APTA tackles complaints about balls

The following lament had been heard all too often, this time emanating from Weezie Lambert in Princeton:

“The ‘official’ ball is a round puff which self destructs after one set or less, growing shaggy and virtually falling apart. Who has a new variation? Where is the competition? Everyone in league play is fed up with spending more per ball, knowing it may be lopsided to start. Wish I had a solution. Does someone out there?”

Both manufacturers and the APTA had been working on the problem. The association had contracted with the United States Testing Company to assess a sample of balls from three different manufactures to see if they met the specifications published in Appendix A of the Official Rules of Platform Tennis.

One of the three balls tested was the then approved Vittert V-30 ball, which was found to conform to the APTA standards and tolerances. The other two balls, both new entries that were submitted for APTA approval, were found, on average, to fall outside the ranges on rebound and/or weight. The actual test results, with comments, had been provided to the manufacturers with the expectation that adjustments could be made to bring these balls within the acceptable tolerances before APTA approval could be granted.

Source: Platform Tennis News, Winter 1991