Why Do People Put Tennis Balls On Tow Ball Hitches?

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Standard tow ball hitches come in numerous sizes, and the right one for you and your vehicle depends on what kind of towing you are looking to carry out. For towing small box trailers, a 1-⅞-inch tow ball hitch will likely suffice, whereas if you need to pull more than 10,000 pounds, it'll likely be a 2-⁵⁄₁₆-inch tow ball hitch which you'll need. Regardless of which tow ball hitch you have, or wish to have, installed on your vehicle, there are some basics you must first know about how to care and maintain for the ball hitch itself.

First, knowing whether you should grease the tow ball hitch or not is important, but there is another tip that may leave you scratching your head at first. The tip in question is to put a tennis ball over the top of the tow ball hitch. Just add tennis balls to your collection of essential towing accessories. It may seem a little pointless at first, but doing so actually serves numerous benefits to both yourself and your vehicle.

Seemingly though, the primary reason folks cut an 'X' or slit into a tennis ball and then slide it over their tow ball hitch is to keep the grease in place on the ball hitch itself. A tennis ball covering the greased ball hitch will stop the grease from coming off if pedestrians accidentally brush up against it, or it rains heavily, for example.

Tennis balls provide multiple benefits as a tow ball hitch cover, too. Grease isn't great to deal with. It gets all over your clothes, and can easily stain a nice outfit too. That's the last thing anyone wants when accessing their truck, or just walking around their vehicle, but with a greased and exposed tow ball hitch, it's a mistake easily made. Cover it with a tennis ball, though, and the grease stays contained, which saves you cleaning a greasy mess from along your favorite jeans or dress.

Furthermore, walking into a tow ball hitch hurts, and unfortunately, they are almost always at shin height. If you've experienced stumbling into a tow ball hitch before now, and still wince at the pain, then consider covering yours with a tennis ball. The soft ball will hurt a lot less, and your shins will certainly thank you for putting this quick tip into action sooner rather than later. There are purpose-made tow ball hitch covers that you can buy, but tennis balls are both cheap and plentiful, making it the perfect solution.

Finally, tennis balls are bright green and hard to miss. This helps other drivers on the road or in a parking lot, as tow hitches can sometimes be easily missed. A bright green beacon affixed to the end of your hitch though, is much easier to spot and just might stop someone from reversing into your pride and joy.