With pickleball more popular than ever, there are growing calls to address the use of “crushed” paddles—which some warn are both unfair and potentially dangerous.  The term refers to paddles with a compromised honeycomb core, which creates a trampoline effect that can send balls flying across the court at abnormal speeds.

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According to officials, crushing can happen naturally through long-term use or as the result of intentional tampering—but the same risks can arise either way.  “For safety purposes and for the integrity of the game, you can’t have the ball coming at you faster than human beings can respond,” said Leanne Schultz, director of the Shawnigan Lake Pickleball Club on Vancouver Island.  Excessive speeds are a particular concern given the size of pickleball courts, which are significantly smaller than tennis courts, Schultz noted.  When someone is standing in the “kitchen”—the area directly surrounding the net—an overhead smash from an opposing player using a crushed paddle could cause a serious injury, she said.

 

Pickleball B.C. acknowledged hearing mounting concerns about crushed paddles from clubs in the province, which is part of the reason the organization has begun strongly recommending recreational users wear eye protection for their safety.

“We’ve had several club members actually losing eyes,” said David Snell, president of the provincial governing body. “Players who don’t wear eyewear.”

 

With some leagues starting up again over the coming weeks and months, Schultz took it upon herself to speak out about crushed paddles, hoping to raise awareness about a problem she believes is still little-known, particularly among casual players.  She said the issue stems from a relatively new manufacturing process used for what are called thermoformed paddles, and that the risks have only emerged in recent years.

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Members of her Shawnigan Lake Pickleball Club began noticing the differences in speed and power about 18 months ago, Schultz said, and the organization has made a concerted effort to get them off the courts.  When players learn about the concept of a crushed paddle, they usually replace their out-of-spec equipment immediately, the director said.

“Most people are good people,” Schultz added. “Unfortunately, there are some people who know—and they like it.”

 

She wants to see the governing bodies for Canadian pickleball do more to address the issue.  “It’s about the integrity of amateur sport, in both the competitive and recreational realms,” Schultz said. “It would be like if baseball wasn’t doing anything about corked bats. Why would anybody follow the rules?”

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Schultz noted some U.S. pickleball organizations now use devices called “Go-No-Go” machines, which can test paddles for crushing before competitions.  Pickleball Canada did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CTV News.

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Snell said Pickleball B.C. has been working to address the problem, however, including with mandatory paddle inspections at all sanctioned tournaments.  While there are not currently any “Go-No-Go” machines in the province, accredited referees will examine paddles by hand for telltale signs of crushing.

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“Just by running your hand over it and pushing the paddle in the middle, you’ll hear the crinkle,” Snell said.

It’s more complicated to address the issue in recreational leagues, however, where many matches have no referees at all.

On top of recommending eye protection for those clubs, Snell said Pickleball B.C. is also preparing a newsletter item to help spread the word about paddle-crushing.

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“This is important stuff,” he said. “Safety in sport is really important.”