dinks
What ’ s News in Pickleball
SCIENCE
OF PICKLEBALL
BALL SPEED AND REACTION TIME ?
By Joe Dinoffer
Pickleball is fast . Tennis is
fast . We know that . Both sports test every fiber of our eye-brain reaction skills . But how do they compare to one another ?
First let ’ s compare the court length . Baseline to baseline in tennis is 78 feet . Pickleball is 44 feet , almost half the distance . How does this affect reaction time ? For purposes of comparison , let ’ s use a ball speed of 40 miles per hour , which is a ball speed commonly achieved by intermediate pickleball and tennis players .
A 40 MPH average-height groundstroke tennis ball travels baseline to baseline in about 2 seconds . Buckle up your seatbelt pickleball players , because pickleball baseline groundstrokes cut your reaction time in half — just one second . That ’ s not much time when you consider how you have to react to your opponent ’ s shot , which includes determining the incoming ball ’ s direction , speed , arc , and spin !
Let ’ s analyze this further . On each side of the net , one-half second elapses with a groundstroke hit at 40 MPH . To simplify what this means , pickleball players must use the half second that the ball is still on their opponent ’ s side of the net to determine the incoming ball ’ s direction , speed , arc , and spin .
By the time the incoming ball has crossed the net coming your way , you will need to turn in the direction you have to move and start to prepare your paddle . Then , as you move to the ball ( note that the ball has not even bounced yet !), you will need to not only position your feet on balance to hit the shot , but you will also need to decide how and where you will hit that same ball back over the net !
Final thoughts ? Don ’ t let anyone tell you that pickleball is an easy sport to play . But don ’ t let them tell you it is a difficult sport to play either ! Compared to tennis , it may be easier to start playing for the average person , but know this — it is definitely a fast game requiring split-second decisions . •
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 ,
www . OnCourtOffCourt . com , manufactures training aids for pickleball and tennis , and he shares that experience and passion in this regular column for Pickleball Magazine . He has also produced dozens of pickleball tips for YouTube .