Best Foosballs Balls? What Do I look for when Buying Replacement Foosballs.
In America, the Textured Foosball favoured, as is faster than the Cork Foosballs. Cork is slower, but offer greater control, and are preferred in Europe. Should you have a problem with the noise made when playing Foosball, consider getting Cork Balls, as they are also the quietest.
Foosballs are not expensive, so the Traditional and Smooth Plastic ball should be replaced as soon as possible
Read the advantages and disadvantages of each in the post
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There are several styles of balls, with various qualities which allow different styles of play. These balls are inexpensive, and good quality balls should last a long time.
The better quality balls can be passed, pinned down and gripped a lot better than the low-quality cheap balls.The foosball is the only thing on the table that can be easily changed, and you should not underestimate the difference that the ball can have on a game.
Pick the wrong textured, solid ball, and there will be very little skill used in the game, and you cannot improve your play or moves! The details of the four main types of foosball are outlined below. All have distinct qualities which suit some players more than others.
Some of these balls are not that good and should probably not be used at all, other than by casual players who are not interested in becoming a skilled player. If you would like to try out all the different styles for yourself, there is a variety pack for sale which has 11 balls of various types for you to try — link at the bottom of the page.
These are the standard American balls and are probably the best ball. (Some would argue that the cork ball is better than this one). As with the cork ball, there is a bit of give in the ball so that you can do all the outstanding playing. This ball is denser than the cork ball so that it can be hit at top speed.
Should you want to become a skilled player or a professional in the US, then this is probably the type of ball that you should use, combined with the right Foosball Strategy
That you can hit the ball hard means that it can again be noisy. If this is a problem, you may find quieter balls of this style.
Cork foosballs are unsurprising, made of cork! These balls are associated with the European Style Foosball Tables. The ball is far lighter and softer than the balls above, which results in a game with far more skill and strategy involved.
Skilled players and easily trap, grip, pin and pass this type of ball around to their players. A slower and far more skilled game using this type of ball Because this ball is soft and light, it is the quietest of all the different makes of balls. So if you are having problems with noise, then this is the ball you will need to use (At least at night time anyway!)
These depending on your opinion are probably the worse type of Foosball, beginners may like them, but they are not the ball of choice for the skilled or professional player. These are the cheaper balls, so you see more of them, and they come with the more affordable tables.
These balls replicate a “Real” soccer ball, in that they have a printed pattern and grooves. They probably are the prettiest of all the balls. These are the ones that someone who does not play foosball would buy.
These balls are made from hard plastic, with a smooth coat (other than the moulded indents). It makes these balls incredibly hard to control, so games play with these balls are won with a lot more luck than skill. These balls are also very noisy, so if you want to have a game with less noise and more skill, replace these balls now.
These balls are the next ball up in quality from the traditional ball, slightly better for playing, but still not recommended for outstanding players, or people trying to become professional.
These balls suffer from most of the disadvantages of the Traditional Ball, constructed from hard plastic, with a shiny outer coating, hard to grip and pin, and again very, very noisy.
These balls are basically the same as the ball above, but without the pattern and indents. This makes this type of ball slightly superior, as it will roll smoother and more accurately, as without the indents it is rounder.
Textured Foosball
Cork Foosball
Smooth Foosball
Traditional Foosball
The weight is probably the most crucial factor, if a ball is too heavy, it will move too slowly, and the game will be boring, too light and it will move too quickly, and the game will have less skill. (if the ball is very light, it may start slowing down again like a cork ball)
If you like the speed of your game now, get the same weight, otherwise, adjust this to either speed up the game, or slow down the game a little.Finding balls of a particular size and weight can be tricky, you may need to spend awhile looking on Amazon, who have thousands of them, but the size and weight are not always specified
Balls are available in different sizes to suit different tables, but most tables use the standard 1.25” (35mm) foosball. After all, not all the tables are the same size. An ideal size is the size of the ball that came with the original table, as one of that size will fit all the apertures.
However, tables take more that one sized ball, so have a go with others to see what you like. Just remember that if it is too small, it will be harder to control well, and if it is too big, then it may get stuck (in holes, under your men)
Hard, smooth balls provide little friction, a ball that has a little give, and do not have a smooth surface, are much easier to trap and control as they do not slide out from under your player as easily.
This means that games are a lot more skillful, and these are the ball you should use when you are practicing your skills alone
As mentioned, Traditional and Smooth balls are far inferior for playing a foosball match, because of the lack of traction. Buy Textured, or possibly Cork balls, so that they have good friction for better play.
The amount of noise that a foosball makes when it hits the back of the goal is not a problem for most people. However, some people do find this a big problem, when you have close neighbors, or family members that are disturbed by the noise.
If a low sound ball is a must, then probably Cork balls are what you will need to look at. There lightness and softness make them less noisy than the textured balls, and don’t even consider getting Smooth or Traditional Balls!
