Franklin Sports X-40 Outdoor Pickleballs – Official Ball of USA Pickleball, APP Tour + US Open – Regulation Size
$176
- PREMIUM QUALITY: Franklin’s X-40 outdoor pickleballs are meticulously crafted and rigorously tested to uphold our standard of premium performance and durability that has made this ball a favorite among pro and amateur players
- PRECISION DESIGN: X-40 pickleballs are constructed with 40 precise, machine-drilled holes for a balanced flight pattern and tight, reliable spin that is consistent from ball to ball
- DURABILITY OUTDOORS: The no-seam, one-piece construction ensures a stronger, longer lasting pickleball that resists dents and cracking on outdoor pickleball courts
- USA PICKLEBALL APPROVED: These official size and weight X-40 pickleballs are approved for outdoor tournament play by USA Pickleball (USAPA) and were chosen as the official ball for both the US Open Pickleball Championships and USA Pickleball
- 100 BULK PACK: This bulk pack includes (100) X-40 pickleballs so you can be fully stocked up on balls for training sessions, matches, and even tournaments
| Brand | Franklin Sports |
|---|---|
| Material | Blend |
| Color | Yellow |
| Age Range Description | All Ages |
| Item Weight | 6.5 Pounds |
| Sport | Pickleball |
| Item Diameter | 74 Millimeters |
| Number of Items | 100 |
| Construction Type | Molded |
| Size | 100 Count |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00025725469017 |
| UPC | 025725469017 |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Playing pickleball outdoors |
| Unit Count | 100.0 Count |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 15.62 x 15 x 12.25 inches |
| Package Weight | 3.33 Kilograms |
| Brand Name | Franklin Sports |
| Warranty Description | 90 Day Limited |
| Model Name | Franklin Sports X-40 Outdoor Pickleballs |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Manufacturer | Franklin Sports, Inc. |
| Part Number | 52843X |
| Style | 100 Pack |
| Included Components | Pickleballs(100) |
| Outer Material | Plastic |
Josh –
Producto de calidad y perfecto estado.
Brett Collins –
Good quality ball. The ones from Costco that came with my paddles broke after the 2nd game. These are much stronger and seem to be holding up!
paul –
Top-quality pickleballs! The Franklin X-40s are durable, consistent, and perform great outdoors. The bright optic yellow color is easy to see in any lighting, and they have a perfect bounce and flight. USAPA approved and used in the US Open—definitely the best choice for reliable outdoor play.
Alejandro Reyes –
As someone who genuinely lives on the pickleball court, having reliable equipment isn’t a preference—it’s a necessity. The Franklin Sports X-40 Outdoor Pickleballs are the gold standard for a reason. From the moment you serve, the flight is true, offering predictable speed and a consistent, high-bounce off the court face, making every rally feel authentic and competitive.
The 40 precision-drilled holes ensure that they cut through the wind effectively, minimizing drift on those breezy days that are inevitable in outdoor play. I’ve hit these with powerful serves and vicious third-shot drops, and they maintain their shape and integrity beautifully, far outlasting many other brands I’ve tried.
However, let’s be honest about the one thing every dedicated player knows: you can never, ever have enough pickleballs. Even with the durability of the X-40, balls get lost in the bushes, occasionally crack under extreme force, or are simply needed for high-volume drilling. If you’re serious about the game, stocking up on these is essential—not just because they’re great, but because having a full inventory is the only way to ensure the game never stops. If you’re looking for a ball that delivers official, tournament-level performance and holds up play after play, the X-40 is the one to get.
Marc C. –
The Franklin Sports X-40 Outdoor Pickleballs are the only one’s I’ll buy and play with. They are a top-notch choice for both casual and competitive play. Officially approved for USA Pickleball, the APP Tour, and US Open, these regulation-size balls offer consistent bounce, excellent durability, and superior flight stability even in outdoor conditions. Ideal for beginners and pros alike, they provide reliable performance for tournaments, practice, or weekend games with friends.
Amazon Customer –
We have been using this brand n model for regular practice and training..is hard so it can break easily after several uses if one smashes too hard
Trevor & Tiffany G –
Great balls. They do lose some colour as they get scuffed, but overall am happy with them
Trevor & Tiffany G –
Review order:
Review summary (quick read)
Review update (4-13-2021)
Full review (long read)
Summary:
This review might save you a lot of time researching balls, but here’s the summary if you don’t want to read the full review… For 4.0+ play consider the Dura Fast 40 when preparing for certain tournaments, but expect only about 2 games per ball, which is quite annoying in my opinion… for 95% of players, definitely go with the Franklin X-40 (except when preparing for a Dura only tournament of course). If you just want the ball to last and last year after year and don’t care at all about egging or quality of play consider the much softer and much slower and much bouncier Onix ball. The Onix ball is so soft that I can’t recommend it for typical play, but it is actually an excellent choice when introducing new players to the game and it is often the preferred ball in 65+ play if mobility becomes a common issue because extra bounce = extra time to get there, but in my area many older players seem to play the X-40 just fine.
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Update: 4-13-2021:
Popularity: Almost everyone in my area is playing the Franklin X-40 in every park. I finally saw a Dura in play yesterday, but it’s been a long time! Outdoor tournaments in my state are now about 60% X-40 and about 40% Dura (Washington), so even in tournament play the Dura seems to be going out pretty quick.
Seasonal durability of X-40: for the first year I don’t think my group cracked a single X-40 (despite having a faster paced game), but using that same batch of balls this Spring, they’ve all been dropping like flies so now my 1 year old batch of X-40’s probably isn’t much more durable than brand new Dura’s (very annoying to deal with those cracks). I just bought new X-40’s yesterday and I’ll be discarding the few X-40’s that are left from last year when the new stock arrives. It will be new X-40’s for me once a year from now on assuming quality doesn’t slide… fresh manufacturing is apparently very important, so hopefully Franklin will keep their runs moderate, and maybe that’s what Dura did wrong.(?)
