Balls

A ball is a solid or hollow spherical body that is used in various games like tennis, cricket, golf, football and volleyball, among countless other sports. It is the rolling and bouncing nature of a ball that makes it a favoured pastime with people of all ages. Playing with a ball is also known to increase a person’s reflexes and balance, besides being a calorie burner. Some soft balls are used as a physiotherapy treatment when held in the hand and squeezed. Performing this action repeatedly is claimed to strengthen the grip and also act as a stress buster.

One of the most commonly used materials in the manufacture of a ball is rubber. The elasticity of rubber makes the ball bounce better and higher. Balls come in numerous sizes, colors and shapes. All balls are not perfectly round, with those used in rugby being somewhat ovoid in shape. The rigidity of the material also varies. For example, seasoned cricket balls or hockey balls are stone hard, while tennis balls are much softer. Balls used for water games are designed to float in the water.

Other than outdoor sports balls, indoor balls are also equally popular. Many professional circus and stunt artistes perform some mind-boggling feats with balls such as juggling and many other tricks. Big medicine balls are used in gyms for working out. Truly, the simple ball has numerous applications at play.