If you are having problems with noise and still want to use a textured ball, we have an article about reducing the sound made when playing foosball here – Reduce Foosball Noise
There are a couple of additional factors to consider when choosing Foosball suitable for playing outside on a foosball table. Mainly the weather.
The Traditional and Smooth Balls still have the problem that they are challenging to control and play well with. But they are not affected by the elements. Still not recommended as the ball of choice.
Cork balls are not manufactured from plastic (or they would not be Cork), degrade more outdoors, and because they weigh the least get blown about by the wind more. These balls are affected the most by water. Cork is still better than Traditional or Smooth Balls however because of the greater control you can achieve with them.
The Textured balls are once again recommended – as the best outdoor ball. Their weight means that they will not be blown about by the wind as much as cork balls, and this will also mean that any drops of water that should fall on the table will slow the ball less.
Whichever ball you choose, you should not leave it outside in the elements when it is not being used
The ITSF is the organization who runs Professional Foosball, in official tournaments, and most competitions ITSF approved equipment is used. The ball is no exception, and only the best balls have their approval.
So if you are looking for the best balls, then look for ITSF approved balls, you know you will get a quality item. (Note. Most of the American produced balls are of excellent quality; it’s only the mass-produced foreign balls that seem to sometimes be less than perfect)
In most big cities some stores sell Foosballs, make sure that you are buying quality items. I get them only from stores like Amazon for the conveyance and choice, with third-party sellers you should be able to get every type of ball you can think of!
You need to keep a foosball clean and perfectly smooth, anything stuck to the ball can cause it to not go in a straight line. Cleaning these balls is simple.
If it only has a few loose pieces of dirt stuck to the ball, then you should be able to wipe these off with a damp cloth. Should this not be enough, then using a wet rag with a 70% alcohol solution should clean it.
These balls are made of an outstanding quality plastic, so cleaning the ball should not damage it. However, do NOT put plastic balls into hot water, as this make cause the ball to lose its shape, and boiling water can even alter the structure of the plastic, making it harder, and of lower quality.
Cork balls are a lot more delicate than the plastic balls. I have never had to clean these balls myself. Reading WikiHow . I would suggest that you first try to wipe the balls with a damp cloth, do not apply too much pressure, as you can damage it easily.
If that has not removed all the dirt from the ball, then try gently scrubbing it, using mild soap or vinegar
Don’t clean these balls, throw them away and buy better balls!
Seriously though, these balls are cleaned in the same way that the Textured Balls are cleaned.
These prices are for individual balls. Some of them are so cheap that you cannot buy single balls.
These are average prices taken from multipacks, to give you a rough idea.
| Type Of Ball | Price per Piece | Price Per Pack |
| Traditional Foosball | $0.37 | (24 pack $9) |
| Smooth Foosball | $0.83 | (12 pack $10) |
| Cork Foosball | $1.83 | (6 pack $11) |
| Textured Foosball (Low quality) | $1.10 | (12 pack $12.99 ) |
| Textured Foosball (High quality) | $4.00 | (6 pack $24.50 ) |
I have included two prices for the textured balls, as their cheapest pack had such critical reviews that they should probably be avoided, but are included for completeness
The time a Foosball last depends on several factors
As a rough rule of thumb, the traditional ball should last a couple of months, and the cork ball should last at least a month.
However, you should always have some spare balls in case you notice that the current one is not flying true.
Wondering what foosball balls are made of? Our little research revealed out what foosball balls are made of and if you are curious to know, keep reading.
Foosball balls can either be made of hard-plastic or cork. Knowing the two main materials foosball balls are made of, you also ought to know that there are four main types of foosball balls out in the market:
So, does it matter what type of ball you choose for your foosball table? Of course, it matters; each type of foosball ball has its benefits and drawbacks.
Foosball is more popular than we think, and the balls play a significant role in the game. Therefore, choosing foosball balls is vital to get the desired gameplay. A regulation-size foosball ball recommended by ITSF ranges from 36-38 mm, but the size difference in foosball balls are not so significant because landing a goal will go either way.
Ordinary foosball balls range from 31.75mm to 35mm. Each foosball table is constructed distinctively depending on the brand and often come with its own balls. To cut a long story short, it boils down to user preference when choosing foosball balls for your table.
If you are looking for a coin-operated foosball table or home recreation foosball table, the tornado brand should come to your mind first thing. Originally designed by engineer Bob Furr, Tornado became the market leader in 1999 and manufactured by Valley-Dynamo.
The brand has been used for the world foosball championship since 1986, and not without reason – its different style and unique designs enables high control over the ball. Tornado brand is also known for high standard materials and quality table builds that have led Tornado foosball brand to become a household name in foosball championships in the USA.
If you require more information, please check these references
www.bestpingpongtables.review , article, “Foosball “, retrieved on, Tue 28-May-2020
www.foosballsoccer.com , article, “Balls “, retrieved on, Tue 28-May-2020
homegameshub.com , article, “Best Foosball Balls “, retrieved on, Tue 28-May-2020
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