What Does Pickleball Have To Do With Spectroscopy?

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States. Early in the 2020s, the number of Americans playing the sport hovered around 5 million in 2021 (1). However, over the course of a year, this number skyrocketed. According to CNBC from the Association of Pickleball Professionals, an estimated 36.5 million Americans played the sport in 2022, and this trend has only continued to increase (1).

There were numerous reasons cited for this surging growth in popularity. Because it’s easy to learn and has a low barrier of entry, pickleball is an accessible sport that appeals to all age ranges and skill levels (2,3). As a result, pickleball has become a popular social activity for small groups.

But did you know that there is a connection between this growing sport and spectroscopy? In this article, we’ll explore how spectroscopy has been (or can be) applied to pickleball.

What is pickleball?

Pickleball is a paddle sport that integrates aspects of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. The sport is played with a paddle and a perforated plastic ball. Players hit the ball back and forth to score points, and it can be played as doubles (two per side) or singles (one player per side). You can read more about the rules of pickleball in the literature (4).

What does spectroscopy have to do with pickleball?

Although it may seem bizarre at first, spectroscopy does have a connection to sports such as pickleball. Between materials and polymer science, noise analysis, fractography, and wearables technology, spectroscopic techniques are helping to improve pickleball equipment and health monitoring.

So, where can spectroscopy serve (no pun intended) a role in pickleball? To start, let’s explore noise analysis. Acoustic spectroscopy can measure sound waves. As a result, this technique can analyze the soundwaves that are generated by paddle–ball interactions. By analyzing the paddle and ball sound, researchers can better understand performance metrics of the equipment, such as control, power, and noise (5). Ultimately, this can help identify any manufacturing defects in the equipment before it goes to market (5).

And this goes back to one of the growing challenges the sport of pickleball faces. Numerous HOAs and other communities have raised concerns about the noise of pickleball paddles in their neighborhoods. As a result, several noise ordinances have been established. By measuring the dBA of the sound generated from the pickleball paddle to the ball, developers can craft paddles that do not generate as much noise.

Another analytical technique used in pickleball analyzes pickleball fractures. Cracked pickleballs happen more frequently than one would think, and developers are looking for new ways to produce pickleballs that are less susceptible to cracking. One analysis technique is fractography, which includes microscopic, macroscopic, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) inspections (6). SEM is a technique that has the ability to analyze micro-defects in composite materials, which are used to build pickleball paddles and balls (7). As a result, SEM can analyze the cracks in pickleballs, which can inform scientists how the cracks formed and how to better improve pickleball design (6).

And finally, spectroscopy is playing a key role in wearable technology, which is allowing pickleball players to monitor their health activity during play. A recent study published in the journal Sports examined how these devices can track personal health data during play. The findings revealed that these devices can provide consistent heart rate monitoring, which speaks to exercise intensity, but other variables, such as calories burned, are not always measured accurately (8). Wearables technology also struggled with heart rate accuracy for varied movements (8). Ultimately, wearable technology offers an exciting new way for pickleballers to monitor their health, even if the technology is not quite there yet.

Wearable technology is a rapidly growing area in chemometrics and spectroscopy, headlining a new era coined as “everywhere analysis,” where this technology can be used for almost everything, including monitoring health activity during exercise, such as playing pickleball (9). But this technology, and its overall effectiveness, still has a long way to go before it is fully reliable in this area.

“These devices are transforming the way spectroscopists think about sampling, calibration, and real-world data collection,” Spectroscopy executive editor Jerome Workman Jr. wrote in a recent review article on wearable technology (9). “The future of wearable vibrational spectroscopy is rich with promise. However, realizing the full potential requires careful attention to specificity, calibration, drift management, ergonomics, safety, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance.”

Given the popularity of the sport, it is likely that pickleball will continue to grow and become one of the more commonly played sports. As a result, it is expected that spectroscopic tools will continue to be a major part in improving equipment and allowing players to monitor their health activity.

Pickleball is taking over America, and spectroscopy has played a role in facilitating that growth.

References

1. Golden, J. Pickleball Popularity Exploded Last Year, with More than 36 Million Playing the Sport. CNBC. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/05/pickleball-popularity-explodes-with-more-than-36-million-playing.html#:~:text=In%20recent%20months%2C%20star%20athletes,the%20low%20seven%2Dfigure%20range. (accessed 2025-11-12).
2. Tillilie, S. Pickleball Unpacked: What’s Behind the Popularity of America’s Fastest-Growing Sport. AAA. Available at: https://cluballiance.aaa.com/the-extra-mile/advice/life/pickleball-unpacked (accessed 2025-11-12).
3. Steffgen, Z. What's Behind the Pickleball Boom? University of Michigan. Available at: https://www.kines.umich.edu/news-events/news/whats-behind-pickleball-boom (accessed 2025-11-12).
4. Michigan State University, Pickleball Rules. MSU.edu. Available at: https://recsports.msu.edu/activity-rules/pickleball-rules (accessed 2025-11-13).
5. Wyerman, B.; Unetich, R. Pickleball Sound 102 - Time History and Spectral Analysis of Pickleball Sound. Noise-Con 2023. Available at: https://ince.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/ince/incecp/2023/00000266/00000002/art00004?crawler=true&mimetype=application/pdf#:~:text=ABSTRACT,of%20impact%20in%20game%20situations. (accessed 2025-11-13)
6. The Madison Group, TMG Thinks Plastic with Jeffrey A. Jansen: Failure Analysis of a Pickleball. LinkedIn. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-madison-group-plastic-consulting-experts_tmg-thinks-plastics-with-jeffrey-a-jansen-activity-7363902691070164995-DJMJ/ (accessed 2025-11-13).
7. NEX Pickleball, NEX Pickleball. Available at: https://nexpickleball.com/pickleball-paddle-failures-lab-tests-and-real-world-data/ (accessed 2025-11-13).
8. Navalta, J. W.; Carrier, B.; Blank, M.; et al. Validity and Reliability of Wearable Technology Devices during Simulated Pickleball Game Play. Sports 2024, 12 (9), 234. DOI: 10.3390/sports12090234
9. Workman, Jr. J. Wearable Vibrational Spectroscopy is Here For Real-Time Sensing. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/wearable-vibrational-spectroscopy-is-here-for-real-time-sensing (accessed 2025-11-13).