Ball bounce: outdoor vs indoor

Outdoor balls have smaller, more numerous holes (typically 40) and are made from a slightly harder plastic to resist wind and rougher outdoor surfaces. Indoor balls have larger, fewer holes (typically 26) and are softer, designed for the smoother, more predictable bounce of a gym floor. Play an outdoor ball indoors and it bounces higher and livelier than expected; play an indoor ball outside and it can feel dead and get pushed around by wind.

What changes in your game

• Outdoor: expect slightly lower, faster-skidding bounces on rougher surfaces — bend your knees more to get under low balls.
• Indoor: the ball sits up a bit more, which can make speed-ups more attackable but also means opponents can attack your loose shots more easily too.

Wind strategy

Wind is exclusively an outdoor problem, and it affects the third-shot drop more than any other shot — a shot calibrated for still air can sail long with a tailwind or land short into a headwind. Adjust by hitting drops with slightly less arc into a headwind (so wind has less time to act on the ball) and slightly more margin into a tailwind.

Managing sun glare

Outdoor courts oriented east-west put one side of players staring into the sun for part of the day. If you can't avoid it, a tinted or polarized lens meaningfully helps track the ball against a bright sky, and an amber or rose tint specifically boosts contrast against blue sky and green court surfaces. On serve, if you're facing full sun, consider a slightly different toss/contact point that keeps the ball out of the sun's direct line as long as possible.