OWL Sport, an Innovative New Sports Company Disrupting the Exploding Pickleball Industry, Addresses Pickleball Noise with Game-Changing Quiet Paddle

First USA Pickleball Quiet Category-certified paddle is proven to reduce noise by 50%

CHICAGO, Nov. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pickleball, the fastest growing sport in North America, 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. Today, OWL Sport, a new-to-the-scene pickleball sports brand, unveiled the first USA Pickleball Quiet Category-compliant paddles that reduce noise while raising the bar on product performance for players of all levels.

"The OWL technology is going to save pickleball from its noisy pitfalls. The OWL has great feel and playability, and is easy on my arm. The intense, competitive passion I've always felt for tennis is now what so many people across the globe are feeling for pickleball, and I couldn't be more proud to align with the OWL as they revolutionize the sport," said Tracy Austin, three-time Grand Slam title winner.

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. For comparison, industry-standard pickleball paddles register 1,100 - 1,200 hertz and a near-harmful decibel range of 85+ when striking a ball.

"As USA Pickleball continues to invest in Quiet Category options for our sport and community, we could not be more pleased to work with the OWL Sport team on the launch of their paddle, which marks the very first certified Quiet Category paddle on the market," said Mike Nealy, USA Pickleball Chief Executive Officer. "We appreciate this collaboration with OWL Sport as they launch a paddle that allows for both a reduced acoustic footprint and excellent performance in competition. This marks an exciting milestone in our continued efforts to provide acoustics-related solutions to sound-sensitive locations."

The OWL paddles are now available for order at owlpaddle.com, and players (and bystanders) should expect to see more rules and regulations set in place by HOAs and parks mandating their use. The OWL paddles come in four SKUs to meet all players' needs. Each paddle comes with:

• Superior playability
• 13mm and 16mm elongated handle options
• Vibration dampening layers for arm and elbow comfort
• Balanced 'anti-head heavy' construction for effortless maneuverability
• Larger sweet spot for off-center impacts
• Graphene/nano technologically-enhanced carbon honeycomb
• Proprietary Acoustene™ sheath

Each paddle is enclosed in custom protective packaging and shipped directly to consumers free of charge (in the US and Canada). The first players to place an order will receive a limited edition paddle from the exclusive Founder's Edition collection to celebrate this new line of groundbreaking paddle technology.

Pickleball experienced an estimated 40% growth between 2019 and 2021, and that trend has only continued. According to the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP), 48.3M Americans over the age of 18 have played pickleball in the last 12 months, which represents more than 19% of the US adult population.

The creation of the OWL paddle, named after nature's silent predator, was the result of several talented engineers with one single goal: create a pickleball paddle with a suite of capabilities that the larger racket sports industry deemed impossible.

"We want the sport of pickleball to be enjoyed by players, spectators and neighbors alike. Our goal is to provide the ultimate platform to allow people to play high performance pickleball when and where they want," said Rick Schwenk, Chief Marketing Officer of OWL Sport. "OWL's patent pending paddle technology is going to achieve just that, while simultaneously setting the new performance standard for paddles moving forward."

For more information on OWL Sport or to order the OWL paddle, visit owlpaddle.com or follow along on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.

ABOUT OWL SPORT
OWL Sport was created by a group of people who had a problem to solve: they wanted to play pickleball when they wanted, where they wanted and without having to worry about noise complaints. Much like nature has created the perfect predator of the skies, OWL's unmatched team of engineers have perfected an elite version of the pickleball paddle that not only reduces sound output by 50%, but also provides players with a best-in-industry performance paddle for all skill levels. OWL paddles are currently the only pickleball paddles on the market that are USA Pickleball Quiet Category-compliant. OWL Sport plans to continue its advancement of the racket sports industry through a relentless and meticulous commitment to innovation and superior playability.

ABOUT USA PICKLEBALL
USA Pickleball is the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of pickleball in the United States. Its mission is to promote the development and growth of the sport while sanctioning events and providing annual members with premier tournaments, educational opportunities, player rankings, official rules and other exclusive benefits. USA Pickleball is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that is governed and operated by a Board of Directors and a national office staff, who provide the guidance and infrastructure for the continued expansion of the sport.

OWL SPORT MEDIA CONTACT:
Taryn Parker
taryn.parker@spoolmarketing.com
847-380-0375

USA PICKLEBALL MEDIA CONTACT:
Melissa Zhang
mzhang@usapickleball.org
508-768-5649

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SOURCE OWL Sport