by Kelly Campbell
The latest pickleball fear isn’t the pickleball pop, foot injuries, or park takeovers––it’s the risk dinking poses for players’ eyes.
As we know, pickleball is one of the safest, easiest, and most accessible sports to pick up and learn, and it has been popular among older players for decades. So why are we hearing about all of these injuries now?
Keep reading for more on the influx of pickleball eye injuries, and our take on the proposition to ban overhead slams in the official rules.
More on Pickleball Eye Injuries
Just this year, Forbes published an article about the importance of eye guards in pickleball, and they’re not the only ones concerned about eye health. The American Academy of Ophthalmology, Harvard Health, People, and online forums like Reddit have prompted discussion about the correlation between pickleball and ocular injuries. Apparently, pickleball eye injuries are increasingly common––and the effects can be mild or serious. Even Michelle Pfieffer made headlines for her pickleball black eye back in December.
Here are the most common eye injuries reported by players:
- Black eyes
- Cuts or abrasions to eyebrow or eyelid
- Corneal abrasions
- Contusions
- Iris tears
- Retinal tears or detachment
- Berlin’s edema
Forbes contributor Todd Boss says, “I took a full overhead slam from the net to my right eye, and I have a persistent “floater” to this day from the impact. Needless to say, I wear a pair of eye guards every time I play now. But it’s too late; the damage has presumably been done.”
Even though pickleball is a relatively safe sport, there’s no denying that intense play could lead to injury. While eye injuries are still rare, making up only 0.5% of pickleball injuries, they can be severe. Unlike other athletic injuries, there are fewer ways to prevent or rehabilitate eye damage. You can’t stretch your eye like you can your muscles, and you can’t fix the damage by wearing a brace.
It’s imperative to know your risk factors and take precautions. If you’re older or dinking with older players, have a history of eye injuries or have had eye surgery, are out of practice or haven’t played in a while, are amping up match intensity, or just want to ensure safety in general, consider wearing eye guards.
The threat pickleball poses for eye injuries should emphasize the importance of wearing eye protection in pickleball, but it shouldn’t mean that game rules need modification.
Should We Ban the Overhead Slam?
Our answer: DEFINITELY NOT!
As a refresher, USA Pickleball describes the overhead slam (also known as the overhead smash) as a hard, overhand shot directed downward into the opponent’s court, usually as a return of an opponent’s lob, high return, or high bounce. It’s one of the pinnacles of pickleball, making the game more exciting to play and watch, and it adds a challenging component to matches. USA Pickleball also provides guidelines for the shot, including:
- The paddle is extended over the head at maximum height with the elbow straight.
- Aim at an open spot on the opponent’s court or at the feet of an opponent, not at the body.
- Never back up to position for an overhead. Shuffle sideways or turn around and run into position. Backpedaling is a dangerous maneuver.
- Look up and point toward the ball with a non-paddle hand.
- Contact the ball as high as possible and in front of you, shifting weight from the back foot to the front foot as the ball is contacted with a downward swing and often a wrist flex (snap).
- The backhand overhead smash may require flexing the wrist backward.
Even though USA pickleball advises players to aim for the court, not their opponent, and the overhead slam is not inherently dangerous, accidents happen. Because it’s one of the most, if not the most, aggressive shots in the game, it does pose a greater risk for injury or accident than some of the tamer shots, but we still wouldn’t consider it dangerous.
Apparently, an April Fool’s Day post was shared in online pickleball communities stating that USA Pickleball banned the overhead smash this year. Even though there’s no legitimacy to the claim, it prompted a discussion about game safety, and many have since been calling for the overhead slam ban, citing injuries and unnecessary intensity.
Even with the overhead slam in play, pickleball is one of the tamest sports out there. The equipment is lightweight and plastic, as opposed to, say, metal bats and rock-hard baseballs. There’s a reason that other sports require helmets, guards, etc. We’d even argue that there should be mandated protection for tennis before pickleball. So many sports are dangerous, and we wouldn’t necessarily count pickleball as one of them. Maybe there could be a discussion about mandating protective eye gear in the future, but the overhead slam shouldn’t be banned because of this.
Taking away the overhead slam in pickleball would be like removing the 3-point shot from basketball or the drive from golf. Take away the overhead slam, take away the element of power in the game. Not to mention, it’s one of the most effective strategic shots we have.
It’s crucial for pickleball growth to keep the game exciting, which the overhead slam does. If you want to change the rules in your pickleball clubs or personal play, by all means, do it. But the reality is, that for most players, the overhead smash is safe and necessary in pickleball.
Find What Works for You
Even though we stand by the overhead slam, it’s clear that pickleball eye injuries have been on the rise. Luckily, there are many precautions you can take to protect yourself from eye injuries without changing the rules. Here are a few:
- Wear protective eye gear. There are so many options out there when it comes to athletic eye gear. You can invest in a full face guard or plastic/polycarbonate eyeglasses or goggles to protect your eyes.
- Modify your recreational play. Even if this is technically modifying the rules, it’s doing so on a personal level. If there are parts of any game that you feel uncomfortable with, have a discussion with your opponents or partners and set the boundaries that you’re comfortable with.
- Practice! Be sure to follow best practices for an overhead slam to minimize your opponent’s injury risk. Practice your defensive technique so you can safely and sufficiently return an overhead smash.
- Remove eyewear that you typically wear off the court. Wear contacts or shatterproof lenses instead of glass ones on the court. Reduce the risk that your lenses will shatter if they get hit by a ball.
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