The athletic pursuits of pickleball, a sport with roots stretching back to 60s-era Bainbridge Island, Washington, is now under the scientific microscope at Washington State University. According to a report from WSU News, the university's Sports Science Laboratory, known for its prior work scrutinizing bat and ball collisions, has snagged a $65,000 grant from Selkirk Sports to scrutinize the intricacies of pickleball paddles and balls. Selkirk, stationed in Coeur D’Alene, is at the forefront of the sport, being the nation's top producer of pickleball paddles.
Historically the pickleball paddles can be tailored with additional weights, but the actual impact of this customization has yet to be measured—and that's what Lloyd Smith, SSL director and professor at WSU's School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering aims to change. He stated that "pickle paddles are allowed to be weighted," but he believes that "adding that weight is a hack around their standard." The sports popularity's trajectory has skyrocketed, today boasting about 8.9 million players across the U.S., all of whom are likely curious about the advantages weighting can provide.
WSU researchers are embarking on a novel journey to characterize varying aspects of pickleball equipment performance—from elasticity to hardness and durability, delving into questions like "How do they heat up when a ball impacts the surface?" says Smith. These questions drive this unprecedented examination of the sport's fundamental gear. The method involves a mix of controlled lab experiments with stationary paddles and high-speed ball cannons, along with field studies where human players and their gear are monitored through specialized markers to capture movements and play patterns.
This exploration is just the genesis of a deeper foray into the sport's mechanics, and Smith suggests the potential is vast, "If this ends up being similar to softball and baseball," as there will likely spring forth a slew of additional queries coupled with technological advancements that will require a closer look.
