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“Don’t get pickled!” the clinic leader advised with a smile. It was my first time playing pickleball, the new sport craze taking over the nation. Getting pickled means you lose 11-0—a shutout. Despite the leader’s warning, my team was pickled twice that first day. Oh, well. There was no where to go but up!
Learning a new sport—new rules, new jargon, new equipment, new people—can be daunting for anyone. Throw hearing loss into the equation and it can be downright scary. But I highly recommend it. Even if you do get pickled!
The good news is that pickleball (like many sports) is mostly a visual game. Eye-hand coordination isn’t impacted with hearing loss, unless of course yours comes with vestibular challenges too. But there are many confusing rules and communication between partners over who hits the ball is a critical element. Hearing loss can add to the challenges of keeping score and understanding if the ball is in or out. But it certainly doesn’t stop the fun.
What is Pickleball?
According to Wikipedia, Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two or four players hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball with paddles over a 34-inch-high net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. It is a fun, social and friendly game which makes it easy for beginners to learn. As experience and expertise increase, it can develop into a fast-paced competitive game. You can read more about the game here.
According to the 2023 Sports & Fitness Industry Association‘s Topline Participation Report, pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport! For the third year in a row! Pickleball is popular with both sexes (6 out of every 10 players are male) and was played at least once by 14% of the US adult population last year! I guess I am a little bit late to the party. But better late than never.
Pickleball with Hearing Loss has its Challenges
As with any communication activity, there are a number of challenges when playing pickleball. I had trouble hearing the score (it is announced by the server before each point) as well as when a ball was called “out” by other players. It was helpful if they also raised their hand in the air while calling a ball “out,” which many of them did naturally.
Partner communication is also key, especially for those balls strategically shot right down the middle of the court. Do I hit it or should I let my partner? It is a split second decision before someone calls, “Mine!” or “Yours!” But if you don’t hear them say it, there can be issues like when we both watch the ball pass us by while we wait for the other person to hit it. Of course this sometimes happens to teams with two “typical” hearing players too!
Pickleball is often played at drop-ins where partners who may or may not know each other are matched according to ability. This can make it tough, because there are constantly new voices to learn and new explanations (I have hearing loss so I may not hear you unless we are facing each other) to make. Lucky for me, my partners have always been friendly and understanding, which seems to be the general rule.
Don’t Let Hearing Loss Stop You from Trying Pickleball
Despite the challenges, learning pickleball has been a lot of fun and a great way to meet others if you enjoy a little sweat with your socializing.
As in any difficult listening situation, it is useful to do the following
- Let others know about your hearing loss so they are not surprised when you miss something that they say. With regular partners, consider creating a few hand signals to indicate who’s turn it is to serve or if the ball is out. These signals will benefit everyone playing, hearing loss or not.
- Use visual cues. What you see will tell you a lot about what is happening in the game. We are good at the art of observation so use it here and know that it will get easier the more familiar you become with the game.
- Try a remote microphone. If you use a remote mic with your devices, ask your partner to wear it so you can communicate more easily.
- Use a headband to hold devices in place while playing and to minimize the sound of the wind. A wind program on your hearing devices may also help to minimize the unwanted sound. Consider sweat protectors if needed to keep your devices dry. Your audiologist may have other players in their practice and can share their tips with you too.
- Go easy on yourself! Many of the “mistakes” we make in the game—like not knowing the proper score or missing a shot that goes right up the middle because nobody knows who’s ball it is—happen to everyone! We may assume it is our fault because we didn’t hear something, but it’s probably not. That’s just pickleball.
The best news of all is that pickleball is a game for people of all ages and abilities. Men, women, young, old, athletic or not can all play pickleball. So what are you waiting for?
Readers, do you enjoy playing pickleball?
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