Okay, so what’s the deal with the new Life Time pickleball, and why are pro pickleball players so divided over it?
I've got some thoughts.
Why Are We Using This Ball?
We just played our first pro tournament with it this week in Atlanta, and I’m going to give you my perspective. But first—why are we even using this new ball on the PPA Tour?
Well, the ball really isn’t all that new. My sources, AKA stalking the Life Time Instagram account, indicate that the ball was launched in November of 2024 (editor's note: confirmed).
From what I’ve heard, Life Time gave the PPA and MLP an ultimatum: Use our pickleball or lose our venues. With both the Atlanta Slam and the Orange County Cup being held at Life Time facilities, it was a clear choice.
I try my hardest to stick to publicly available facts, so please note that this has not been confirmed to my knowledge—so take it with a grain of salt.
Technical Specs
There are a couple of interesting technical specs here.
Internal Seam
The first thing I noticed was some sort of internal seam. Based on that, I immediately thought the ball was going to be horrible, because other balls using this sort of binding haven’t been great in the past.
But—I didn’t notice any difference in outcome when hitting close to the seam or far from the seam.
Holes
Next, the holes are smaller compared to the Vulcan, and there are more of them: 48 compared to 40.
They also have sort of soft edges. It’s hard to describe, but when I rub my finger across the ball, it doesn’t catch on the holes the same way the Vulcan ball does, and I’d have to imagine this contributes to enhanced playability.
Weight
I weighed both balls, and they both came in at 26 grams, however the Life Time ball does feel slightly heavier to hit.
My friends and I noticed a slight increase in arm soreness after switching to it—but that could also be because we’ve played with nothing other than a Vulcan for a year and a half at this point.
Playability
The best way I could describe it would be the difference between a tennis ball and a baseball.
A new Vulcan ball feels much harder initially, like a baseball. The Life Time ball feels softer but springier, like a tennis ball.
When the Life Time ball hits either the ground or a paddle, it seems to compress more than the Vulcan, meaning that it’s playing slightly faster and bouncing slightly higher.
I can’t explain the science behind it, but the Life Time ball seems to spin considerably less than the Vulcan ball.
However, I think that the Life Time ball slows down more in the air due to more holes.
The ball is fast, but I never got the sense that my shots were flying uncontrollably. Serving and returning deep in the court felt easier.
Biggest Advantage
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, which introduces a new strategy into the game: Taking the ball on the rise.
When the bounce is predictable, you can actually begin your swing before the ball even bounces since you can have confidence as to where it will end up.
Durability
Another interesting note: Typically we change Vulcan balls every game at MLP and PPA.
However, we were using a single Life Time ball for entire matches—unless they went under the bleachers.
I feel like any ball will get spongier over time, but the delta between a new Life Time ball and a match-used Life Time ball felt smaller, meaning that it has a longer useful life.
The Dink Media Team
Cost
- A 100-pack of Vulcan balls costs $249.99 before shipping.
- A 100-pack of Life Time balls cost $329.
My Verdict
The main problem, from my end, is that the ball is just ever so slightly too fast.
If the springiness could be taken down 5–10%, I think it would be a perfect ball.
But—I think the pros of the consistent bounce outweigh the cons of it being slightly too fast.
Final Question
Now for the most important question: Which ball does my dog Arlo prefer?
(And for what it's worth, I don’t have any financial incentives from Life Time or Vulcan, so please consider subscribing.)
Damn, this reviewing stuff is kinda fun.
Chris Olson – your ass is on notice.
Zane Navratil
Zane is a professional pickleball player both on the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball. He is also the co-host of the No. 1 pickleball podcast PicklePod.