Customer Rating: 
Summary: Leather is for men; plastic balls are for children
Comment: The all-leather Spalding King of the Beach ball has its roots in the Spalding Top-Flite leather volleyballs that dominated the beach scene in the 90's, when the courts were big, the shorts were neon, and the only block was the Kong Block. The King of the Beach leather ball is the evolution of the Top Flite model, but without the equatorial seam and tendency to go oblong from hard use like the old leather TF balls did. It also resists moisture better than the older model balls (although not as well as the new synthetic cover balls, which is why KoTB balls now come in composite leather constuction models for slightly less money). Most players will favor the Wilson AVP Game Ball, simply because of the AVP tie-in, but the Wilson ball tends to be a little lighter than the Spalding and consequently will drift more if there's a breeze (which could be good or bad depending on if you're serving or receiving) and the Wilson isn't as much of a strain on the shoulder when spiking. The Wilson also tends to bounce more.
The KotB is great for hand setting. The raised ridges on the panel give the ball a good grip, and you can really move the ball around and turn a bad pass into the perfect set even if the pass isn't just right. Deflating the KoTB slightly will take some of the action out of the rebound, improving control even more.
If you play in a high-humidity environment, or one where there's alot of moisture, or on grass, you'll want to go with the composite leather model instead of this model. But if you're on a beach without puddles or mud, the leather one will be the one you'll want to break out to send the message to your opponents that you came to bang. The raised panel seams leave a really nice impact tattoo on your opponent's chest.
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