Pickleball Magazine 5-2 WD | Page 58

Does Spin Matter? T he ongoing debate about the importance of spin in pickleball continues. Taking the bull by the horns—or pickleball by the horns—we hired a film crew to shoot high-speed footage of top-level pickleball players to let the facts speak for themselves. Then we simulated that average ball speed, RPMs, and trajectory with a Pickleball Tutor Plus so we could film ball after ball in order to show consistent patterns that meet the rigors of a scientific study. To share our research, we produced a 15-episode video series for YouTube called “The Science of Pickleball.” In this column, I’d like to share the basics of pickleball RPMs, compared to tennis, and discuss some of the basics of spin. First, we learned that both top men and women can hit in the 1,400-1,500 Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) range with topspin groundstrokes. While this may sound like a high number, the effect on ball flight is much less than tennis for two reasons. First, tennis players of similar levels can hit topspin groundstrokes with twice the RPMs, and top professionals reach over 4,000 RPMs. Second, tennis balls do not have holes in them! The effect of 1,500 RPMs of topspin in a “holey” pickleball is far less than tennis, as the high pressure created above the ball only minimally pushes the ball downward as compared to tennis due to these holes. Does topspin help keep the ball in play? Yes, but just to a small extent. It’s also much more 54 TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM By Joe Dinoffer challenging to hit topspin in pickleball as compared to tennis because pickleballs are hard, do not compress on the paddle, and the stringless hard paddle surface makes the ball rebound twice as fast as a tennis racquet. • Joe Dinoffer is a master professional in the USPTA and PTR, has written nine books, produced 22 DVDs, and has appeared on the Tennis Channel. His company, at www.OnCourtOffCourt.com, manufactures training aids for pickleball and tennis, and is the exclusive U.S. marketing partner for Pickleball Tutor Ball Machines. He brings that experience and passion to his column for Pickleball Magazine.