The ball plays fast and bounces true, and has become a favorite among many top pros.

In May, word spread through pro pickleball that Life Time's proprietary pickleball, the LT Pro 48, would be used at all pro events held at Life Time locations, debuting at the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships.

After that event, our reporter Erik Tice said "there was a consensus from the pros that the ball played well."

In speaking with a few pros, I heard that the ball bounced a little higher than the Vulcan ball does, and the bounce is a little truer. It also plays 10-15% quicker than the Vulcan at the kitchen line.

Pro Zane Navratil sang its praises, saying: "I can’t think of a single bad bounce from the Life Time ball, nor did any of them go even the slightest out of round. It is the truest bouncing ball I’ve played with by an enormous margin."

What’s the Deal with the New Life Time Pickleball? Zane Navratil Weighs In

Pro Zane Navratil offers his perspective on Life Time’s pickleball, calling it “the truest bouncing ball I’ve played with by an enormous margin.”

The Dink PickleballZane Navratil

Not every pro was as enamored, but many seemed happy to put the then-ubiquitous Vulcan Pro in their rearview.

This sentiment seems to have bubbled up to the league's front offices: The PPA Tour and Life Time today "announced the LT Pro 48 Pickleball will become the exclusive ball of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and all of its tournaments and events."

The news comes as Life Time expands its relationship with the PPA to host more tournaments across its locations nationwide.

Life Time Announces Open-Invite $50,000 Singles Tournament

The inaugural LT Open aims to crown pickleball’s best men’s and women’s singles players. And everyone is invited to prove they’ve got what it takes.

The Dink PickleballAlex E. Weaver

PPA Tour Founder and CEO Connor Pardoe said pros and amateurs favor the LT Pro:

“With the ever-changing standards in pickleball equipment, the LT Pro 48 has really elevated the quality of what a pro-level ball can be, so we are thrilled our relationship with Life Time allows us to utilize this ball at the highest levels of competition.”

The LT Pro 48 Pickleball features holes that are symmetrically spaced, along with chamfered – or right-angled – edges "to reduce cracking and improve flight," according to the release.

Already, a few pros, including Max Freeman and Christian Alshon, have expressed their approval of the decision.

In the first six months of 2025, the company said in a release:

• 3.1 million participants have taken part in pickleball across Life Time's 800+ courts
• Life Time members are playing an average of 6.8 times per month in 2025 compared to 3.8 times a month in 2023
• Life Time has also delivered 26,000 pickleball lessons across its courts year-to-date

Just day ago, Life Time announced its inaugural LT Open, a singles-only open pickleball tournament with $250,000 in total prize money on the line – and an unprecedented $50,000 up for grabs each for the men's and women's winners.

"Just as the US Open for tennis has become a part of our culture every year, we believe the LT Open will be the new gold-standard for singles pickleball play," said Bahram Akradi, Life Time Founder, Chairman and CEO.