Ball draws criticism – more controversial than foot-faults!

The APTA Newsletter Off The Wire reported that the most controversial issue during the previous season (and that included foot-faults!) was the differences among the four APTA approved balls.

The article continued, “This one bounces too lively, that one warms up too slowly, the next one comes apart at the seams, etc. etc. etc. The Marcraft ball seems to have won high marks for playability, and some of the women’s tournaments actually publicized that ‘by popular demand’ the event was using Marcraft balls. Well, hold on to your prejudices, because we’re about to start a whole new ball game. Don Macrae, Grand Vizier of Equipment, has tightened up the specs for the coming season, and the manufacturers have all been advised to make a ball that is both lighter and less bouncy. Several of them have already submitted new batches for testing, and Don reports that the suppliers are being most cooperative.”

Source: Off The Wire, Mid-Summer 1974