WALKER, Mich — The world's fastest growing sport has a rapidly growing concern.
“I'm sure you have a lot of people out there more upset about the noise as you have more players getting into the sport," said Brandon Teets.
Out of this problem bounced an idea.
"With the material capabilities, the material properties and the equipment capabilities, we knew there was a potential for a solution," Teets said.
That solution came in the form of 3D printing start-up company in Walker fittingly named Accel Digital Solutions, co-founded by Teets and his business partner, Tyler Marvin.
READ MORE: GR 3D printing company looks to change the manufacturing industry
In just a few months, they managed to dink the traditional pickleball design and dunked what they're calling the DigiPro.
“Probably done roughly 20 iterations and designs of this product to get it where it needs to be so it could be approved into the sport, which it is now," Teets said.
Teets said both their DigiPro 3.0 Pickleball and DigiPro 3.1 Fast-Play Pickleball concepts have been certified by USA Pickleball.
The DigiPro is made with thermoplastic elastomer which, according to Teets, makes it more durable than a standard polyethylene ball and at least 10x quieter in comparison.
Teets said everything else — from the size, weight and bounce of the ball — is identical.
FOX 17 served this solution to people who live near the courts at City Central Park in Walker, where pickleball has been prohibited for the last year in part due to noise complaints.
READ MORE: Pickleball problems: Players ignore signs, force tennis courts to close
One neighbor we spoke with said if this had been an option at that time, referring to the DigiPro, things might be different.
To Teets, that translates to a pickleball problem solved.
"This is one way, we think, that it can continue to grow and not get stalled out by the nuisance of noise," Teets said.
The DigiPro pickleballs went on the market a week-and-a-half ago. Both the DigiPro 3.0 Pickleball and DigiPro 3.1 Fast-Play Pickleball are $29.97. That is more expensive than an your typical pickleball, which Teets said comes in around $3-$4, but he said there's a reason for that.
"One — it's expensive to make. It's not, like, this traditional process. However, the life cycle and the longevity of our ball at $29.97 also makes sense because you will go through enough of these traditional balls where this investment now doesn't seem so expensive for one ball. (For) the use of one ball at $29.97 from Accel Digital Solutions, you would have to have 10-20 or so of the traditional balls that you would go through," he said.
You can visit the company's website here.
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