A ball in your face at 60kmh: Older pickleball players more prone to eye injuries

As pickleball becomes increasingly popular in Singapore, medical professionals are seeing players with eye injuries caused by direct impact from the ball. While most people play without injury, close-range exchanges and ball speeds of up to 60kmh can occasionally result in serious, potentially sight-threatening trauma.

Associate Professor John Komar, Assistant Dean of Research Support at the National Institute of Education’s Office for Research, explained that the risk is shaped not only by ball speed but also by players’ reaction time and proximity to one another. Compared with tennis, pickleball players are often positioned much closer to their opponents, leaving less time to avoid an incoming ball.

Associate Professor Swarup Mukherjee, Deputy Head of NIE’s Physical Education and Sports Science Department, added that many pickleball players are in their 50s and 60s, when reflexes and reactions may naturally slow. The smaller court also means the ball travels a shorter distance, reducing the time available to respond.

However, A/P Mukherjee cautioned against assuming that the sport itself is becoming more dangerous simply because more injuries are being reported. The increase may reflect the growing number of participants. A more meaningful measure would be the incidence of injuries relative to the number of players and their exposure to the sport.

Pickleball continues to offer valuable health benefits, particularly for older adults. Its intermittent nature can support reaction time, reflexes, posture, balance and bodily control without placing excessive demands on the heart and lungs.

Players, especially older adults, are encouraged to consider protective eyewear and seek immediate medical attention following an eye injury, even when the initial symptoms appear mild.

Read the full article on The Straits Times here.