How Long Does A Pickleball Last? – Prolong The Life of Pickleball
Being a Pickleball player, I usually receive tons of queries from both amateurs and professionals, however, astonishingly enough, one such query I receive the most is “How Long Does A Pickleball Last?” Or “How often should I change it”
In simpler terms, the answer to this question is much of a mixed bag as there are tons of factors that affect the overall well-being of a pickle being, necessitating you to change it altogether.
Nevertheless, I will be listing those fundamental factors that exuberates the condition of a pickleball, so you can assess and evaluate the situation and the condition of your pickleball based on the fact that you would want to use it after a match or discard it altogether.
But first, let’s understand the chemistry of a pickleball by scrolling down below,
Chemistry Of A Pickleball
Typically, a pickleball is made up of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) which is a form of specialized plastic that generally has a much better form of structural format than normal plastic that ensures peak flexibility for better maneuvering in the air.
The ball itself is pretty much hollow while having tiny little holes ranging from 20-40, which allows air to traverse through it, that also happens to define its swing when it’s directly hit causing a spin or reverse spin effect.
You might have heard that most balls are made from “composite material”, but in reality, these compositions only include polyester and nylon, so it’s simple to categorize that all pickleball have pretty much the same chemistry.
How Long Does A Pickleball Last?
These are the fundamental elements that will directly determine the lifespan of a pickleball as it introduces a general wear and tear effect on it.
1. Surroundings Matter
Concrete and asphalt surfaces are the biggest culprit behind a ball’s general wear and tear. To make matters worse, a ball certainly has to hit the ground in order for the match to be played which implies there is no way you can minimize the effect unless and until your court is made from plywood which isn’t usually the case.
Most of the public courts have a hard asphalt surface which eventually takes a toll whenever a ball bounces over it, resulting in a gradual decline in the condition of the ball.
2. External Stimuli
It is common textbook knowledge that plastic is greatly affected by external stimuli such as temperature change. Playing in too hot, humid, or too cold can be taxing on the chemistry of a pickleball as heat/cold can cause it to either expand or make it too stiff.
This compromises the structural integrity of a pickleball, so even if you are using a brand-new pickleball right out of the bat, it will be out of order in no time.
3. Storage Problems
I have seen tons of pickleball players pack their goodies in their bags after they are done with their match improperly.
If a pickleball isn’t kept in proper storage, during traversal it can get crushed which causes cracks to appear which may be harder to be identified to the naked eye and only becomes apparent during the match.
To make matters worse, even though it’s the top culprit behind a pickleball malfunction, it can be easily avoided altogether if the ball is being taken care of or kept in a proper container during traversal.
4. Quality factor
Just like everything else in the world, pickleball also comes in a variety of qualities as most companies nowadays try to cut budgets in order to compete in the market which is only possible if corners are cut and quality is sacrificed during the manufacturing process.
So next time you find yourself attaining an awesome deal on pickleball, make sure to double-check the quality, otherwise you may be getting virtually less than what you have bargained for.
How Do You Determine A Pickleball Is Out Of Order?
Signs that will indicate that you should probably discard your pickleball now.
1. Weird Bouncing Effect
When the structural integrity is no longer intact, you may see cracks or dents appearing which results in improper bouncing of the ball whenever it is hit.
A cracked or malfunctioned pickleball either jumps too high or rebounds with minimal distance making it quite harder to use in a court.
2. Poor maneuvering
Since a pickleball is made from tiny holes with hollow inner structures, a malfunction in the ball takes a direct toll on its maneuvering aspect as you can no longer control the direction of the ball.
In fact, it will have a mind of its own and even swing or spin, regardless of the direction you have hit.
To make matters worse, the accuracy of your shot will be compromised as your ball will no longer follow a straight line.
How To Prolong The Life Of A Pickleball?
While some scenarios might be inevitable, here are a couple of precautionary measures you can use to prolong its lifespan.
- Storing your Pickleballs in a Proper Container
- Using Paddles that have Rubber coating
- Avoid unnecessary Hard hits
- Try to opt-out For a court with a wooden surface
Bottom Line
Just like the saying goes, “Never put all your eggs in the same basket, you should always keep your pickleball in separate cylindrical containers and rotate them whenever you are playing a match.
This will even out the chances of wear and tear as you won’t be using the same for every match.
However, even though it still boils down to the fact that the lifespan of a pickleball depends on how you use it, regardless of the fact how careful you are with it, it would take around 4-6 matches for them to be considered out of order.
Nevertheless, after reading this article, I can easily conclude that you may have a General idea of how long a pickleball lasts.
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