Most pickleballs are made of plastic, which is sensitive to temperature extremes. Whether you are playing in frosty conditions or the sweltering heat, the temperature could be affecting the ball and your game. Let’s investigate what happens to pickleballs when the thermometer goes to extremes.
Cold Balls: Fast, Hard, and Fragile
Once the temperature dips down to about 45 degrees Fahrenheit and colder, your pickleball begins transforming into a little brick of brittle aggression.
Like most plastics, the material in a pickleball contracts in the cold. This makes the ball incredibly stiff, which has two immediate, and often unwelcome, effects on the court.
- The Ball Becomes a Rocket: Stiffer plastic means less energy is absorbed on impact. The ball comes off the paddle face faster, and the balls bounce lower. What was once a graceful third-shot drop is now a speeding bullet that’s much harder to control. If you love a fast-paced game, the cold is your friend, but good luck trying to slow down a dink rally.
- The Cracking Conundrum: The real danger in the cold is fragility. That stiff plastic becomes brittle, especially around the edges of the holes. Every hard strike against a paddle or the court creates a tiny shockwave across the ball’s surface. If you're an aggressive power player, you’ll be buying new balls frequently, as a crisp overhead smash in freezing temperatures will often result in a cracked ball.
Cold-Weather Hack: Keep some spare balls in your pocket! Your body heat will keep them slightly warmer and more pliable, letting you rotate in a fresh, less-brittle ball every few points.
Great Balls of Fire: Slow, Soft, and Mushy
The other end of the thermometer presents a completely different, though equally challenging, problem. In high heat, your pickleball goes from being a speedy projectile to a soft, sluggish marshmallow.
When it’s scorching outside, usually around 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, the plastic in the ball begins to expand and soften. This changes the ball's properties in the following ways:
- The Bounce Dies: A soft ball is an energy-absorbing ball. When you hit it, or when it hits the court, the soft plastic deforms and soaks up much of the power, killing the lively bounce you're used to. Volleys lose their pop, and your power serves and groundstrokes feel strangely muted. Hot conditions often produce a lower bounce, especially on outdoor courts that absorb heat. This means you’ll have to generate more effort in your swing to lift the ball, and you will physically have to get lower to stay in control of the ball. Generally, because of its effect on the ball, hot temperatures slow the game down considerably, favoring players who rely on defense, resets, and consistency over aggressive speed and power.
- Ball Becomes Oblong: The softer the plastic, the more prone it is to deformation. Repeated, forceful impacts in the heat can cause the ball to lose its perfectly spherical shape. An oblong, or egg-like shaped, ball wobbles mid-air and produces a more erratic, less predictable bounce—the kind that makes you question your eyesight.
Hot-Weather Hack: To retain some firmness and consistency, try keeping your spare balls in an insulated cooler between games. A slightly chilled ball will perform much better.
Ultimately, the humble pickleball is a fantastic reminder that a little plastic can have a big personality. Next time the weather is working against you, remember to modify not just your layers or your water intake, but your strategy. The ball changes with the temperature, and a smart player knows how to adjust their game with the weather conditions.
