36 million people play pickleball in the US at over 50 000 courts. The typical conversion of one tennis court to 4 pickleball courts can generate over 3000 impulsive pops per hour or 30–40 000 pops/day. The chronic, unwanted, and repetitive noise can quickly wear on neighbors, leading to complaints, conflicts, and lawsuits. Acoustic engineers have focused on measuring the acoustical sound qualities of the pickleball “popping.” However, there has been no research about the possible non-auditory health effects of chronic exposure to unwanted pickleball noise. Data were collected from public sources with a focus on pickleball noise: social media posts, news reports, and legal filings. Content analysis was used to identify possible health-related concerns mentioned by residents living near courts. Most commonly mentioned was trauma/PTSD, closely followed by auditory hallucinations (i.e., hearing “phantom pickleball noises”). Other concerns included both physiologic and psychologic issues. Further research is needed to validate these initial findings and further evaluate the extent of the issue. As communities grapple with this new type of sound, both acoustical measurements and the human health impact should be considered.
Kathleen M. Romito (Tue,) studied this question.