Innovative Equipment Aims to Quiet the Noise of Pickleball
Title: New Quieter Pickleball Equipment Aims to Reduce Noise and Community Conflict
In Piedmont, a new generation of equipment and technology is being developed to lessen the noise associated with Pickleball, a sport that has sparked neighborhood clashes and legal battles in recent years. The goal is to replace the familiar “pop, pop, pop” sound with a quieter and less disruptive “thump” when paddles and balls collide.
USA Pickleball has been working with acoustic engineering firms for the past 18 months to research and invest in solutions that will change the sound of the game. The organization has introduced a new category of “quiet” certified paddles that can reduce the sound of contact from 90 decibels to 80 decibels, making it comparable to the noise levels of a busy downtown street.
In addition to quieter paddles, other interventions such as fabric sheaths for paddles and sound-absorbing panels for fences around Pickleball courts are being developed to further reduce noise levels. The goal is to address noise complaints from neighbors while still allowing the sport to thrive.
City administrators like Justin Long from Alameda are increasingly looking for new tools and data to understand and mitigate the noise created by Pickleball games. By collecting information from product research and acoustic baseline studies, decision-makers can better balance the perspectives of players and neighbors.
While the new equipment may present challenges in terms of cost and accessibility, the dialogue between communities, players, and officials is crucial in finding solutions that benefit everyone. The hope is that through innovation and collaboration, Pickleball can continue to grow without causing unnecessary conflict.
Overall, the development of quieter Pickleball equipment represents a step forward in addressing the noise concerns associated with the sport, and it opens up opportunities for further research and innovation in the future.
