Artificial intelligence or “AI” is one of the hottest topics right now.

From ChatGPT writing those pesky work emails to creepy deep fakes of celebrities, AI is taking the world by storm, so it was only a matter of time before it entered into the picklesphere.

Austin Wood, the Co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer at The Picklr, shared how they are leading the charge at implementing artificial intelligence into America's fastest-growing sport. And no, it’s not with robot athletes.

“It’s exciting because these are the things we’ve been talking about for a long time and we’ve been waiting for the right technology and software to come available,” said Wood. ”I can’t wait for people to see the full developed product. I think it’s going to be a game-changer.” 

The Picklr entered into an exclusive partnership with Wingfield, a German-based technology company that previously focused solely on tennis. The software videoed players and provided a comprehensive shot track list, match stats, player assessments, interactive drills, and more.

“Wingfield created a whole new machine for pickleball that lives on the side of our courts at The Picklr that is fully AI,” explained Wood. “We can use AI to have full ball tracking and see where it lands, ball speed, and ball height. You’d be able to see what percentage you’re hitting it in the right spot, or showing you in video footage of how you’re holding your paddle. It gives you the information to improve and learn.”

Talk about valuable material that can make a real difference in your overall game.

The possibilities are endless.

“Once the software is fully developed, our goal is for you to go to a clinic and they teach you what you need to work on between your lessons. And all of that information would be on Wingfield that keeps track of all your stats for every single shot,” he added. “You can have a recording of it, so you would be able to see where it hits on the court, and your coach would be able to review that between your lessons.”

One of The Picklr’s biggest focuses is helping pickleball players strengthen their skills.

This AI software accomplishes that objective.

“AI gives people the analytics and data they need so they can see exactly how to progress,” said Wood. “It really allows people to grow their game, increase their DUPR score, and get to the level they want to be.”

And because of the video review capability, AI can also help with questionable line calls on the rec court.

Players can also receive a highlight-reel to share on social media just like the pros.

Or, they can relive their epic fails. 

Currently, each Picklr location has at least three courts installed with this AI software. And with regular software updates, it will be exciting to see how this video review technology can take the game to a whole new level.

Is AI the future of pickleball? Let us know your thoughts on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).