Standardization News

ASTM International’s sports equipment, playing surfaces, and facilities committee (F08) has launched a new subcommittee on pickleball equipment and facilities. Its first priority will be test methods addressing all aspects of performance.
 
John Anderson, a member of the USA Pickleball equipment evaluation committee, notes that testing for power and spin is an early topic of interest. He compares them to horsepower and traction.
 
“Power and spin need to be aligned with the relatively small footprint of a 44-foot-long pickleball court,” says Anderson. “The pickleball is a thin-walled plastic sphere with 30 to 40 holes. This creates some very challenging tests and unintended variations in dynamic test methods.”
 
The subcommittee is also targeting several other tests. A test for coefficient of restitution (PBCoR) will, in this case, explore ratio of rebound speed to incident speed as a pickleball meets the paddle. The group is also working on a dynamic test to measure a paddle’s capacity to impart spin in a ball. Both of these tests will help manage the maximum allowable total power for a paddle.
 
“USA Pickleball is looking forward to working on the new ASTM subcommittee with other key stakeholders and interested parties in the ongoing development of equipment testing methods in the pickleball industry,” notes Carl Schmits, chief technical officer of USA Pickleball.
 
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