At a tennis or padel club, balls are a small but constant expense. Whether it’s for practice baskets, tennis lessons, tournaments, or team matches, clubs are constantly buying new balls all year round. And the bill keeps climbing. Over the past ten years, the average club’s ball budget has nearly doubled. Why are balls so expensive for clubs, and how can they get this expense under control?
Bale Prices Are Rising Sharply
According to data BUP collected from clubs, a box of balls that cost about 70 € in 2018 now costs around 105 €. For a medium-sized club (200 to 500 members), the ball budget has risen from about €1,600 per year in 2016 to €3,000 or more in 2026. Large clubs often spend €6,000 to €10,000 per year.
Several factors account for this increase:
- the cost of raw materials, particularly rubber, for which global demand is driven by the automotive industry;
- transportation, because the balls are manufactured far from the clubs that use them;
- the rise in popularity of padel, which is driving up demand for balls.
The real problem: balls that don't last very long
The unit price is only part of the story. What really drives up the budget is how often items need to be replaced.
A balloon loses pressure as soon as the tube is opened
A new tennis ball is pressurized to about 28 PSI. Since rubber is permeable, air escapes as soon as the tube is opened, whether the ball is played or not. After a few days, the bounce decreases, and players ask for new balls. We explain this process in detail in “Why Do Balls Lose Pressure?”
Balls Replaced Even Though They Are Still in Good Condition
At most clubs, the baskets are restocked every 3 to 4 weeks. The balls that are removed often still have decent felt—they’ve mainly lost their air pressure. So the club pays to replace balls that could have been used for much longer.
A “buy, play, throw away” model
Pressurized balls are sold as short-term consumables. There is no provision for storing them once the can is opened. As a result, clubs are constantly buying more, and their budgets are rising along with prices.
How Much Do Bullets Really Cost a Club?
| Club Profile | Annual budget for balls, as reported |
|---|---|
| Small club (fewer than 200 members) | €2,000 to €3,000 |
| Medium-sized club (200 to 500 members) | €3,000 to €6,000 |
| Large club (more than 500 members) | €6,000 to €8,000 and up |
These figures come from our survey of 450 tennis and padel clubs. For many club presidents, balls are one of the biggest expenses after coaches’ salaries and court maintenance.
How to Reduce Your Club's Ball Budget
1. Measure actual consumption
How many boxes of balls do you buy each month? What are they used for (tennis school, practice, competition, rentals)? This simple tracking often reveals areas where balls are being replaced too soon.
2. Separate uses
New balls for matches, balls that are one or two weeks old for practice, and the oldest ones for the beginners' baskets. Each ball lasts longer.
3. Store the balls under pressure
It’s the most powerful tool. A pressurizer restores the pressure around the balls to a level close to that of a new tube. Air no longer escapes between sessions, and the balls retain their bounce.
The BUP120 holds up to 120 balls. The process is simple: place the basket in the tank, close the lid, and the compressor regulates the pressure and shuts off automatically. After 8 to 48 hours between sessions, the balls regain their bounce.
Here's what clubs with this equipment have found:
- 30 to 50% savings on the ball budget;
- training balls that retain their bounce up to three times longer (not all balls go through the machine, resulting in a smaller overall savings);
- an investment of 800 € (excluding tax), cushioned in less than a year for most clubs ;
- A 3-month trial offer for €200 (excluding tax) to try it out risk-free.
Discover concrete results in our club case studies.
Sample calculation over 3 years
| Without BUP | With BUP | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | 0 € | 800 € |
| Balls, Year 1 | 3 000 € | 2 000 € |
| Balls, Year 2 | 3 200 € | 2 100 € |
| Year 3 Balls | 3 500 € | 2 250 € |
| Total over 3 years | 9 700 € | 7 150 € |
For an average club, the net savings amount to approximately €2,550 over three years, including the initial investment. Use our savings calculator to figure out the savings for your club.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a tennis club spend on balls each year?
Between €2,000 and €3,000 for a small club, between €3,000 and €6,000 for a medium-sized club, and more than €6,000 for large organizations.
Why are tennis balls getting more and more expensive?
Rising rubber and transportation costs, along with strong demand driven by padel, have caused prices to rise by about 50% over the past eight years.
Is a pressurizer really cost-effective for a club?
Yes, as soon as a club uses several boxes per year. With a 30% savings on a budget of €3,000, a BUP120 priced at €800 excluding tax (€960 including tax for a club that does not claim a VAT refund) pays for itself in about a year—and much faster for clubs that use more.
Conclusion
Balls are a significant expense for clubs because they are expensive to purchase and, above all, because they need to be replaced too quickly. By taking steps to preserve them, a club can reduce its expenses over the long term, ensure its members have access to balls of consistent quality, and minimize waste.
