Noise-canceling Peak Ball

Abstract

A ball for certain practice and sporting activities in the game of pickleball, wherein the ball comprises a plastic outer shell having at least one opening, wherein the opening or coating may contain damping properties to reduce noise when the ball impacts a racket or court surface / ground. The ball may be a spherical hollow shell ball with at least one opening. The ball may have at least one opening, wherein the shape of the opening includes a hole and a slot intersecting the hole. Furthermore, the opening in the ball may have a tapered edge, a rounded edge, and / or a stepped edge. Furthermore, the exterior of the ball may have a damping tape or coating applied to the interior or exterior of the ball.

Description

[0001] Priority requirements

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 504,258, entitled “Quieter Pickleball,” filed May 25, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 585,422, entitled “Quieter Pickleball,” filed September 26, 2023, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This invention provides a ball design that reduces noise when the ball moves through the air or is impacted by an object. Specifically, the ball can be used in certain sports and recreational activities where noise could be a distracting or adverse side effect. Background Technology

[0004] The popularity of pickleball is growing rapidly because it offers social benefits in addition to health benefits, and allows the use of existing tennis courts when designated pickleball courts are unavailable. According to official pickleball rules, the ball used in the sport has between 26 and 40 circular holes, with the hole spacing and overall design conforming to flight characteristics. Furthermore, the ball must have the manufacturer's or supplier's name or logo printed or embossed on its surface. Typically, balls used in pickleball matches have larger holes for indoor play and smaller holes for outdoor play. All approved balls are listed on the US pickleball website.

[0005] Pickles typically have multiple holes, ranging from 26 to 40 through holes. Some pickles designed for outdoor play have 40 holes, while others designed for indoor play have only 26. In some cases, hybrid pickles have 32 holes. These openings may be evenly spaced around the ball, and / or arranged in a uniform pattern and / or have a uniform distribution. Pickles may have an equal number of holes on both sides of the parting line, also known as the equator. Holes may be formed during molding or after the ball is molded, for example, by drilling or using a CNC machine. Holes reduce the overall mass of the ball, reduce the impact on the player's racket, and / or assist airflow (e.g., by generating turbulence) for improved flight. In some embodiments, the holes are circular in shape.

[0006] Pickleball is played by hitting a hollow ball over a net with a racket. The main complaint about pickleball is the noise level produced when the ball hits objects such as the racket, the pickleball court surface, or other objects. The impact noise of a pickleball is much louder than that of a tennis ball, so much so that neighborhoods with houses and residential buildings near pickleball courts frequently complain about the noise.

[0007] Some variations in the manufacture of hollow plastic spheres begin with two-piece hemispherical hollow constructions. These two hemispherical halves can be injection molded and joined at the parting line to form the sphere, typically by ultrasonic welding. The parting line is often visible on the sphere and is frequently referred to as the sphere's equator. The parting line can have a localized increase in shell wall thickness compared to the rest of the sphere; and in some instances, it can create uneven weight distribution and / or reinforcing ridges within the sphere. This uneven wall thickness and weight contribute to less predictable sphere flight, bounce, and impact characteristics, or otherwise reduce the sphere's performance. Certain variations of the sphere can be manufactured using a one-piece construction with rotational molding. One-piece construction avoids the creation of parting lines in the sphere and the associated performance problems.

[0008] Noise reduction has been attempted using noise-canceling rackets and sound-absorbing infill fencing surrounding sports courts and venues. Neither option has provided a satisfactory solution. Noise-canceling rackets are expensive and require specialized equipment, thus the cost of these expensive rackets, necessary for playing in certain venues and locations, leads some players to choose not to play. Furthermore, while specialized rackets may offer performance advantages to some players, this reduces the enjoyment, fairness, and inclusivity of the sport. Meanwhile, sound-absorbing fencing is often unsightly, expensive, and detrimental to the overall enjoyment of playing these sports outdoors.

