Why protective eyewear belongs on every pickleball court.
Eyes on the Ball
Why protective eyewear belongs on every pickleball court.
by LYDIA HIRT
Pickleball is one of my biggest passions, and I talk about it to anyone who will listen. I’ m a believer that pickleball can make the world a better place by bringing people together and spreading joy. But every time I step onto the court, something else takes over. It’ s not my two-handed backhand or my serve. It’ s my eyes.
My pregame ritual is nonnegotiable: I don’ t step onto the court without eye protection. In fact, I can’ t imagine playing without glasses. They’ ve become as essential to my game as a paddle. What started as a practical decision has grown into something I care deeply about— not just for myself, but for every player who steps onto a pickleball court.
My first“ pickleball glasses” were a humble pair of safety glasses from Amazon. I made the purchase after seeing a post on social media sharing a horrific eye injury— a story that spread quickly through the pickleball community.
These eye injury retellings seem to strike a nerve because the experience always seems to be one degree removed: you don’ t know the players personally and they’ re not at your courts, but you know someone who knows them. In pickleball, that’ s close enough.
The risk of eye injury hit especially close to home when my good friend and frequent pickleball partner Emily Visnic went viral on Instagram for taking a pickleball to the face. She still suffers from recurring nosebleeds years later and now swears by protective eyewear on the court,
SHE ' S NOT JUST PROTECTING HER EYES, SHE ' S SEEING THE BALL BETTER BECAUSE OF HER VANTAGE LABS GLASSES. PHOTO CREDIT: VANTAGE LABS.
noting,“ My face has had a complicated relationship with pickleballs. Since converting to Kitchen Blockers, I’ ve managed to keep the court drama injury-free.”
Engineered specifically for pickleball players, Kitchen Blockers’ latest campaign(“ Your Eyes are the Prize”) focuses on the benefits of protective eyewear, since no game is worth the risk of losing your sight.
Brad Robins, co-founder and CEO of Kitchen Blockers, was inspired to develop the product after getting hit in the face himself during a tournament. The data shows that this kind of experience is happening more
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