Nike T90 Tracer ball

After the furore caused by Adidas' Jabulani match ball in South Africa the spotlight and pressure has been on Nike to get it right for the new Premier League season. Despite their protestations the Jabulani proved to be somewhat of a PR disaster for Adidas, so Nike will have been eager than ever to get things right with the T90 Tracer. The early indications are that they have got it pitch perfect. Tested on the training grounds of Europe's biggest clubs, the T90 Tracer is a ball that carries with it the strap line 'Total Obedience'. Some of our shooting in an impromptu kickaround was not exactly totally obedient but there's no doubting it's a lovely ball that even the layman can appreciate. Nike's engineers claim they have created the first ever match ball that has a 360 degree sweet spot. In ensuring there is no hard or soft spot the manufactures have given the player every chance to strike the ball true, with innovative technology ensuring the T90 is a leader in aerodynamic efficiency. According to Nike's lab the panels have been precision engineered to allow for even pressure across the whole of the ball when struck. If energy is transferred across just a couple of panels the ball can have an uneven flight, whereas the Tracer stays truer in the air. The early indication, going off a thrilling opening weekend in the Premier League which yielded 23 goals, is that Nike must have got something right. On a purely aesthetic level the ball has a modern clean feel, with a depth-enhanced performance graphic designed to engage the vision quickly. The T90 has been given the thumbs up from several of Europe's leading players. Barcelona's brilliant schemer Andres Iniesta has described it as being 'great on the touch. It reacts quicker and flies faster', while Wayne Rooney billed it 'perfect' after the first time he used it. Nike's T90 Tracer will be used in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A this season.

Locker Room rating: 5/5