[0009] A noise-reducing ball is needed that maintains key performance characteristics such as trajectory and bounce when the plastic ball moves through the air or impacts objects, while minimizing the side effect of noise generation. Slight modifications to the ball design to reduce noise benefit all players and spectators of the sport. By overcoming this shortcoming, the pickball reduces the major drawback of noise during play while retaining the core benefits sought by enthusiasts. Summary of the Invention

[0010] A ball for a game of pickleball, wherein the ball comprises a plastic outer shell having at least one opening, wherein the opening or coating may contain damping properties to reduce noise when the ball impacts a racket or court surface / ground. The ball may be a spherical hollow shell with at least one opening. The ball may have at least one opening, wherein the shape of the opening includes a hole and a slot intersecting the hole. Alternatively, these shape features may include an opening with multiple slots, a star-shaped opening, an asterisk-shaped opening, a triangular opening, an X-shaped opening where two slots intersect, or an opening where two slots contact each other to form a T-shape. Furthermore, the opening in the ball may have tapered edges, rounded edges, and / or stair-step edges. Additionally, the exterior of the ball may have a damping tape or coating applied to the interior or exterior of the ball.

[0011] Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be, or will become, apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within the scope of this invention and protected by the appended claims. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale; rather, the focus is on illustrating the principles of the invention. In the figures, the same reference numerals are used throughout different views to indicate corresponding parts.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a side view of the sphere, showing its multiple openings.

[0014] Figure 2 It is a side view of the sphere, showing multiple openings, as well as the left and right hemispheres.

[0015] Figure 3 This is an eccentric side view of the sphere, showing multiple openings in the sphere as well as the left and right hemispheres.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a front view of the sphere, showing its multiple openings.

[0017] Figure 5 It is along Figure 4 An internal view of the sphere cut along the "A" axis, showing multiple openings in the sphere.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a front view of the sphere, showing multiple openings, as well as the left and right hemispheres.

[0019] Figure 7 It is along Figure 6 An internal view of the sphere cut along the "B" axis, showing multiple openings in the sphere.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a front view of the sphere, showing multiple openings and pits filled with a sound-damping compound.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a front view of the sphere, showing multiple openings, as well as the left and right hemispheres.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a front view of the sphere, showing its multiple openings.

[0023] Figure 11 This is a side view of the sphere, showing multiple openings relative to the sphere's equator.

[0024] Figure 12This is a front view of a sphere, showing multiple openings with holes and slots configured such that all the slots are parallel to each other.

[0025] Figure 13 This is a front view of a sphere, showing multiple openings in the sphere, including circular openings and large slots formed near the circular openings.

[0026] Figure 14 This is a front view of a sphere, showing multiple openings in the sphere with a rubberized outer surface.

[0027] Figure 15 This is a front view of a sphere, showing multiple openings in the sphere with external kinesiology tape applied to its outer surface.

[0028] Figure 16 This is a front view of a sphere, showing multiple openings in the sphere with tape arranged in a strip on the outside of its outer surface.

[0029] Figure 17 This is a front view of the sphere, showing multiple openings with loops embedded in its surface.

[0030] Figure 18 This is a front view of a ball, showing multiple openings in the ball with rubberized products adhering to the interior of the ball's surface.

[0031] Figure 19 It is along Figure 18 An internal view of a sphere cut along its "C" axis, showing multiple openings in the sphere and an interior rubberized product adhered to the surface of the sphere. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The ball used in pickleball typically comprises a hollow plastic shell. The shell can be made of plastic, foam compound, resin, or polymer, such as low-density polypropylene (“LDPE”). For pickleball, the ball is a spherical hollow shell with an outer diameter of approximately 73mm-78mm and / or a circumference of approximately 229mm-237mm; its weight is approximately 22.1g-26.5g. The ball may have a hardness of approximately 40 to 50 on the D scale of a hardness scale at an ambient temperature of 24-27°C. When dropped from a height of approximately 198mm onto a granite slab, the ball bounces approximately 76mm-86mm to its apex, the granite slab having a size of at least 30.5cm by 30.5cm and a thickness of 10.2cm at an ambient temperature of 24-27°C.

