Cuomo and Wilson recorded 8-track demos of "Tennis Ball" in July of 1991.[1] The song was rehearsed by 60 Wrong Sausages and performed at the band's only live show, on November 29, 1991.[2] Rivers Cuomo uploaded handwritten lyrics of the song to his website in 2002. The song was first heard by fans when it was released as part of the demo compilation Patrick & Rivers in 2020.