I'm currently playing on 3 beach volleyball league teams. I'm 43, and far from an elite player. But I love it, and work at it to do my best.
I have a team that plays strictly Wilson AVP when we win the serve, and a team that plays strictly Spalding King of the Beach. And I still like the feel and play of the Mikasa VLS 300 the best. I say there's a weirdness about beach volleyballs, because I have at least one player on both of these teams that will throw something of a fit, with very little self-awareness, if someone introduces a different volleyball than their favorite, and there are many others on the courts that seem to do the same. The team that serves first picks the ball, and it is very common to use a different ball from one set to the next, because the first serve switches to the other team. The favorite overall switches around some, and the general attitude about what ball the "best" players on the local courts should be playing with just changes along with it.
They are all official size and weight, and on a kitchen scale, all come in at the same weight, give or take very slight variances. But after extensive play with all 3, and I play and enjoy playing with all three, the Mikasa VLS 300 feels the most natural to me. I serve it the best, pass it the best, get the best touch on it placing the ball, it spikes solid giving it what I'm capable of, and it feels in control. People seem to play the ball very well when it's introduced in a game, even if they complain about not using their own ball. I warm up and drill with the Mikasa VLS 300, Wilson AVP, Spalding King of the Beach, and Baden Sand Shark, all during the same warmup several days a week. I don't want to become one of the ball fussybutts whining because someone else doesn't share my idea of my favorite ball. These 4 are all nice playing balls, but the Mikasa VLS 300 plays the best for me. I consider all 4 top notch, well-playing beach volleyballs
A thought I'll share that flies in the face of a lot of comments on beach volleyballs. I try to hit all the balls as hard as I can while maintaining control on serves and spikes, and they're all built at an official weight. I have experienced no reason why one would be harder on my shoulder than the other. Lots of people will produce varying anecdotes. At first I took them as wisdom from more experienced players. Eventually, through my own experience, this talk became silly to me. Air pressure will have more effect than using a different ball, and these 4 all have a soft touch compared to most of the cheapos out there.