[0033] The ball can be configured to reduce the thickness, weight, and / or stiffness of the ball's parting line, thus reducing or eliminating such problems and / or reducing the impact and noise of the ball striking the racket.

[0034] The holes created within the sphere can be configured to generate vortices, which can produce forces that alter and sometimes improve the sphere's flight characteristics. These holes generate forces within the sphere that can suppress external flight forces. These internal forces, such as those that create altered air pressure inside the sphere, can exert a greater force on the sphere than the localized pressure on its exterior.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a front view of the sphere, showing multiple openings in the sphere 100. Figure 1 In this configuration, the aperture and slot 102 features are distributed around the pole 104 of one of the hemispheres forming the sphere 100. Here, the aperture and slot 102 features are arranged in orbit 106 relative to the pole 104 and the equator of the sphere.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a side view of a sphere, showing multiple openings and the left and right hemispheres. Figure 1 In this configuration, the holes and slots are positioned along and / or adjacent to the parting line and / or equator of the sphere, and one or more or all of the other holes in the sphere are circular. For example, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the hole 100 in the sphere may include a circular component 102 plus an elongated slot component 104. In this configuration, the longitudinal axis of the slot 104 may pass through the center of the hole 102. The centerline of the slot 104 may pass through the center of the hole 100 to form the hole and slot features. The slot 104 may also include an elongated slot extending outward (e.g., beyond the first and second sides) from a first side and a second side of the circular hole 102. This hole 102 and slot 104 feature is represented in a simplified form as a silhouette image of Saturn.

[0037] Shapes other than holes and slots can be considered alternatives and can reduce noise when the ball impacts the racket or court surface / ground. These shape features can include holes with multiple slots, star-shaped openings, asterisk shapes, triangular openings, X-shaped openings where two slots intersect, or T-shaped openings where two slots contact each other. Furthermore, holes in the ball can have tapered edges, rounded edges, and / or stepped edges.

[0038] The slot and aperture feature includes an elongated aperture in the wall of the pickle. The slot may have a longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the longitudinal axis is generally parallel to the circumferential axis of the ball. In some embodiments, the longitudinal axis is generally parallel to the parting line and / or the equator of the ball. In some embodiments, the longitudinal axis is generally perpendicular to the parting line and / or the equator.

[0039] like Figure 1 and 2As shown, the hole and the slot may intersect. For example, the longitudinal axis of the slot may pass through the center of the hole. In various embodiments, the slot includes an elongated slot extending outward (e.g., beyond the first and second sides) from a first side and a second side of the circular hole.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a side view of a sphere, showing multiple openings and the left and right hemispheres. Figure 2 In the diagram, all the holes in the sphere include features of holes and slots 200, wherein features of holes 202 and slots 204 are substantially uniformly distributed around the sphere 206. The equatorial line 208 is shown, which illustrates the weld line, wherein the left hemisphere 210 joins the right hemisphere to form the sphere 206.

[0041] In some embodiments, the hole and slot 200 feature includes a plurality of slots positioned within the sphere 212. For example, the hole and slot 200 feature may have a first hole and slot feature 214 positioned in one orientation and a second hole and slot feature 216 positioned in another orientation. The first hole and slot feature 214 and the second hole and slot feature 216 may have slots that are generally parallel or angled relative to each other. The first hole and slot feature 214 and the second hole and slot feature 216 may have intersecting respective longitudinal axes, for example, aligned at a generally perpendicular angle. In some variations, the slots are oriented generally parallel to the parting line and / or the equator, generally perpendicular to the parting line and / or the equator of the sphere, or at an angle of 0° to 90° relative to the parting line and / or the equator. The first hole and slot feature 214 and the second hole and slot feature 216 may also have the same size and shape, or different sizes and shapes. Therefore, the slots of the hole and slot features can be oriented in a variety of directions.

