The new “Generation 2” Vulcan VPRO FLIGHT pickleball is designed for every court and every player. Behind the scenes, Vulcan is doing everything it takes to get it right, with ongoing, unprecedented investment in research and development. Our commitment is to engineer the right ball for today’s game, and for tomorrow’s game too, as the sport of pickleball evolves.

MANUFACTURING

The “Gen 2” VPRO FLIGHT ball is manufactured in a new state-of-the-art production facility with brand new tooling, equipment, and processes. Each step in the process is temperature controlled and recorded for quality assessment, from the rotating molding machine to the final ink stamping and debossing. With extensive input from Vulcan’s engineers and resin experts, the new ball introduces an ultra-clean resin formulation. It is now more consistent in a variety of conditions and resists degradation for longer than the average pickleball. The result of all of these innovations is a ball that plays similar to the original VPRO FLIGHT, but with more durability.

TESTING

This Generation 2 ball – selected out of many iterations tested by the pros – stays consistent and in-round. The VPRO FLIGHT is tested at every stage of the manufacturing process; the resin is tested for quality, and the machines for uniformity. After the ball is complete, it is tested further for roundness, hardness, and bounce. The flight path is examined for evenness, using a mix of different power levels and speed. These inspection tasks are done for every batch of pickleballs that are shipped from Vulcan HQ to any customer.

Testing for the “Gen 2” balls also took place on the PPA Tour and MLP with the Pros to get real-life feedback in a variety of climates. The choice was clear—the Generation 2 ball was the right choice for today’s game. As the sport of pickleball evolves, Vulcan believes in the process of innovation, which includes continuous testing and insights from the Pro Ball Committee; this continued development will engineer a ball that performs well for players of every skill level.

LOOK

The new VPRO FLIGHT ball is still a bright, high-visibility color. It is distinguished from its predecessor with a new look – the VPRO FLIGHT logo is printed on one side with the opposite side featuring the debossed VULCAN logo. On a third side, an individual dedicated Lot Number is debossed and laser-engraved allowing each ball’s traceability to ensure quality and data feedback. This is another industry first.

The Vulcan VPRO FLIGHT Pickleball is being used on the pro level on the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball, and soon it will be played at the amateur levels, too. It is now available for purchase on vulcanpickleball.com.