dinks
What ’ s News in Pickleball
SCIENCE
OF PICKLEBALL
BALL CONTACT : HOW LONG IS IT ?
By Joe Dinoffer
What does it mean
when your coach says , “ Hit through the ball ?” Generally , he or she just means that you should lengthen your ball contact as much as possible . But is that even feasible to accomplish ? The answer is no , making that instruction far than ideal .
To understand this point , we need to know much time the pickleball dwells on the paddle when they meet . Since so many tennis players are now taking up pickleball , we compared both sports .
From our high-speed camera work , we first learned that tennis ball contact lasts up to
REGIONAL NEWS
4 milliseconds or up to 1 / 250th of a second . In actual distance as a part of the swing path , we calculated ( with an average swing of 40-50 miles per hour ) that the tennis ball dwell time occupies just about 2.5 inches .
Pickleball is quite different . The contact dwell time averages just 2 milliseconds , which is only 1 / 500th of a second , and covers a distance of only 1.25 inches in length !
Why is there such a difference between tennis and pickleball ? There are two reasons .
First let ’ s cover the pickleball paddle versus a tennis racquet . The tennis racquet strings compress to
increase the ball dwell time whereas the pickleball paddle is a hard surface , creating a faster rebound .
Second , tennis balls are soft and compress ( and then decompress ) to further lengthen the elapsed time and length of contact . On the other hand , pickleball balls are hard and rebound off the paddle faster , especially considering that the paddle surface is hard also . This results in a time lapse “ event ” of pickleballs striking the paddle at literally half the time of a tennis ball striking a tennis racquet .
All that said , there is one redeeming reason to try and lengthen your swing by trying to his “ through ” the ball . While you will not extend your contact length by this effort , you may be able to control the ball direction better in case you hit slightly earlier or later than you planned ! •
Joe Dinoffer is a master professional in the USPTA and PTR , has written 9 books , produced 22 DVDs , and has appeared on the Tennis Channel . His company
www . OnCourtOffCourt . com manufactures training aids for pickleball and tennis , and he shares that experience and passion in this regular column for Pickleball Magazine .
Tennessee was able to complete its NSGA State Games Sept . 20-24 in Franklin , TN — the first post-COVID games . Masks were worn when not competing , and social distancing was practiced . The players had such fun seeing each other once again , and the competition was fierce .
Women ’ s Division 60-64 From ( l to r ): Bonnie Ogle ( bronze ); Pamela Moore ( bronze ); Brenda Barton ( 4th ); Marne Smith ( gold ); Kelly Price ( Tournament Director ); Susan Carson ( gold ); Kimberly Santiago ( silver ); Margaret Wilburn ( silver ); and Karen Thatcher .