: Adult beginners practicing alone or with a coach
Pros: Last longer than pressurized balls, great for practice
Example: Tretorn Micro X, Tourna Pressureless Tennis Balls

Tretorn micro X

These balls are neither pressure-less or pressurized. They are filled with tiny beads that are pressurized. I have used these balls many times both in practice and play. They are also excellent in ball machines.

The balls are only slightly harder on the arm than the Wilson US Open tennis balls. They track perfectly straight as you hit them. The balls cost only a little more than a regular pack of balls and last at least 10 times longer. They never wear out but the felt may eventually be worn out.

I highly recommend buying a box of 25 or 50 of these balls and a ball hopper.

Tourna Pressureless Tennis Ball

These tennis balls take a beating and keep their bounce all year long. My son and I take a basket of these tennis balls out to hit 3-4 times a week for 2 hour sessions each, while working on skills for the upcoming high school tennis season. They may lose their yellow shine after a few weeks, but the bounce is still there. They are very economical and saved me the trouble of buying new balls every month. I just recently bought two bags to replace the ones that we had. I would totally say that a year with a set of balls is more than I ever imagined.

I did have a handful that were damaged, causing them to be very flat. I would hope their QC process would be better, but all-and-all I’m very impressed!

These are our recommendations and i hope that these help you or your children on their tennis journey. Just remember:

If you’re a young child → Foam or Red Stage balls
If you’re a beginner adult → Green Dot or Pressureless balls