[0042] Figure 3 This is an eccentric side view of the sphere, showing multiple openings 302 on the sphere 300. Figure 3 In the spherical hollow sphere 300, the circular opening 302 and the holes and slots 304 are all shown. Furthermore, the left hemisphere 306 and the right hemisphere 308 are separated by the equator 310.

[0043] like Figure 3As shown, sphere 300 may include an opening 302, wherein a slot is generally parallel to the equator 310 of the sphere, and a slot generally perpendicular to the equator 310. In some configurations, sphere 300 may have sixteen (16) holes and slots 304 features along the equator 310, wherein eight (8) holes and slots 304 features are distributed on each of the two hemispheres forming sphere 300. In other configurations, sphere may have forty (40) or more holes and slots 304 features distributed circumferentially around sphere 300, wherein twenty (20) holes and slots 304 features are distributed on each of the two hemispheres forming sphere 300.

[0044] The hole and slot 304 feature reduces the stiffness of the ball and affects the spring constant of the ball 300. This reduced stiffness reduces the resonance of the ball 300 when it hits the racket or bounces on the ground, and / or increases the internal airflow of the ball to improve flight performance.

[0045] The ball 300 also provides reduced noise characteristics when struck by the racket or the court surface / ground, which reduces the sound of playing the sport. This noise reduction can generally reduce the negative impact on the community surrounding the sport. Some embodiments of the ball 300 provide noise reduction compared to conventional ball 300s.

[0046] The variation in ball 300 provides play value—consistency in trajectory, bounce, and impact—while reducing the decibel levels of traditional play in singles and doubles. In some implementations, the orifice and slot 304 features provide increased airflow.

[0047] Figure 4 This is a front view of a sphere, showing its multiple openings. Figure 4 In the image, sphere 400 shows the circular opening 402 of a conventional sphere. However, from an internal perspective, this conventionally shaped sphere 400 appears different. Figure 5 It is along Figure 4 An internal view of the sphere cut along the "A" axis, showing multiple openings in the sphere. Figure 5 In the image, the inner side of the ball 500 is shown, revealing a sound damping compound 502. The incorporation of the sound damping compound 502 reduces audible noise generated when the ball strikes the racket.

[0048] The internal structure of the sphere may include features such as honeycomb structures and other features that can generate air turbulence and / or interrupt pressure waves. Shallow grooves around the opening can also alter the depth and shape of the opening. These grooves can generate air vortices, which can reduce air friction. Other internal features may include internal bumps, pits, or rough surface areas.

[0049] like Figure 4 and 5As shown, the sphere 500 may include a damping layer 502 deposited or formed on the interior 504 and / or exterior surface of the sphere 500. This damping layer may include thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), vulcanized polybutadiene (e.g., a ball-shaped material), thermoplastic rubber, rubber compounds, foam compounds, felt, or other materials known in the art for their damping properties. In some variations, the damping layer includes a material 506 (e.g., plastic) that is softer than the shell material. The damping layer 506 may have holes of a size and shape corresponding to openings and / or holes and slots in the sphere. This damping layer 502 may include a coating sprayed onto the interior of the sphere 500 during the manufacturing process. In some embodiments, the damping layer 502 is co-molded with the outer shell 508. The damping layer may have a thickness of 1.5 mm, but typically has a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm.

[0050] Figure 6 This is a front view of a sphere, showing its multiple openings. Figure 6 In the image, sphere 600 shows the circular opening 602 of a conventional sphere. However, this conventionally shaped sphere 600 has an opening along... Figure 6 External view of sphere 700 cut along the "B" axis Figure 7 The transformation in the middle shows multiple openings in the sphere. Figure 7 In the image, the exterior of the ball 700 is shown, revealing a sound damping compound 702. The incorporation of the sound damping compound 702 reduces audible noise generated when the ball strikes the racket.

