Mashpee’s fight over pickleball noise has reached the point where the town is asking players to spend big on a ball that, according to angry regulars, barely behaves like one. The quieter substitute is supposed to preserve the courts and neighborhood peace, but players say its sponge-like bounce turns a familiar game into a very expensive experiment.
Following numerous complaints, Mashpee began requiring a low-noise ball at its public courts. As reported by CBS Boston, players say the 3D-printed NETX ball is quieter but has far less bounce than a traditional pickleball, with Paul Key dismissing it as “garbage.” Players also say the irregular bounce makes games inconsistent and puts them at a disadvantage when they play elsewhere with standard balls.
Mashpee Has Delayed The Ball Deadline
Mashpee initially planned to enforce the new equipment rule on August 1, but the town extended the start date to August 13 on Thursday so players would have more time to obtain compliant balls. The town’s latest notice says violations could lead to a player’s court privileges being suspended or revoked, according to Mashpee’s latest notice.
The argument is part of a broader Massachusetts headache as communities try to accommodate pickleball’s explosive popularity without turning nearby homes into unwilling bleachers. Boston 25 News reported in May that Worcester Polytechnic Institute students were working on quieter balls by changing their geometry and plastic composition; the station said a typical game can reach about 70 decibels, with hard shots spiking higher.
On Tuesday, the town said the approved Vortexball EVO would be available with a 20% discount for Mashpee players through the manufacturer. The company’s site lists the ball at $99 for a three-pack, while players interviewed by CBS compared that cost with roughly $1 for a conventional ball, according to the town’s discount announcement.
Neighbors Want Relief, Players Want A Usable Game
Players acknowledge that the town has tried other fixes, including noise-dampening tarps and vegetation around the courts. But a neighbor cited by CBS Boston called the ball change a compromise because it does not alter the park’s hours or shut down play.
That leaves Mashpee with a narrow test over the coming weeks: whether a quieter ball can ease the neighborhood dispute without making public-court pickleball feel like an entirely different sport. The town says it expects to expand the approved-ball list, but for now the pop may be softer while the argument remains anything but.
