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What ’ s News in Pickleball
SCIENCE OF PICKLEBALL
WHY LINE CALLS WILL NEVER BE 100 % ACCURATE
By Joe Dinoffer
You may not like to hear this , and we are all sure it was not on purpose , but every pickleball player has made an incorrect line call at least once . To think otherwise ignores the science behind what the human eye can and cannot see . And the vast majority of the time the reason there are line disputes is not because people are intentionally cheating .
Here ’ s the key question for this column : Can we actually trust our eyes to accurately see where the ball bounces ?
To find this answer , we used high-speed cameras to identify how much time passes when a pickleball bounces on a hard surface . The answer is only 2 milliseconds ( 2 / 1000ths reduces to 1 / 500th of a second ), regardless of how fast the ball is hit !
How does this affect our ability to call lines accurately ? To answer this question , we must know the capacity of the human eye to see split-second events . The answer is that we can see events up to only one-sixtieth ( 1 / 60th ) of a second long . Interestingly , this is the speed that a regular light bulb flickers on and off ( it cycles on and off 120 times in one second ). The result of this scientific fact is that we can only see a steady stream of light from the bulb instead of a blinking light .
In pickleball , the challenge to make accurate line calls is compounded by the fact that we are usually moving as the ball bounces near the line , and our angle of vision ( where we are in relation to the line ) is always changing as well .
So the next time you call a pickleball in or out that appears to have bounced on or near a line , keep in mind that your eyes will be coping as best as possible to an impossible challenge . Do your best and give the benefit of the doubt when you “ see ” that the ball has landed too close for you to call accurately .
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 .