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Full review:
This review will focus largely on the physical & quality comparisons between the Franklin Outdoor X-40 pickleball and the Dura Fast 40 pickleball, but I’ll also give a summary of my impressions from the mouth of experts and supplement also by my own amateur impressions and measurements.
Dura hole specs: 16 drilled holes @ 0.325″ & 24 drilled holes @ .264″
Franklin hole specs: 40 drilled holes @ 0.288″
Both balls have 40 holes with an average hole size of 0.288″, but the Dura ball has a far more randomized hole pattern. I personally didn’t notice any difference in spin characteristics or any notable advantage to the randomized hole pattern of the Dura.
Franklin weight: 26g
Dura weight: 25g
Both balls are rotationally molded in one continuous piece so the seam is just as strong as the rest of the ball on either ball… the appearance of a seam is on the outside of the ball only but the visual molding mark is not actually separated in any way in the middle of the ball and the inside of the ball will likewise appear 100% seamless on either ball, so no true seam exists (both balls are true “1-piece” balls). The Dura ball has much smoother molding marks w/ no plastic flashing like the Franklin… this is primarily cosmetic but quality in this regard definitely goes to the Dura.
Subjective color preference: in the shade I think the Dura “Neon” color looks better (see pic), but in typical full sun the green tint looks dingy on the Dura ball in my opinion, and I feel the Franklin “Optic Yellow” is a crisper color that’s probably a little more visible. These are the only 2 ball colors I have to compare. I would prefer more dye to be used for a green ball so it still looks green in full sun because in my experience with disc golf and ball golf neon green is the most visible color and neon pink is good too… with these 2 options I’d pick the yellow… the green tint on the Dura is so subtle in full sun it ends up looking more like a dingy yellow rather than a green. A more apples to apples comparison would be Dura’s yellow option but I’m pretty confident Franklin would win that contest also based on the notably higher translucency in the plastic used by Dura. Color: Franklin wins.
Franklin X-40 country of origin: China
Dura Fast 40 country of origin: Vietnam
– – EXPERT INSPIRED IMPRESSIONS – –
From what I’ve gathered, expect much longer play per dollar out of the Franklin and expect very little life out of the Dura. Dura’s are supposed to be a little harder/better/faster, but they often only last a few games based on everything I’ve read and heard. For older players consider the Onix over either of these balls… softer balls bounce higher and hit slower which allows more time to get to the ball for longer rallies… the Onix seems to be the favorite for play in older aged groups.
Based on expert advise from the “pickleball kitchen” youtube channel…
Best performance award (fastest, hardest): Dura Fast 40
Best Value (also w/ great performance): Franklin Outdoor X-40 – – – except high level players should opt for the Dura due to tournament requirements (note: this observation may be outdated… check tournaments in your state to verify what local tournaments are still using the Dura in your area and which tournaments have switched to the X-40)
Longest lasting, but soft and bouncy: Onix
Note: I have not seen a single outdoor tournament publish the Onix as their ball.
My personal recommendation for most players based on a lot of reviews and some research and a close look would be to skip the Dura and go straight to the Franklin X-40 until you’re playing tournaments… if/when you advance to the level of playing serious tournament play I don’t think it would take long to transition muscle memory and power from the Franklin outdoor ball to the Dura ball and a lot of money and annoyance can be saved w/ the Franklin over the very brittle Dura… Franklin X-40 balls don’t last very long either (according to some… possibly old stock), but compared to the Dura it’s a notable improvement strongly worth considering even if you’re a quality buff like myself.
Manufacturing quality: Dura wins
Material durability: Franklin easily wins and Onix lasts much longer still if you don’t mind a notably slower game (more similar to indoor) and more egging.
Quality of play: Mixed… many elite players prefer the extra speed of the Dura, but I prefer the consistency of virtually everyone using the same ball and even more notably, I’d rather sacrifice just a little speed to get the higher consistency / predictability / reliability of an uncracked ball and I find it distracting to look for cracks all the time.
Value (w/o sacrificing much): Franklin
Despite the long read, I’m hoping this helps the reader save some time in selecting a pickleball, especially for players new to the game.
edwardtuminski –
Sturdy, professional quality pickleballs. The price point is affordable.
Cindy –
They appear to be good quality. Colour is nice a bright. We’ve played a few games with them and no complaints yet!
Lola Jean –
Great! They last much longer without cracking than other balls and have good bounce speed performance on the court.
Xiuhua lin –
Franklin Sports X – 40 Outdoor Pickleballs: A Solid Choice with Minor Quirks
These Franklin pickleballs are a great addition to my outdoor play gear, earning a 4 – star rating from me.
First off, the quality is top – notch. As the official ball of major tournaments like the USA Pickleball APP Tour and US Open, they perform as expected on the court. The durability is impressive; after several intense games, there’s barely any wear and tear. The orange “Lava” color is super visible, even in bright sunlight, so I never lose track of the ball mid-game
All in all, if you’re serious about pickleball and don’t mind a small learning curve in tricky weather, these balls are a reliable pick. They deliver consistent performance and hold up well, making them worth the purchase for most enthusiasts.
Iryna –
These pickleballs are excellent quality — durable, consistent, and perfect for outdoor games. They have a great bounce and hold up well even after many matches. The visibility is great thanks to the bright color, and they perform just like tournament-level balls. Highly recommend for both practice and competition!