Pickleball is growing in popularity in Singapore—some are excited, others are worried

SINGAPORE: Pickleball is gaining popularity in Singapore, for it is a fun and accessible sport that can be played by people of all ages and all skill levels. With the combination of elements from tennis, badminton, and table tennis, this sport has been building a community that is welcomed by many locals. 

As the sport continues to be part of the lives of the people, some are excited, while some are worried because of the disturbances it brings, especially in controlling its ‘noise’ and having courts of its own. 

When was pickleball introduced in Singapore?

Pickleball was introduced to Singapore in the 1990s; however, it was deemed to be a sport for senior citizens. It grew in popularity after the pandemic, when it became a trendy sport suitable for all ages. 

The sport is a combination of table tennis, tennis, and badminton. In pickleball, the rackets are three or four times bigger than table tennis rackets, but they are lighter. Moreover, the playing style of pickleball is similar to tennis, but frontcourt smashes are not allowed. 

Furthermore, pickleball courts are the same size as badminton courts, with the same out-of-bounds lines. The two sports only differ in the height of the net. Due to this, badminton courts in Singapore are now used for pickleball as well. 

In similar pickleball news, a pickleball enthusiast in Serangoon recently complained that she had tried to book a court to play with her family and friends; however, all her attempts failed, and she tried nearly a hundred times. With this, she had no choice but to set up her own court in an open space near her home playground, where she used tape to mark the boundaries needed to play the sport. Read more here. 

Pickleball also has a feature, which is that the sound of hitting the ball is uniquely loud. With this, people who play the sport like the sound and think it is nice to hear; however, non-players consider it noise. 

Given that badminton is a quiet sport, its courts are built closer to houses. Now that pickleball is also played on the same courts, research from the Institution of Engineers found that the pickleball sound travels straight up to higher floors, making it louder for people living above the courts, and eventually leads to complaints. Additionally, pickleball makes noise in a sound range (1 to 2 kHz), and it is sharp and piercing, a sound that human ears notice more and can find irritating.

How to solve this issue?

In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, pickleball enthusiasts, court owners, residents, and engineers from The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) expressed their suggestions to reach a compromise. 

Pickleball enthusiasts hoped that every player would play at appropriate times to avoid disrupting the residents’ daily lives. They also wish that the authorities would build more indoor spaces for pickleball and consider the sport in urban planning. 

A resident expressed: “The right sport needs to be played in the right venue. Outdoor badminton courts were originally built for the quieter sport of badminton, so they’re closer to residential areas than basketball courts. So, I hope pickleball can be moved indoors.” 

A pickleball court owner also remarked that there are community clubs that will open their indoor courts for players to use, and that he hopes seniors will continue to play the sport. 

Dr Kenny Yap, an engineer from The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES), also suggested: “Perhaps we could consider building a tensile membrane structure for an outdoor badminton court. This structure, similar to the canopies we see at Clarke Quay or the Esplanade, would not only provide shade and rain protection but also block upward sound transmission.”