Review on Franklin Sports X 40 Pickleballs Approved by Lacueva Tranquillity

Check Order: Review Review (Quick Read) Review Update (4-13-2021) Full Review (Long Read) Summary: This a review can Save a lot of time learning about balls, but here's a summary if you don't want to read the full review. For a 4.0+ game, consider Dura Fast 40 in preparation for certain tournaments, but only expect about 2 games per ball, which I think is quite annoying. 95% of players will definitely choose the Franklin X-40 (except for Dura tournament prep, of course). If you just want the ball to serve you year after year and don't care about throw or game quality, consider the much softer, much slower and much bouncier Onix ball. The Onix Ball is so soft that I wouldn't recommend it for casual play, but it's actually a great choice for introducing new players to the game and is often preferred in an over 65 game when mobility becomes a common issue , because extra bounce = extra time to get there, but in my area a lot of older players seem to be playing the X-40 just fine.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Update: 4/13/2021: Popularity: Almost everyone in my area plays a Franklin X-40 in every park. I finally saw Dura in game yesterday, but it's been a long time! Outdoor tournaments in my state are now about 60% X-40 and about 40% Dura (Washington), so even in tournaments, Dura falls short pretty quickly. Seasonal X-40 Longevity: In the first year, I don't think my group cracked at least one X-40 (despite more dynamic play), but if they use the same batch of balls this spring, they're all dropping like flies, so my 1 year old batch of X-40 is probably not much stronger than a new dura (very annoying to deal with those cracks). I bought new X-40s yesterday and I will be getting rid of a few X-40s left over from last year when new stock becomes available. From now on I have new X-40s once a year, as long as the quality doesn't go down. Fresh production seems very important so hopefully Franklin will keep his runs moderate and maybe Dura got it wrong (?) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Full Review: This review focuses on the physical and qualitative comparisons of Franklin Outdoor X-40 Cucumber Balls and Dura Fast 40 Cucumber Balls, but I will also provide a summary of my impressions from the experts and also add my own amateur impressions and measurements. Dura hole specs: 16 holes drilled @ .325" and 24 holes drilled @ .264" Franklin hole specs: 40 holes drilled @ .288" Both balls have 40 holes with an average hole size of .288" but the Dura ball is much more random hole pattern. I personally haven't noticed any difference in spin performance or any noticeable advantage over Dura's random hole pattern. Franklin Weight: 26g Dura Weight: 25g Both balls are rotationally molded into one continuous piece, allowing the stitching to be as strong as the rest. Ball on each ball. The stitching only appears on the outside of the ball, but the visual marking of the molding is not really separated in any way in the middle of the ball, and the inside of the ball also appears 100% seamless every ball, so that's not true. the seam is present (both balls are real "1-piece" balls). The Dura-Bullet has much smoother molding tracks without the Franklin's plastic edges. this is primarily a cosmetic aspect, but the quality in this regard definitely belongs to Dura. Subjective color preference: In my opinion, Dura "Neon" looks better in the shade (see image), but in normal bright sun, Dura Green looks matte. Ball in my opinion and I think Franklin "Optic Yellow" is a more distinct color that's probably a little more noticeable. These are the only 2 ball colors I need to compare. I would prefer more color to be used on the green ball so that it still looks green in full sun because in my experience with disc golf and ball golf neon green is the most visible color and neon pink is good too. Of these two options, I would go with yellow. Dura's green tint is so subtle in bright sunlight that it looks more like a dull yellow than a green. Dura's yellow color comparison would be more apples-to-apples, but I'm pretty sure Franklin will win this contest, thanks in part to the noticeably higher transparency of the plastic Dura uses. Color: Franklin wins.Franklin X-40 Country of Origin: ChinaDura Fast 40 Country of Origin: Vietnam - - EXPERT INSPIRED EXPERIENCE - - From what I've gathered, expect much longer dollar play from Franklin and very little life from Dura. Dura are said to be a bit harder/better/faster but they often only last a few games based on everything I've read and heard. For older players, consider the Onix instead of one of these balls. Softer balls bounce higher and fall slower, allowing more time to get to the ball for longer rallies. Onix seems to be the favorite for older groups. Based on expert advice from the Pickleball Kitchen YouTube channel. Best Performance Award (Fastest, Hardest): Dura Fast 40. Best Value (also with Excellent Performance): Franklin Outdoor. X-40 - - - except for high-level players who must select Dura due to tournament requirements (Note: this observation may be out of date. Check tournaments in your state to see which local tournaments in your area still have Dura use and which tournaments have switched to X-40) Most durable yet soft and bouncy: Onix Note: I have yet to see an outdoor tournament where an Onix ball was used as the ball. My personal recommendation for most players, based on lots of reviews, some research, and looking closely, would be to skip the dura and go straight to the Franklin X-40 while not playing tournaments. If/when you reach the level of serious tournament play, I don't think it will take long to transfer the muscle memory and power from a Franklin street ball to a Dura ball and a lot of money and hassle can be saved with a Franklin on a very fragile dura shell. The Franklin X-40 balls are also short-lived (perhaps from old stock from some sources) but compared to the Dura it's a definite improvement and worth a look even if you're a quality freak like me. Craftsmanship: Dura Gains Material Durability: Franklin gains easily, and Onix will last much longer if you don't mind playing noticeably slower (more overcast) and more pressure. Game Quality: Mixed. Many elite players prefer the added speed of the Dura, but I prefer that pretty much everyone uses the same ball, and more importantly, I'd rather sacrifice just a little speed for greater ball stability/predictability/reliability without too crack. and it distracts me from constantly checking for cracks. Worth (Without Great Sacrifice): Franklin. .