It’s just a wiffle ball, right? Well, nope. The pickleballs we use have come a long way in design and materials since 1953 – the origination of the white plastic “baseball” with eight elongated holes we all know as the wiffle ball. Companies like Diadem and Franklin are making top-performing balls, and today we will focus on the Franklin X-40 (outdoor) and the Franklin X-26 (indoor) – and oh yeah, don’t try to play pickleball with a wiffle ball.
The bottom line? I give both Franklin pickleballs a 5 out of 5 balls rating.
- 40 holes
- (3, 12, 36, 50 and 100 packs)
- Optic, pink, amber, lava color options
- USAP Approved
- 26 holes
- (3, 12 and 100 packs)
- Blue, lime, peach, yellow, lime green color options
- USAP Approved
By The Numbers
| X-40 and X-26 | 2.9 inches diameter |
| X-40 and X-26 | .92 ounces each (but as tested, .92 and .90 respectively) |
| X-40 | 40 precision drilled holes |
| X-26 | 26 precision molded, beveled holes |
| US-Pickleball Approved | Yes |
| Retail Price | $11.99 for a 3-pack of each ball. Volume packs are available. |
Note: outdoor balls have more and smaller holes to help minimize impact of playing in wind.
Nuts and Bolts
- X-40 is polyethylene and rotationally molded as a one piece, seamless ball
- X-26 is polyethyene and molded as a 2-piece, seamed construction
- The holes in both balls are in a specific, flight and test spin pattern
- Both come in multiple colors designed to provide contrast to most court surfaces (and whims for fashionistas!)
The X-40 Outdoor Pickleball
First Impressions: Quality Check
While they looked quite similar, the superior quality was evident from holding the X-40 in one hand and an “Amazon ball” in another. Immediately, I noticed no seams on the X-40, while the generic ball had a seam. The X-40 was thicker, and the hole pattern was more specific.
The X-40 passed the USAP bounce test (bouncing between 30-34 inches when dropped from 78 inches), while the Amazon ball came close but fell about 4” short of the minimum.
On the Court: Performance Review
Playing with the X-40 delivered what I would expect from a high-quality USAP-approved ball – great speed, bounce, and spin. Serves and spins were fantastic with this ball, while the touch response and accuracy for dinks and drops were spot on. It was easier to control in a moderate wind than the Amazon ball, and after 4 hours of play, it was still in great shape, though it exhibited some abrasive surface wear, as you would expect. This added to the spin factor!
Overall, it had a great pop factor off my paddle and therefore excellent speed. There was a noticeable difference all around with the Amazon ball. Now, after one month of play, the wear on the ball is insignificant. No cracks are evident.
Comparing to Diadem: Consistent Play
I had been playing more recently with the Diadem outdoor tournament ball and found the balls to deliver similar, consistently great play – no noticeable difference between them other than a slightly smoother feel for the Diadem out of the package, versus the X-40.
They both quickly had the play-worn surface, making them both very “spinny”.
The X-26 Indoor Pickleball
First Impressions: Getting a Feel
This ball felt substantial and had nice, smooth molded, beveled holes. It felt lighter than the PCKL brand balls I was comparing and indeed was by a small margin, but still well within USAP guidelines.
On the Court: Adjusting to the X-26
It took me and my fellow players about 5 minutes to get acclimated to the ball’s feel, bounce, and pop, and I chalked that up to acclimation after playing with the PCKL balls for the last couple of months. Both the X-26 and the PCKL ball passed the bounce test I mentioned above.
Where this Franklin ball excelled tremendously was where you need it – spin, control, and pop. Serve and drive speeds were superb, and the touch and control for dinks and drops were optimal.
Longevity and Durability
After 4 weeks of play with several of these balls, wear is barely noticeable. The group quickly adopted this X-26 as our new go-to ball. Period.
The Final Score
Franklin is consistently producing great products and these balls are no exception. You may opt for buying cheaper “Amazon” or no-name balls, but don’t. For the reasonable, incremental cost, you will get great performance and durability. And stay tuned for Franklin’s upcoming high-performance, biodegradable FS Pro Eco ball.
Thanks for indulging my nerdy fascination with the tech behind these pickleballs. After all, without them, it would just be called pickle – and that wouldn’t be nearly as fun!
Pickle on my friends, pickle on…
