Best table tennis balls according to redditors

Amazon, of course!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XXL5SQ/ $150usd

There are some 3Star balls in bulk you can get off Amazon that should do ya. Seem to have decent reviews and all, I’m gonna order some for myself as well.

https://www.amazon.com/KEVENZ-60-Pack-3-Star-Advanced-Assorted/dp/B07R5PS8K1

Amazon isn’t great for balls but I’d get these for multi ball. Nittaku Japan Star 40+ Table Tennis Balls (24 Balls) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CNPQINC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ufoRDb5K8FP9C and it’s from a legit vendor. (Paddle Palace) you could get cheap celluloids for a lot less

for anyone who wants to try, you can buy printless ping-pong balls. 144 40mm Seamless Regulation Size Party Hard Heavy Duty Beer Pong Balls https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0089374ZY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4aQ0DbYGJFCND

As I understand it, the star ratings on ball are indicative of the QC process that a ball went through in production.

For example (and I'm just making numbers up here), maybe the tolerance for a 1 star 40mm ball is somewhere in the range of 39.5mm to 40.5mm. A 2 star ball might be like 39.8mm to 40.2mm and obviously 3 star should have even tighter tolerances than that.

In reality, I think star rating is one of the least important characteristics when it comes to buying balls, especially when it comes to 3 star balls. The brand (which ultimately affects how the ball plays) is generally most important and, unfortunately, you generally have to see how it plays on the table to really get a good sense of it. Actually, I think it might be cool for companies to sort of sell a sampler pack of different brands that people can buy, but I digress.

Anyways, you have to consider what the balls are being used for. If you're just looking for a simple training ball, then consider quantity over quality and even a 1 or 2 star training ball should be no problem. If you're only really playing matches in the club, then you should prioritize quality over quantity and try to just have a few of the best balls you can afford that you can keep track of.

In my experience, the gold standard for the modern 40+ plastic ball is going to going to be the Nittaku Premium 40+ a.k.a the NP40+. Of course, they usually are pretty expensive, usually ranging from $2.5 to $3+ per ball. However, I have also personally used a few boxes of the later ABS revisions of the D40+(supposedly with Ding Ning on the box as shown here and not Ma Long) and I can say that I am very satisfied with the quality relative to the price. I would say they play at least 80% as good as the NP40+, but they are much more affordable at close to $1/ball.

I have also tried the XSF Seamless 40+ and I found they tended to feel a little heavier on the paddle when I played. I don't like these as much as the D40+ balls, but they're playable. Furthermore, I also tried some of the Butterfly G40+ balls early on and I felt that these were awful. The sound they make on hard contact with the paddle almost makes the ball sound like it's cracked; it bounces funny on the table and, in general, feels thin and unsubstantial for a ball. I would not recommend these.

In terms of training balls, I have had mixed experiences with these Nittaku J-Tops. I first used these at a club in San Francisco and they played really well so I decided to get them for my school club too. The first 2 boxes that we bought were just like the ones that I had used in the club and they played great, although they're not the most durable. However, the last box that we bought through Paddle Palace had the same picture as the ones on TT11 but turned out being these sort of co-branded Paddle Palace balls. These balls played much worse than the first few boxes I had bought so they're probably going to have somewhere else for more training balls later on.

All ping pong balls used to be made out of celluloid which is extremely flammable. Now there are plenty of non-celluloid ones out there.

1 example: https://www.amazon.com/Xushaofa-Seamless-Table-Tennis-Balls/dp/B00ZY8GVGA

Edit: These seem also non-celluloid and are also unbranded so even more perfect as diffusers: http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-150pcs-Wholesale-Budget-Plastic-Table-Tennis-Ping-Pong-Balls-Training-Sports-/182528468998

> celluloid balls

they are different, you don't want practice with them

I selected random balls from amazon, 50 balls cost $10

https://www.amazon.com/KEVENZ-50-Pack-3-Star-Orange-Advanced/dp/B018JKE7F6/ref=sr_1_7?s=leisure-sports-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1539665523&sr=1-7&keywords=stiga

I got some soft ones from amazon that work really well

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038HUS40

Buy these and thank me later.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00REMJM60/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_NnwjxbAHQRW1E

Table

There's nothing wrong with a midrange table. Even really cheap ones will work, but I'd only go that route if you're still testing the waters or you know you're going to replace it. I'll second /u/RussianandGunnin's advice on checking Craiglist.

Robots

I own the Robo-Pong 2040. It's... alright. The Newgy products I've used are perfunctory if not a bit clunky. Upgrading to the 2050 might be a bit better, with the ability to do programmable drills (think Falconberg), but over time my view on robots has become less sanguine. I'm curious if the high(er) tech Chinese robots are really any more useful, but they're cost prohibitive in terms of personal investment.

Robots are alright for helping practice what you've learned, but they aren't teachers. It makes the most sense to put in some robo-practice time once you're sure your form is reasonable. For that you'll need a coach or serious club player who will give you unvarnished feedback.

If practicing by yourself is predominately what your schedule allows for, there are worse things you can do with your time than spend it with a TT robot. Robots have a narrow range of use. Make sure you're ok with that before you burn serious dollars on one.

If you do end up getting one, don't cheap out: buy a gross of robo balls, and a pick up net. Newgy robots come with a few balls, but at a normal rate of fire you'll blow through those. A robot with 20~40 balls makes for an underwhelming experience. You'll spend 10 times more time picking up balls than you will hitting them.

It is packaging for Beer Ping Pong Balls Assorted Color Plastic Ball (50 Pack) on Amazon for $9.88

I'm wanting to buy some training balls, and I'm wondering if this is a worthwhile purchase?

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https://www.amazon.com/KEVENZ-50-Pack-3-Star-Advanced-Training/dp/B018JZSEVY/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1550851438&sr=1-3&keywords=table+tennis+training+balls

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Or, in general, what makes a good "training" ball?

I would 1) invest in better windows; 2) make sure your furnace is actually circulating air; 3) spend a bit more on your container.

It seems to be ignoring the condensation is Penny wise and pound foolish.

I use a cooler for my sous vide. I use aluminum foil (usually two pieces to cover most of the opening). And then use cutting boards to hold it in place. And even if I run it for 48 hours I never get the same problems you have - and my home is less than 1,000 sq ft. You will notice condensation pretty fast.

Otherwise buy a boatload if cheap ping pongs from the Internet (maybe like this? I haven’t used it. Beer Pong Balls, 144 pack, 38mm, Great for Table Tennis & Ping Pong Tournaments, Carnival Games, Parties, By Sportly® https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01AH133KU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_EAovCbGXTCBAJ )

Crikey. That condensation scares me to hell. When do you start looking for mushrooms growing behind your chesterfield?

For those of you who think similarly to me;

6 x Plain White (logo free) Special Quality Table Tennis Balls. 40mm.
http://amazon.co.uk/dp/B0038Q6QPQ

Cheapest I could find, about 12p each.

http://www.amazon.com/Washable-Plastic-Beer-Balls-Gross/dp/B0038HUS40/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1321035111&sr=1-2

Bubble? You'll need lots of compound 😜 maybe something like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CLGGYOM and some grey spray paint?

(Maybe ping-pong/table tennis balls would work too? but might be too big?)