The increased popularity of pickleball has generated an increased demand for courts, some of which have been constructed in the middle of residential communities. Unfortunately, the loud pinging and popping caused by the ball striking the paddle has become a major source of annoyance for nearby homeowners, and in some cases, homeowners have claimed that the presence of the courts have reduced property values. Consequently, many communities have needed to move or decommission the courts, provide noise barriers, limit playing hours, or require that it be played indoors. Pickleball noise has therefore become a major issue that may limit the growth or popularity of the sport.
Efforts by the pickleball industry and governing bodies to develop quieter equipment have typically involved the use of softer (foam) balls, paddles with soft foam cores, or paddles covered with foam or felt. While these products can reduce noise, they fall short of completely eliminating pickleball noise. Furthermore, the quiet pickleball equipment does not perform like the standard equipment, nor is it approved by the USAPA for tournament play. As a result, pickleball players are reluctant to use quiet pickleball equipment, since it can adversely affect their play when they need to switch back to the standard equipment.
Introducing Quiet Play Paddles
Quiet Play, a Florida company that designs, develops, and manufactures pickleball paddles, is owned and operated by seasoned composite material manufacturers from the aerospace, defense, aeronautics, and automobile industries. Their approach to developing their line of quiet pickleball paddles enables their paddles to achieve a moderate level of noise reduction while performing like standard paddles. Unlike the current USAPA “Quiet Category” paddles, the Quiet Play paddles are USAPA approved for tournament play at all levels. This is enabled by use of proprietary (patent pending) paddle face sheets and core materials that are capable of increasing the sound and vibration damping of the paddle while maintaining adequate paddle face stiffness to pass the USAPA tests.
In this review we evaluate four Quiet Play paddles. According to their website each of the paddles uses a patented technology to bond the face sheets to the cores. Furthermore, the surface finishes are bonded onto the face sheets during the manufacturing process, which enables the paddles to withstand impacts without damage to the paddle faces. Other differences among the paddles are listed below.
The Carbon Pro SRT-15 is their lightest and softest feeling paddle that uses two layers of aerospace grade Toray T1100 intermediate modulus carbon fiber (which is stiffer and stronger than T700 carbon fiber) bonded to a 15 mm polypropylene honeycomb core.
The WhisperSpin Power SRT-12 is their heaviest paddle that utilizes their Tupelo core which is twenty-five times stiffer and about 20% heavier than a standard polypropylene honeycomb core. Because of the added weight and stiffness of the Tupelo core, the Power paddle has thinner 12 mm core
The WhisperSpin Touch SRT-14 plays similar to their Carbon Pro, but has a thinner 14 mm core, which they claim improves paddle responsiveness and touch.
The Whoop Ass SRT-14 contains a hybrid blend of high stiffness T1100 carbon and moderate stiffness lower density K49 Kevlar in a twill weave on the surface. This is backed up by T1100 intermediate modulus carbon. The company claims that this combination of materials provides a faster response with improved power and touch.
Weight Characteristics
Weight characteristics of the Quiet Play paddles were determined using the methodology described in a previous article. These characteristics were compared against those of the average non-EVA paddles in Table 1.
Table 1. Weight Characteristics
The results in Table 1 indicate the following:
Static Weight – These results show that the Power paddle is the heaviest and the Touch paddle is the lightest. Both the Carbon Pro and the Whoop Ass paddles have about an average weight. A heavier paddle in general will feel more stable and can impart more momentum and velocity to the ball. The down-side is that the heavier paddle can also reduce swing speed. The Power paddle might be suitable for more advanced players who have a lot of arm strength. The Touch might be suitable for beginners who have not yet fully developed the mechanics of their strokes. Intermediate to advanced players might select an average weight paddle, such as the Carbon Pro or Whoop Ass.
Balance Weight – The swing radius defines the distance from the paddle pivot point (assumed to be 2” from the butt end of the handle to the paddle center of mass). It appears that Quiet Play engineered the cG locations for each paddle at 7.75”. The paddle balance wights therefore vary with the static weights. As shown, the balance weights of all of the paddles are greater than or about equal to the balance weight of the average paddle. At 67.5 oz-in, the Power paddle in particular will feel “head heavy”, and approaches the balance weight of the heaviest paddle (the Engage MX 6.0 Pro at 69.1 oz-in).
