We've been loving using these types of balls for outdoor street hockey for the past few years. The hard whiffle ball moves fast on all surfaces with very little bounce. No stickiness or drag that can occur with traditional 'orange' balls in a wide range of temperatures.
We learned about these balls when a group of ice hockey players started playing roller hockey. They went from using a Green Biscuit, to an orange ball, to eventually perfecting these balls, which the ice guys felt resulted in the best game outside. This ball rolls fast like a puck on ice.
The balls are stuffed with just the right amount of material to completely remove the bounce. Too much material will cause the ball to bounce, not enough and the ball will be too light, bouncy and wobbly. We use various materials like denim, khaki, cotton etc. We aim for a weight of around 50g.
These work best for shorter rink games. On long shots and passes, the ball will slow down and curve. For short games you won't find a faster ball that handles this well.
The reduced weight and density compared to liquid filled hockey balls allows players to block shots without as much pain.
If you want to build your own for cheaper, all we do is buy packs of HARD Baseball Batting Practice balls, 9" then stuff 30-40g of material into the ball through one of the holes. It's best to use material that will not stick out of the ball during gameplay. They will eventually split along the seam on a hard shot or if someone steps on them. Keep the stuffing material for the next ball!
We find pickleballs can work well too, but they are a bit heavier and usually larger. These balls are slightly smaller, closer to traditional ball hockey ball size, which we find handle nicer.