[0051] Figure 8 This is a front view of the ball, showing multiple openings and recesses filled with a sound-damping compound. The ball 800 has at least one recess 802 filled with a material that is not part of the composition comprising the ball 800. This material can be an elastic material, such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), vulcanized polybutadiene, thermoplastic rubber, rubber compound, foam compound, silicone sealant, or other plasticized material in which the resonance of the ball 800 is damped when placed in the recess 802. As previously mentioned, when the resonance of the ball 800 is damped, noise generated from impacts with the racket is reduced. The amount of material placed in the recess 802 can be less than, equal to, or slightly greater than the volume of the recess 802.

[0052] Figure 9 This is a side view of a sphere, showing multiple openings and the left and right hemispheres. Figure 9 In this configuration, the holes and slots are positioned along and / or adjacent to the parting line and / or equator of the sphere, and one or more or all of the other holes in the sphere are circular. The sphere 900 may include the hole 902 and slot 904 features configured as such. For example, as... Figure 9As shown, the hole in the sphere may include a circular component 902 plus an elongated slot component 904. In this configuration, the longitudinal axis of the slot 904 may pass through the center of the hole 902, but this is not required. The slot 904 may also include an elongated slot extending outward (e.g., beyond the first and second sides) from a first side and a second side of the circular hole 902.

[0053] Figure 10 This is a front view of the sphere, showing its multiple openings. Figure 10 A sphere 1000 is shown, which has a plurality of holes and slots 1002 features. These holes and slots 1002 features are distributed around the circumference of the sphere 1000. These holes and slots 1002 features can completely penetrate the outer surface 1004 of the sphere, or they can provide indentations so that the holes and slots 1002 features penetrate the outer surface of the sphere 1000, but not deep enough to penetrate the inner surface or side surface of the sphere 1000.

[0054] Figure 11 This is a side view of the sphere, showing multiple openings relative to the sphere's equator. Figure 11 The hole and slot feature 1102 of the ball 1100 is shown, which has a thin-width slot 1104 with a length shorter than the diameter of the hole 1106. In some embodiments, the slot may be longer than the diameter of the hole 1106 (not shown).

[0055] Figure 12 This is a front view of a sphere, showing multiple openings of the sphere 1200, which have holes and slots configured 1202 such that all the slots are parallel to each other. Figure 12 In the sphere 1200, there are spaced-apart holes and slot features 1202 positioned around the periphery of the sphere 1200, wherein the slots 1204 are aligned and positioned relative to each other in a parallel plane or in the same plane. These slots 1204 may be aligned parallel to the equator of the sphere 1200, perpendicular to the equator, or at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees relative to the equator.

[0056] Figure 13 This is a front view of the sphere, showing multiple openings in the surface of the sphere 1300. Figure 13 A sphere 1300 is shown, with circular openings 1302 and large slots 1304 formed in its outer surface. These large slots 1304 can approach the circular openings. The large slots 1304 can be elliptical (not shown) connecting two circular openings 1308, or wide slots 1306, wherein the slot width is the same width (not shown) or smaller than the diameter of the circular openings 1308. The centerline of the slot 1306 can be connected to the center of the first opening and the center of the second center of the second opening. The diameter of the opening 1304 can be greater than, less than, or equal to the width of the slot 1306.

[0057] Figure 14This is a front view of a sphere, showing multiple openings in the sphere with a rubberized outer surface. Figure 14 A ball 1400 is shown, having a plurality of openings 1402. The openings 1402 shown are circular, but may include apertures and slot features (not shown). The outer surface 1404 of the ball 1400 has a rubberized plastic composition 1406 adhered to the outer surface 1604 of the ball 1400. The rubberized plastic composition 1406 acts as a sound damping compound to reduce the ball's resonance, thus producing a smaller sound when struck by a racket.

