Who invented the first tennis ball?

Well, polarchick --

That's hard to nail down because tennis, like most other sports,
evolved over time. And with that evolution came changes in the
equipment.

But, that said, if I had to pick someone, it would be:

"In 1874, Major Walter C. Wingfield registered his patent in London
for the equipment and rules of an outdoor lawn tennis that is
generally considered the first version of what we play today."

http://tennis.about.com/library/weekly/aa082001.htm

"[Before this] balls were black or white, depending on the background
of the courts. In 1845, the sport was revolutionized by the discovery
that rubber could be made into balls. This and Major Wingfield's lawn
tennis game started us into the modern era of tennis, and the
equipment graduated, too."

http://tennis.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.idiotsguides.com%2FChapters%2F0028629108_CIG_Tennis%2Ffile.htm



Thanks for your question!

--K~

search term: tennis ball inventor

Dear Polarchick,

Who invented the first tennis ball?  That's easy: the same person who
invented the second tennis ball!

Carnegie