Best Foosball Balls
To round it up, textured balls and cork balls are commonly the best foosball balls for playing. The majority prefer the textured balls, but the adherents of cork balls are not few either. Also, you must consider the table you are playing on as well. Some surfaces facilitate speedy play and it is best to use textured ball on them. On the other hand, consider using cork balls on slower table or tabletop surfaces.
Warrior Foosball Ball
Warrior Tournament Ball
Qtimal Mini Colorful
★★★★★
Official Tornado Dynamo
★★★★★
Foosball Balls Types
Foosballs come in different types, sizes, weights, designs and materials. So, it is important that you have some basic knowledge of them which will help you to choose the right ball—the one that best suits your requirements. If you’re new and have no idea what to buy, the best choice for you would be the most common types of balls.
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Traditional
Apart from their visual design, there is little to recommend these foosball balls. These balls are of the cheaper variety and come with less expensive tables. The traditional foosballs visually replicate the look of the traditional soccer balls with grooves and a printed pattern (hence the name). You may find this variety in many of the local pubs and clubs. The foosball balls are made of hard plastic plastered over with a smooth coat and the hardness means that the balls have very little grip. Not only the balls are hard to control, but as an extra nuisance, they are also extremely noisy. So, if you’re really serious about your foosball, all you should do is replace these foosball balls with higher quality ones asap.
SMOOTH
These balls are slightly better than the above type and are made of hard plastic coated with a smooth surface. The material quality is a pinch better than the traditional balls, but the foosball balls are still very hard to control and again, extremely noisy. So again, if you take your foosball seriously, we suggest you stay away from these balls.
However, there is one advantage to using this ball. The smooth balls, though hard to control, are not as difficult as the traditional balls. The trajectory and the dynamics of these balls are relatively easier to predict and are less arbitrary compared to traditional balls. This actually makes them a good option for practice purposes. Already skilled players may practice with this ball to improve the level of their pin control.
Another thing is that in most European bars and clubs, foosball tables use this variety. So, if you are someone who plays the game regularly at bars, having some experience playing with this ball can be beneficial.
Cork Foosball Balls
Now, to come to professional varieties, cork foosball balls are the lighter of all common balls. The cork balls are specifically popular in Europe and were the foosball of choice in the decades of 80’s and the 90’s. The fact that the ball is very light means it stops easily and therefore requires greater control and skill on the part of the players to maneuver the ball properly. Many ITSF approved European foosball tournaments are played with corkballs. The softer material of the cork also means that the balls facilitate a quieter game play with little noise.
Textured
This is the most recent variety to emerge in the world of top-tier foosballs. Often made of urethane, the same material that goes into making the golf balls, the textured balls provide great traction and grip and have a good give to them. These foosball balls are the most popular in the US and almost all professional foosball tournaments are played with these foosball balls. They are weightier than the cork balls which make them better-suited to fast-paced games. Most players also contend that this is the best ball to play the game, although the claim is not an undisputed one as there are still players who steadfastly vouch for the cork balls. At any rate, if you are in America, your best option is to go for the textured foosball balls. A slight disadvantage, if you regard it as such, is that the textured foosball balls are a little noisier than their cork counterparts.
Replacement Foosball Balls
Now that we know the basics of the different types of balls, it should be easy to gauge the importance of replacing the balls on a table if those balls do not meet your expectations and come in the way of your enjoying the game to the fullest.
Now, one encouraging thing here is that the balls are the easiest component to change in a foosball setup. If you are not happy with your current foosball table balls, you can order many different varieties of foosball packs or sets. Our suggestion is that you buy sets of three or more as these make for more economical choices. Bear it in mind, too, that the pint-sized foosballs get lost easily, so it is always nice to have a couple of extra balls at hand. After all, how disappointing it would be if you had to stop an exciting game midway just because you’ve run out of balls!
Also, if you are shopping for foosball replacement balls, a good choice is to try out an assortment pack. These come in packs of 4, 11, 12, etc. With an assortment pack, you can practice with the different types of balls from different brands and this will help you determine which one best suits your game. If you need more accessories check our foosball table parts page.
Where to Buy Foosball Balls
Are you wondering where to buy foosball balls? You will find foosball balls in all dedicated sports equipment stores. However, if you are buying from a physical store, your choices might be a bit constrained as it is virtually impossible for physical shops to store as many different products as you’ll get from big online shopping places such as Amazon.
Particularly, when it comes to foosballs, they are sold in so many different types of packages and deals that it is better to head to an online store such as Amazon. This way, you can compare all the various offers posted by a huge number of third-party sellers. However, we’ve put the best foosball balls on the market on a single page just for you!