Pickleball has gotten a bit of a reputation for being a noisy sport. Fortunately there are ways to mitigate some of the noise and keep your neighbors happy. Here are some tips to dampen the noise of pickleball whether it be via the court or the paddle you use.
Mitigating noise on the Pickleball Court
If you have the ability to customize the court you are playing on, a noise dampening technology should be applied on the surrounding court area. This is the best way to dampen the noise of pickleball for the overall play. Since sometimes the players can be as loud as the strike, having an acoustic barrier is the best way to lower the overall ambient sound. The most popular solution for noise mitigation is Acoustiblok with their Acoustifence product. It’s a material that can reduce the noise by 10-12 decibels. The bonus of the Acoustifence is it can also serve as a windscreen.
Of course, if you are still siting and building your court, also consider placement further from private homes. Even in mid-day, an intense match right by your window can be annoying. Also remember noise rises and echos. So if you chose a depressed area of land, that noise will rise up to those around following natural contours and potential intensifying if it travels through a canyon like terrain. Another consideration is the placement of other natural noise barriers on your land. This includes fences and trees. As a general rules, mass dampens sound. This means thick plank wood in a tight tongue-and-groove can serve as a sound barrier and help dampen the noise of pickleball coming from your yard. Nice lush tall trees on your property line can be the best privacy blockers and noise suppressants out there. Gotta love nature.
Dampen the noise of pickleball strikes using quieter pickleball paddlers
In addition to sound mitigation for the court, there are pickleball paddles designed to produce less noise. If you are playing on a community court, this may be your only alternative. There are paddles that are considered Green Zone approved. The Board of Directors at the Sun City Grand Pickleball Courts released this rating classification placing paddles into three different zones based on the intensity of sound they make.
The green zone paddles are the ones which fall into an acceptable noise level according to SCG tests. While this classification was developed by a single community, it is now a norm used across the US in different pickleball clubs and courts. These paddles are usually made of composite material with honeycomb core, which makes them lightweight and nice for long play.
Some of our favorites:
- JoncAye Pickleball Paddles: this four pack is great for pick up games especially when you’re with friend who didn’t bring their paddles or are beginners.
- ONIX Graphite Z5 Graphite Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle: This is ONIX’s most popular model. It’s a great option for intermediate to advanced players.
- JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS Swift Pickleball Paddle: Joola makes some of the best paddles out there. If you are upping your games and are ready to compete on the next level, this tournament play approved paddle will cost you.
