USA Pickleball (formerly USAPA) is a great organization. Now, having just said that, I do have issues.
I became a USAPA Ambassador way back in 2014. In that role, I introduced people to the game, gave free clinics, gave away some paddles, got a grant for a local tennis facility to put down temporary lines, and ultimately got my HOA to remove one tennis court and replace it with four pickleball courts. I thought —gee, I’m doing a pretty good job.
Then, about 2-3 years ago, USAPA contacted all its Ambassadors and said that we had to provide them our Social Security Number. As a former NSA analyst, I know that is a terrible idea. So, I asked why. I was told they wanted to do background checks on everyone who applied.
I responded that I could do a background check on anyone if I had their address/phone number. Still, USAPA insisted. I refused to supply my SSN, and I was removed as an Ambassador.
My response to that was – a shrug.
I am still a US Senior Pickleball Ambassador, and that organization did not ask for my SSN.
Anyway, while researching a few things about paddles, I downloaded the Equipment Standards Manual. It is, at best, vague in its requirements and, at worst, an advertisement for one particular paddle brand. Moreover, it refers to an Appendix that does not exist, and other sources of information that do not exist. Or, it may be that I cannot find those sources, even though I am pretty good at tracking stuff down on the internet.
SEE MORE ABOUT THIS WHEN I DISCUSS THE JOOLA LAWSUIT
Anyway, here are some examples of oddities on the USA Pickleball website:
SECTION 2.E. PADDLE SPECIFICATIONS.
2.E.1 Material. The paddle must be made of any material deemed safe and not prohibited by these rules. The paddle shall be made of rigid, non-compressible material meeting the criteria located on the USA Pickleball website.
Comment: I cannot find any reference to the material criteria on the USA Pickleball website. So, what are those materials?
2.E.6 Prohibited Features.
2.E.6.f Springs or spring-like material, flexible membranes, or any compressible material that creates a trampoline effect.
Comment: So, once again, what is a material that creates a trampoline effect? There is no clear definition of what that material might be, but I do know that any paddle with an EVA core will not be approved. That’s very interesting because it leads to my next topic.
USA PICKLEBALL ANNOUNCES ITS QUIET CATEGORY FOR PICKLEBALL PRODUCTS
In a nutshell, this is what this is all about: “USA Pickleball’s Quiet Category for equipment will promote products that deliver essentially 50 percent or less of the acoustic footprint of equipment commonly sourced and used in community parks.”
Can USA Pickleball expand on that with some details? I read somewhere that the average noise level on pickleball courts is 80 decibels. I once did my own testing and blocked about it (I will put the link at the end) and found that most paddles generate between 40 and 50 decibels.
Today I used a sound meter on our court and found that (1) the ambient noise level was about 45 decibels and (2) the pickleball play generated up to 86 decibels. I assume that sound is additive, so that is in line with my testing.
I would like to know a couple of things:
- How did USA Pickleball do its testing?
- What were the conditions?
- What is the definition of “50 percent or less of the acoustic footprint”?
But this is not the end of the story, or the worst part of the story. Here is another announcement from USA Pickleball.
USA PICKLEBALL ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAS CERTIFIED THE FIRST PRODUCT IN ITS NEW “QUIET CATEGORY”
That paddle is the OWL. According to OWL, the paddle is covered in a noise-dampening sheath made of a proprietary material called Acoustene. Per OWL, this Acoustene material is not available anywhere else in the world.
After a bit of research, I concluded that Acoustene is – drum roll – felt.
Once again, no specifics from USA Pickleball. What noise level did the paddle generate, and how does it compare with the “acoustic footprint of equipment commonly sourced and used in community parks.”
But here is the worst part. The page on USA Pickleball announcing the quiet OWL paddle has this content:
- Superior playability – Really? How did USA Pickleball come to that conclusion?
- Unprecedented durability – Really? How did USA Pickleball come to that conclusion?
- 13mm and 16mm elongated handle options – Like many other paddles
- Vibration dampening layers for arm and elbow comfort – Like many other paddles
- Balanced ‘anti-head heavy’ construction for effortless maneuverability – which is what, and what is “effortless maneuverability?”
- Larger sweet spot for off-center impacts – Like many other paddles
- Graphene/nano technologically-enhanced carbon honeycomb – That is interesting, but how does it affect the paddle. Graphene Nano Technology has been around since 2017 and is used to strengthen fiberglass swimming pools.
Here’s my problem – the USA Pickleball announcement is a blatant ad for OWL paddles, and the organization (a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation) should not be promoting one paddle over another. Fine. Tell us that OWL has met “quiet” standards and give us more information, but please don’t act like a reseller for the brand.
Finally, what PPA/MLP players are using the OWL?
THE JOOLA LAWSUIT
I will put a link at the end of this piece so you can read in more detail, but here are some things Joola had to say.
- JOOLA’s accusations are rooted in a detailed examination of the procedural anomalies and subjective decision-making allegedly exhibited by USA Pickleball. (See the discussion of OWL above).
- JOOLA’s main concerns in the lawsuit revolve around allegations of biased judgment, procedural irregularities, and post-approval standard changes by USA Pickleball.
- Concerns are mounting over the integrity of USA Pickleball’s approval process.
- There may be calls for more transparent, rigorous, and perhaps alternate-party oversight in the approval processes to avoid similar conflicts in the future.
Like I said, USA Pickleball is (or has been) a great organization, but I think it has become a bit power hungry. Just my opinion.
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