view these products and more at paddlesandmore.com
PICKLEBALLS
THE EVOLUTION OF THE BALL
AND HOW IT’S GOING TO IMPACT YOUR GAME
By Wayne Dollard
Pickleball Magazine
W
e’ve all heard the story
how pickleball began as a
summertime activity in 1966
when Joel Pritchard, and
his neighbor Bill Bell, grabbed a couple
of paddles and balls and played that first
game. Not many people ask where the ball
came from and how it has changed over
the years. Pickleball Magazine has done
some research to introduce the origin of
the ball, explain its evolution, and show
the path the IFP and USAPA are taking
toward maintaining the ball and the sport’s
integrity moving into the future.
When Joel Pritchard opened his shed
that sunny summer afternoon, it is most
likely that he had never heard of Cosom —
the plastic baseball he grabbed with the
intent of making up a new game for his
|
children and their friends. Fifty years later,
we recognize the impact that the Cosom
ball, with its aerodynamic hole design, had
in the establishment of pickleball.
The Cosom became essentially the only
ball used for the sport from 1966 until
the late 1980s. Other Wiffle balls were
available but Cosom was the ball of choice
due to its round, consistent holes, allowing
it to fly straight and bounce predictably.
In the late 1980s Pickle-Ball, Inc.
began mass producing balls specifically for
pickleball.
In December of 2015, the IFP
convened and tightened the ball
“approval” specifications. The purpose
was to maintain a set of rules to develop
universality of the balls and maintain
bounce specifications true to the original
nature of the game.
Today, there are no less than 9 indoor
balls and 24 outdoor balls that are
approved by the International Federation of
Pickleball (IFP). The ball list is shown on the
following pages. There are also numerous
additional models that are available for
purchase that do not comply with IFP
specifications.
SO WHAT MAKES ONE BALL
DIFFERENT FROM ANOTHER?
Generally speaking, everything. When
making a ball, each manufacturer must
consider the following: material and
hardness, process (one piece or two), hole
size and pattern, diameter, weight, bounce
height, and, oh yes, color.
Material and Hardness. For the most
part, the pickleball manufacturers discuss
concepts and ideas with each other in
order to find better ways to produce their
own products; however, the material mix
the balls are made with is often
thought of as the “secret sauce”
T o order any of these products, call 888.308.3720 or go to Paddlesandmore.com
❘
2019
49