Inside the quest for quieter pickleball
As pickleball's popularity continues to skyrocket, noise complaints have been a major issue for the sport's enthusiasts.
From bans at city parks to restrictions in homeowners' associations, the sound of pickleball has been causing quite a racket. But now, with the creation of a "quiet category" by USA Pickleball, the future looks much quieter for this booming sport.
According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, “It’s a mash-up between tennis and ping pong and the fastest-growing sport over the last four years.”
A mash-up between tennis and ping pong - it’s been on the rise lately and it's easy to see why: Not only is it a great way to get in some exercise, but it's also low-impact enough that anyone can do it. You don't have to be a pro athlete (or even a regular gym goer) to have fun playing pickleball. It really is accessible for people of all ages. So, it's no wonder the game was named the "fastest-growing sport over the last two years," according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.
Denver Parks and Recreation will explore extending indoor pickleball hours at Eisenhower Rec Center after the city has decided to close down the outdoor courts amid noise violations. This is the latest development in a battle between people who love the sport and those who live nearby outdoor courts.
Over the last few months, the city has been working closely with the Pickleball Advisory Group to make sure they find other locations to play pickleball in Denver.
Denver Parks and Rec said they have taken the following actions:
At the request of the PBAG, DPR established six "pop-up" pickleball courts in MLK Park for a total of 10 courts in that park. Due to their popularity, these courts will be made permanent in mid-2024.
DPR begins the design process for new pickleball courts at the Lowry Sports Complex and Rosamond Park in 2024. Based on available funding, DPR believes that construction of the Lowry Courts can begin in late 2024 or early 2025, with construction of the Rosamond Courts construction soon after.
USA Pickleball, the sport's governing body, has been investing time and money in finding solutions to reduce the noise level of pickleball equipment and courts. They have hired acoustic experts and have introduced a "quiet category" for equipment that delivers a much lower acoustic footprint than the standard equipment used at community parks.
According to Carl Schmits, managing director of equipment standards and facilities development for USA Pickleball, the organization initially had concerns about changing the nature of the sport in order to reduce noise. "In the end, we came up with achievable specs that were meaningful," Schmits said.
“I think the OWL paddle technology is going to revolutionize the game of pickleball,” John McEnroe, 17-time grand slam champion.
The first product to be certified in the "quiet category" is the OWL paddle from OWL Sport, a company founded by pickleball players passionate about solving the noise problem. This paddle uses a proprietary material called Acoustene to dampen the noise level.
Endorsed by tennis pro Tracy Austin, the OWL paddle registers below 600 hertz and 80 decibels when striking a ball, compared to the standard paddles that register over 1,000 hertz and 85+ decibels.
But the OWL paddle is just the beginning.
USA Pickleball hopes to expand the "quiet category" to include a variety of products such as paddles, balls, and noise mitigation screens for courts. They are also working with the largest global brands to develop quieter balls, which could have a significant impact since all players use the same ball in a match.
The largest global brands are looking at development of quiet balls. If the ball component can be addressed satisfactorily, that is the greatest common denominator.
While the push for quieter pickleball equipment is a step in the right direction, the ultimate goal is to reduce noise on the courts themselves.
USA Pickleball is offering free acoustic evaluations to parks and recreation departments and compiling a database of acoustic engineers and consultants who can help design or retrofit courts with noise in mind. Additionally, the organization is offering incentives to manufacturers to create competition-level equipment that meets the sport's quiet standards.
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In a show of support for the quieter pickleball movement, tennis legend John McEnroe and NFL star Drew Brees will join professional pickleball player Jessica Warren in New York City on Tuesday for a demonstration of the OWL paddle.
Pickleball fans are hopeful that these efforts will help ease tensions with their critics and allow the sport to continue thriving and expanding to new areas. As the saying goes, "silence is golden," and pickleball enthusiasts are now on a quest for a much quieter game.