Ball Colors
Why are there different color balls in racquetball?
Racquetball
Racquetballs are manufactured in a variety of colors such as blue, green, purple, black, red, and pink, and some are for specific purposes (e.g., outdoor play and indoor play), but the differences are unlikely to make much difference for recreational play. Beginners are recommended to use a blue ball by Penn, Ektelon, or Wilson. The blue ball is the most commonly used and it is the most neutral ball for average speed and accuracy of contact. Green balls are similar to blue balls. In the USA the main choices of ball are blue and green for tournament play. In some cases the International Pro Racquetball Tour (IRT) will use a purple Penn HD ball as the official ball. A black ball is often used in tournaments for senior players because the ball is designed to be slower moving and allows for longer rallies. The red ball is the fastest in production and they are known as Red Ektelon Fireballs. This ball is heavier and allows for a quicker pace. The pink ball tends to be the favorite of most recreational players and even some pro level players. This pink ball allows for the highest level of visibility due to the bright pink color. Also, the speed and durability of the ball is very close to that of the blue and green. Finally, the pink ball was created to support breast cancer research and the manufacturers of the ball Wilson, donate $1.00 to the breast cancer awareness association every time a package is sold. Balls do break occasionally, and will lose their bounce over time even without breaking. To keep balls around for a long time it is best to keep them in a room temperature setting and keep them out of extreme cold or heat because this will cause the balls to become less effective and lose their bounce.