Tennis ball
A hollow rubber ball covered in felt used in tennis and related racquet sports.
Overview
A tennis ball is a hollow rubber core covered in a fuzzy felt cloth. The felt affects how the ball moves through the air and grips the strings, while the pressurised core gives it a lively, consistent bounce.
The same style of felt-covered ball is used across several racquet sports, and balls gradually lose bounce as the internal pressure escapes with use.
Good to know
- The felt cover influences flight and grip on the strings.
- Pressurised balls slowly lose bounce over time.
- A bright colour helps visibility on court.
Where it’s used
Sports that use tennis ball:
Tennis
A singles or doubles racquet sport that blends agility, strategy and stamina on court.
POP Tennis
A friendly, easy-to-learn racquet sport on a smaller court with solid paddles and a lower net.
Beach Tennis
A sociable sand-court paddle sport played with solid paddles and a soft ball that is volleyed without a bounce.
How it connects
The meaning-bearing relationships that place Tennis ball in the wider knowledge graph — each one with the reason it exists.
Frequently learned together
Taught side by side in the same stage of a learning path.
- Tennis racquetBoth are taught in the “What you’ll need” stage of the Tennis learning path.
- Sports bagBoth are taught in the “What you’ll need” stage of the Tennis learning path.
- Tennis courtBoth are taught in the “What you’ll need” stage of the Tennis learning path.
- Hard courtBoth are taught in the “What you’ll need” stage of the Tennis learning path.
- GrassBoth are taught in the “What you’ll need” stage of the Tennis learning path.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Tennis ball to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Facilities
- Tennis courtA rectangular marked court, divided across the middle by a net, where tennis is played as singles or doubles.
- Padel courtAn enclosed court, much smaller than a tennis court, walled with glass and mesh so the ball can be played off the walls.
- Sports hallA large indoor hall with multi-sport line markings, used for court sports like basketball, volleyball and badminton.
- Ice rinkA sheet of prepared ice, usually rink-boarded with rounded corners, used for skating and ice sports.
- Fitness studioAn open indoor room used for instructor-led group fitness classes such as yoga, aerobics and indoor cycling.
Playing surfaces
- Hard courtA rigid acrylic, concrete or asphalt court that gives a true, consistent, medium-paced bounce — the standard multi-use outdoor surface.
- GrassNatural turf grown on soil — the traditional surface for many field sports and, in tennis, a fast court with a low, skiddy bounce.
- ClayA soft, granular racquet-sport surface of crushed brick, stone or shale that slows the ball, gives a high bounce and lets players slide into shots.
- Artificial turfSynthetic grass, often filled with sand or rubber, that gives a firm, even, all-weather surface. It plays faster and truer than worn natural grass.
Techniques
- Topspin ForehandA forehand groundstroke hit with a low-to-high swing that puts forward spin on the ball so it dips and kicks up on landing.
- One-Handed BackhandA backhand groundstroke struck with a single hand on the grip, driving through the ball with a full extension of the hitting arm.
- Tennis ServeThe overhead stroke that starts every point, hit from behind the baseline into the diagonally opposite service box.
- VolleyA shot played near the net by blocking the ball out of the air before it bounces, using a short, firm punch rather than a full swing.
- HeaderA technique for controlling or striking the ball with the forehead in football, used to pass, shoot or clear the ball in the air.
Learning paths
Beginner guides
- Your First Tennis Session: What to ExpectA friendly, honest look at what actually happens at your first tennis session — how it is usually run, what tends to surprise beginners, and how to turn up relaxed and ready to enjoy it.
- Your first basketball sessionA first basketball session is a friendly, fast-moving introduction to handling the ball, moving your feet and sharing simple play with others — no experience or prior skill needed.
Skills
- ServingThe skill of putting the ball or shuttle into play to start a point or rally.
- Net playThe skill of controlling points close to the net with volleys and touch shots.
- Ball controlThe skill of receiving and settling the ball quickly so it is ready to use.
- ThrowingThe skill of propelling the ball accurately and with control using the arm.
- HeadingThe skill of directing the ball with the head to pass, clear or attempt to score.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Equipment
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-07-09
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