[0058] Figure 15 This is a front view of a ball, showing multiple openings with external kinesiology tape applied to its outer surface. The ball 1500 has multiple openings 1502 shown as circular, but the openings may include perforations and slot features (not shown). The outer surface 1504 of the ball 1500 may contain kinesiology tape with a rubberized flexible plastic tape 1506 adhered to it. The rubberized plastic composite tape 1506 acts as a sound damping compound to reduce the ball's resonance, thus producing a smaller sound when struck by a racket. The rubberized flexible composite tape 1506 may wrap around the openings or be designed to create a unique pattern on the ball 1500 such that the openings 1502 are not covered or at least have minimal coverage.

[0059] Figure 16 This is a front view of a ball, showing multiple openings with a flexible adhesive tape arranged in a strip on the outer surface. The ball 1600 has multiple openings 1602 shown as circular, but the openings may include apertures and slot features (not shown). The outer surface 1604 of the ball 1600 has a rubberized plastic adhesive tape 1606 adhered to it. The rubberized plastic adhesive tape 1606 acts as a sound damping compound to reduce the ball's resonance, thus producing a smaller sound when struck by a racket. The rubberized adhesive tape 1606 may wrap around the openings or be designed to create a unique pattern on the ball 1800 such that the openings 1602 are not covered or at least have minimal coverage.

[0060] Figure 17 This is a front view of a ball, showing multiple openings with loops embedded in its surface. The ball 1700 has multiple openings 1702, shown as circular. The outer surface 1704 of the ball 1700 has at least one loop 1706 that can be inserted into the openings 1702. These loops 1706 act as sound-damping compounds to reduce the ball's resonance, thus producing a smaller sound when struck by a racket. The loops 1706 can be inserted into one, more than one, or all of the openings 1702. The loops 1706 may be formed from a soft plastic composition and inserted into the openings 1702 during manufacturing or as a post-sales process.

[0061] Figure 18 This is a front view of a ball, showing multiple openings in the ball with rubberized products adhering to the interior of the ball's surface. Figure 18 A sphere 1800 is shown, which has multiple openings in its outer surface 1802. Although it is depicted as a conventional sphere 1800, the outer shell of the sphere has multiple layered components.

[0062] Figure 19 It is along Figure 18 An internal view of a sphere cut along its "C" axis, showing multiple openings and a rubberized product adhering to the sphere's surface. Sphere 1900 shows multiple circular openings 1902. When along... Figure 18 When cut along the "C" axis, ball 1900 reveals a hard plastic outer shell 1904 and a softer inner shell 1906. The inner shell 1906 may comprise one or more layers of damping composition. In some instances, it may be advantageous to have multiple different damping compositions. These damping compositions are used to reduce the resonant characteristics of ball 1900, which, when attenuated, produce less noise when ball 1900 is struck by the racket.

[0063] The disclosed features can be used in pickleball and other sports or recreational activities involving the use of hard plastic balls and / or balls with through holes, practice golf balls, practice baseballs, practice softballs, practice golf balls, and other balls. Depending on the sport, the ball can be hit by a racket.

[0064] For example, in some embodiments, as the context permits, the term “generally parallel” may refer to something that deviates from exact parallelism by less than or equal to 20 degrees, and the term “generally perpendicular” may refer to something that deviates from exact perpendicularity by less than or equal to 20 degrees.

[0065] Although various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more embodiments and implementations may be possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A noise reducing ball, characterized in that, comprising: a spherical hollow shell having an outer side and an inner side; and a plurality of holes in the spherical hollow shell, wherein at least one of the plurality of holes further comprises an intersecting hole and slot feature formed by the intersection of a centerline of a slot with a center of a hole.

2. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, each of the plurality of holes further comprises wherein the slot intersecting the hole is aligned parallel to each other.

3. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, each of the plurality of holes further comprises wherein the slot is aligned parallel to each other.

4. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, each of the plurality of holes further comprises a first hole and a second hole, wherein the slot connects the first hole and the second hole.

5. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, at least one of the holes forms a hole and slot feature, wherein the slot is substantially parallel to an equator of the spherical hollow shell.

6. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, at least one of the holes forms a hole and slot feature, wherein the slot is substantially perpendicular to an equator of the spherical hollow shell.

7. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, the spherical hollow shell has an exterior coated with a sound damping compound.

8. The noise reducing ball of claim 7, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) compound.

9. The noise reducing ball of claim 7, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a vulcanized polybutadiene compound.

10. The noise reducing ball of claim 7, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a thermoplastic rubber compound.

11. The noise reducing ball of claim 7, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a rubber compound.

12. The noise reducing ball of claim 7, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a foam compound.

13. The noise reducing ball of claim 7, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a felt compound.

14. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, further comprising a tape adhered to the outer side of the spherical hollow shell.

15. The noise reducing ball of claim 14, wherein, the tape further comprises a kinesiology tape.

16. The noise reducing ball of claim 14, wherein, the tape further comprises a noise reducing tape material.

17. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, the spherical hollow shell further comprises at least one dimple filled with a damping compound.

18. The noise reducing ball of claim 17, wherein, the damping compound is a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

19. The noise reducing ball of claim 17, wherein, the damping compound is a vulcanized polybutadiene.

20. The noise reducing ball of claim 17, wherein, the damping compound is a thermoplastic rubber.

21. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, at least one grommet is inserted into at least one of the holes in the spherical hollow shell.

22. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, the interior of the spherical hollow shell is coated with a sound damping compound.

23. The noise reducing ball of claim 22, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) compound.

24. The noise reducing ball of claim 22, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a vulcanized polybutadiene compound.

25. The noise reducing ball of claim 22, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a thermoplastic rubber compound.

26. The noise reducing ball of claim 22, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a rubber compound.

27. The noise reducing ball of claim 22, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a foam compound.

28. The noise reducing ball of claim 22, wherein, the sound damping compound further comprises a felt compound.

29. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, the hole and slot further comprise the slot having a longitudinal axis such that the longitudinal axis intersects the center of the hole.

30. The noise reducing ball of claim 1, wherein, a centerline of the slot intersects the center of the hole.

31. A noise reducing ball characterized by, comprising: a spherical hollow shell; and a first hole and a second hole in the spherical hollow shell, wherein a centerline of a slot intersects a center of the first hole and a center of the second hole.

32. A noise reducing pickle ball, characterized in that, comprising: a spherical hollow shell having an outer side and an inner side; a plurality of holes in the hollow shell; and a damping compound positioned as an outer coating to the outer side of the spherical hollow shell.

33. The noise reducing pickleball of claim 32, wherein, the damping compound is a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

34. The de-noised pickball of claim 32, wherein, the damping compound is a vulcanized polybutadiene.

35. A noise reducing pickle ball, characterized in that, comprising: a spherical hollow shell having an outer side and an inner side; a plurality of holes in the hollow shell; and a damping compound positioned as an inner coating to the inner side of the spherical hollow shell.

36. The noise reducing pickleball of claim 35, wherein, The damping compound is a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

37. The noise reducing pickleball of claim 35, wherein, The damping compound is a vulcanized polybutadiene.

38. A noise reducing pickle ball characterized by, Comprising: a spherical hollow shell having an outer side and an inner side; a plurality of holes in the hollow shell; and at least one dimple filled with a damping compound.

39. The noise reducing pickleball of claim 38, wherein, The damping compound is a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

40. The noise reducing pickleball of claim 38, wherein, The damping compound is a vulcanized polybutadiene.

41. A noise reducing pickle ball, characterized in that, Comprising: a spherical hollow shell having an outer side and an inner side; a plurality of holes in the hollow shell; and a plurality of grommets inserted into at least two of the plurality of holes.

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