Pickleball Paddle And Ball Impact Noise

A pickleball launcher was used to consistently project balls at a stationary paddle positioned inside an anechoic chamber. Sound pressure levels were measured 1.0 meter behind the paddle, with both the peak sound pressure level and the integrated sound energy over a 0.2-second window recorded. Tests were conducted with the paddles in a fixed/clamped boundary condition throughout testing. Acoustic data was then collected for six different paddles and five different pickleball types. Results will be compared to observe any differences in the sound output between the different paddles and pickleballs. Among the paddles, the wooden paddle produced significantly lower sound levels compared to the composite alternatives. Pickleball selection also introduced some variability in sound output.