Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

You’ve heard the stories and read the headlines about pickleball injuries. But is pickleball actually dangerous? Today, we'll look into why some people think it is, discover a new Broadway-themed pickleball club, reveal a dramatic bird rescue, and much more.

Let’s go! 👇

Pickleball is an incredibly positive phenomenon that has brought joy to millions of people all over the world. But like all things, it is not perfect—even though it’s pretty close.

There are really just two well-documented knocks on pickleball that seem to get covered all the time in the news. The first is noise pollution, which is being addressed with sound barriers, adjustments to paddle and ball technology, and curfews for public parks located near residential areas.

The other big one is injuries. There is always a story about how people are getting injured playing pickleball, particularly among the senior population. So is pickleball inherently dangerous? Our answer is a resounding "no" for many reasons.

From an injury perspective, pickleball is very similar to tennis. The movements are similar and the hard surface is the same. However, because everything is bigger and heavier in tennis, the swings and movements are actually more violent, making tennis tougher on your joints.

One area we'll concede is potentially more dangerous in pickleball vs. tennis is the risk of being hit in the eye with a ball because your opponent is much closer to you in pickleball. But there's a simple solution to that problem, and it’s called protective eyewear.

So why do we hear about pickleball injuries all the time? The answer seems quite obvious, but we'll state it anyway: VOLUME—as in the amount of new people who play pickleball.

Depending on which study you look at, pickleball has gained between 20 and 40 million new players in the United States over the past 5 years. That's about 10% of the country's population.

Most other sports have added a fraction of that number. Plus, pickleball attracts a wide array of people, many of whom are older or have not been physically active in years. (And as a sport, we're proud of that fact.)

However, as a result of the huge influx of players and range of ages and athletic backgrounds, then of course pickleball will have more injuries than other sports right now. But it's not because pickleball itself is dangerous.

Just ask yourself, do you really think that if 30 million people (many of whom were in their 50s, 60s, and 70s) all of a sudden took up basketball, softball, soccer, or skiing, that there would be less injuries in those sports? Now come on, that's a rhetorical question. 😉

Loosen Up to Hit Hard

How hard you hit the ball isn’t directly correlated with how hard you’re “trying” to swing. I.e. if you muscle the ball, you’re actually not going to maximize your power. If you want to hit the ball hard you need to have a relaxed swing. Relaxing your muscles allows for you to get maximum paddle acceleration which will in turn lead to loads of power. Muscling the ball will inhibit your paddle from accelerating as fast as it can.

Amazing shot! Not that effective, but impressive nonetheless 😀

Even though only a tiny percentage of us wind up playing sports professionally, we still want to play sports the way they should be played. That's why pickup basketball games are played on regulation-height 10 foot hoops (not 9 foot ones) and why golfers use the same golf clubs and balls that pros use and play on the same courses that pros play on. 

Well, it's no different in pickleball. If you want to play the game the way it's supposed to be played, then use the best ball in the game (and the official ball of the APP Tour), the Franklin X-40. Plus, spring is here, which means you're going to need fresh new balls for the outdoor season. Grab some today, and use code (clinic15) for 15% off.

Do you know much about deserts? For starters, they don’t get a lot of rain. So if you like playing pickleball outdoors, that's a good thing. In fact, the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge pickleball club gets 300+ days a year of sunshine. The facility has 17 courts (with lights for play at night) and is part of a massive resort. Guests at the hotel can play, but there are also memberships available for locals. There is no doubt they're taking pickleball seriously at this club. But did they name it the JW Marriott after JW Johnson? We're not quite sure. 😄

Pickleball brings communities together across all walks of life, but it just entered a field we haven't heard much of a connection with before... Broadway! 

Yup, just last month, the Broadway Paddle Club became the Broadway community’s newest sports and social league.

The inaugural 5-week season that takes place on Mondays and will go until April 20th, is being hosted at the brand new CityPickle location in Times Square.

What is the purpose of the club? "A joyful rallying point for our community," said Broadway producer and commissioner of the Broadway Paddle Club, Greg Nobile.

"At a moment when the world can feel a little chaotic,” Nobile continued, “we wanted to create something wonderfully unifying—six weeks of connection, competition, and, sure, pitchers of court-side Mango Margaritas."

Does this mean they'll be singing show tunes while they play? We can't say for sure, but we think it's fair to assume that some tunes from "Hamilton" or "Wicked" may be heard between points. 

Members of the Broadway Paddle Club aren't just actors, as the club consists of people from different parts of the Broadway industry.

The first-ever gathering included 15 members, pictured above. Good luck, and have a great season!

Pickleballers come in all shapes, sizes, and ages! 🎉

Sure, professional pickleball players have trained for thousands and thousands of hours and they may be more athletically gifted than the majority of amateurs. But there are also many things they do that amateurs can start adding to their games right now. PPA Champion, James Ignatowich, has 3 such tips that pros do, which amateurs should do as well.👇

We just concluded above that we don't think pickleball is inherently dangerous for humans. But is it for animals? We think it's pretty safe for them too, but it wasn't for a great blue heron in Florida that got a pickleball stuck on its beak. 

Fortunately, a group of determined Tampa rescuers followed the bird, which was becoming thin due to its inability to eat. After several attempts over a period of a few days, the rescuers were able to remove the ball from the bird's beak, and the heron was alright. But it's an important reminder to clean up after yourself and not to leave plastic around outside.

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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