By Tennis Now | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, November 22, 2023

When you want quiet please, call on John McEnroe.  

Hall of Famer McEnroe joined forces with former NFL All Pro quarterback Drew Brees to turn down the volume on pickleball. 

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Some tennis players transitioning to pickleball complain the noise of the plastic ball on paddle is annoying.

Owl Sport recently unveiled the first USA Pickleball Quiet Category-certified paddle, the brand says is "proven to reduce noise by 50 percent."



Today, former world No. 1 McEnroe and former NFL quarterback Brees took to the court alongside top pickleball pros to showcase how quiet the Owl paddle technology is while demonstrating the paddle's performance.

 

McEnroe suggests the stealth Owl paddle can be a game-changer.

"I think the Owl paddle technology is going to revolutionize the game of pickleball," said McEnroe, an Owl Sport ambassador. "Unlike me, it is quiet but like me the Owl really performs and you know how much I like to win!"

Pickleball has recently been the source of noise issues in sound-sensitive locations across the country given the distinct staccato 'pop' sound the ball makes on impact.

USA Pickleball created the Quiet Category to reduce the sport's sound output by recognizing pickleball products that help diminish acoustic output during play without negatively impacting performance.

The Owl is the first paddle on the market that delivers a hertz level below 600 and a decibel level below 80, delivering a 50% reduction in total noise profile. To help prove the sound reduction to pickleball enthusiasts, Owl Sport popped up a court in a place synonymous with being quiet - the Refectory at Chelsea Square, originally built to house the General Theological Seminary - to prove that the paddle can be used to play whenever, wherever.

McEnroe and Brees dinked around with pickleball pros and players of all levels highlighting the various features of the the Owl paddle.

Photo credits: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Owl Sport