Recoil & Twist Weights – The recoil weight of a paddle defines its resistance to rotation about its lateral axis, whereas the twist weight defines its resistance to rotation about its longitudinal axisIn general, players should select paddles with larger recoil and twist weight, as they will feel more stable when striking the ball and will have larger sweet spots. With the exception of the Power paddle, the Quiet Play paddles have a lower recoil and twist weights than the average standard paddle.
Swing Weight – The swing weight describes the paddle’s resistance to rotation about a lateral axis passing through the pivot point, assumed to be 2” above the butt of the handle. In general, paddles with lower swing weights are easier to swing and will enable players to generate greater swing speeds. As indicated in Table 1, the Quiet Play paddles have a slightly higher swing weights than the average standard paddles.
Stiffness & Dynamic Characteristics
The paddle stiffness characteristics were measured using a force-displacement gage as described in a previous article. These characteristics were compared against those of the average non-EVA paddles in Table 2.
Table 2. Stiffness & Dynamic Characteristics
The face stiffness defines the so-called trampoline vibration mode, and the throat stiffness defines the so-called diving board vibration mode. As we discussed in a previous article, it is desirable for the “spring back” rate of the paddle to be greater than or equal to the period of the contact time to maximize paddle power. Paddles with natural frequencies in the 118-125 Hz range are classified as “hybrid” paddles, with paddles with natural frequencies less than 118 Hz or greater than 125 Hz being classified as “power” paddles or “control” paddles, respectively. As indicated in Table 2, all Quiet Play paddles would be classified as “power” paddles, with natural frequencies being less than 118 Hz.
A more in-depth examination of the paddle stiffness components finds that the Quiet Play paddles derive their power from having extremely low values for throat stiffness. Ideally, the face and throat stiffness should be balanced, or about equal. As we see in Table 2, the stiffness range is much tighter for the Carbon Pro and Whoop Ass paddles. This might give the paddles a better “feel” and make them more predictable whether the ball is hard or soft.
The Quiet Play paddles have a higher-than-average core stiffness. This is needed in part to offset the relatively low values for face stiffness and to pass the USAPA stiffness test. This test requires that the paddle core stiffness have a value of more than 1300 lb/in. The higher core stiffness should not negatively impact paddle power or the ability to apply spin to the ball. We do believe, however, that the greater amount of damping in the paddles will enable greater dwell or contact time between the paddle and the ball, resulting in a greater spin rate. This has not been verified, however.
Acoustic Performance
The USAPA “quiet category” certification for pickleball paddles involves measurement of the sound levels due to impact of a pickleball with a paddle within an anechoic chamber. The pickleball is dropped from a height of about 12’ and sound levels are measured with a microphone at a height of about 6’. onto a pickleball paddle that is clamped at its handle. Sound levels due to impact of the ball with the paddle are measured from a height of about 6’ above the paddle surface. Paddles that are designated to be “quiet” must achieve sound levels less than 80 dBA under 600 Hz.
Pickleball Science has have discussed pickleball noise extensively in previous articles, and have cautioned that the validity of acoustical measurements is highly dependent on numerous factors, such as the data acquisition (sampling) rate, frequency weighting, and ensemble averaging. Although Pickleball Science continues to research quiet pickleball equipment and testing methodologies, we believe that it is currently not possible to quantify pickleball noise using the USAPA standards. We therefore performed a subjective evaluation of the Quiet Play paddles.
The noise levels from the Quiet Play paddles are about the same, and appear to be characterized by a low frequency “thump” as opposed to a higher frequency “ping”, which is common with standard paddles. In the near-field (<100 ft), the paddle noise levels are noticeably lower than standard paddles, and are about equal to other so-called “quiet” foam-filled or foam or felt covered paddles. One problem with all “quiet” paddles, though, is that in the far-field (>250 ft), atmospheric attenuation and scattering losses are not as effective for low frequency sound. Therefore, quiet paddle technology may not be as effective over longer distances.
Summary
The Quiet Play paddles are USAPA-approved and provide a moderate amount of noise reduction when compared to standard paddles. They have the look and feel of standard paddles and according to our natural frequency criteria, have greater power than all of the standard paddles tested. While the Quiet Play paddles are not “silent”, they should be considered by players that need a moderate amount of noise reduction and the ability to play with their paddle at tournaments.
More information about the Quiet Play paddles can be found on the Quiet Play website.
