Feel the Noise

Pok. Pok. Pok.

That’s the unmistakable sound of a plastic pickleball striking a paddle, a sound that approximates, in both volume and pitch, the beeping backup signal of a garbage truck.

To those nearby, the sound can be unceasingly annoying. CMU engineering alumnus Bob Unetich is working to make it less so.

In a makeshift lab south of Pittsburgh, Bob, a player and official of the ever more popular game, studies paddles made from different materials or with different covers — felt pads on the faces of the paddles, for example, dampen the noise significantly — and balls of different varieties, including a new 3D-printed option. He also checks materials used to serve as sound barriers for pickleball courts for their ability to absorb or reflect the noise.

And, Bob says, just a few decibels can be the difference between a pickleball court that’s welcome in the neighborhood or unhappy neighbors complaining to the town council.

“We can test the balls ourselves and tell you how loud they are, what the pitch is. It’s the same with paddles and sound barriers — we look at whether they have an impact on the game and what we believe the neighbors will think about the results.” - BOB UNETICH, CMU ENGINEERING ALUMNUS