Basic information of nine table tennis balls.

The new material introduced by the ITTF in 2014 for table tennis balls has attracted significant attention from players and coaches. Changes in both material selection and production procedures are likely to have affected the static performance of the ball. However, the raw data regarding the elasticity and hardness of these new material balls, encompassing various brands and structures, often lacks practical information crucial for players’ rapid adaptation and daily training. The static properties tested in this study were provided by the ITTF, covering both hardness and elasticity. Based on computed variables, this study revealed that the hardness of seam balls at the equator was not consistently higher than that at the pole. Additionally, the study confirmed that the hardness and bounce height of new material balls exceeded those of celluloid. Furthermore, correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between these two properties, revealing a significant correlation between the hardness of seamless balls and their elasticity. This study provides an analysis of the static performance of various types of new material balls, aiding players and coaches in better understanding official event balls and offering a theoretical foundation for the formulation of diverse training and game strategies.

国际乒乓球联合会（ITTF）于2014年推出的乒乓球新材料球，引发了运动员与教练员的广泛关注。材料选择与生产流程的双重变革，或对乒乓球的静态性能产生了影响。然而，现有涵盖不同品牌、不同结构的新材料球弹性与硬度原始数据，往往缺乏可供运动员快速适配、支撑日常训练的实用信息。本研究中测试的静态性能数据由国际乒乓球联合会（ITTF）提供，涵盖硬度与弹性两项指标。基于计算变量分析，本研究发现有缝乒乓球赤道位置的硬度并非始终高于两极区域。此外，研究证实新材料球的硬度与反弹高度均优于赛璐珞材质乒乓球。进一步地，本研究通过相关性分析探究两项性能间的关联，结果显示无缝乒乓球的硬度与弹性存在显著相关性。本研究对多款不同类型新材料球的静态性能展开分析，助力运动员与教练员更深入地理解赛事用球，同时为制定多元化训练与赛事策略提供理论依据。