Originally Posted by keeponmovin

Curious what others think about this sport in regards to concussion risk from getting hit in the head by an incoming ball. The ball weighs close to 1oz and has max speeds of around 60 mph or so from typical forehand and backhand drives. I've read that smashes could be as high as around 80mph. There have been people who have lost an eye from a direct shot.

I've taken a shot to the chin and the other night a shot to the lip and I quit for the night as it caused a cut and hurt for a bit. Each year's paddles are getting more powerful and hit much faster than I remember a few years ago. And some of the guys I play with are college aged tennis players who are trying to go pro and thus can absolutely hit very hard shots.

I'm wondering if it's a sport that those of us with concussion histories should just give up or continue because fast shots are becoming much harder to avoid with the high speeds.

There has already been a female pro player named Jesse Irvine who was hit in the head by a pickleball during a game and did not pass concussion protocol to continue playing both that day and the next day. It is on Youtube. But I have not heard of others in my limited research. Does it really seem possible that a hard pickleball shot to the head/face can cause a concussion?