The 3 Safety Dimensions: Opening, Thickness, and Standoff 📏🛡️
When we say “designed with safety in mind,” we mean measurable geometry that helps the ball get redirected before it reaches the eye area.
The backdrop: more players, more injuries, more need
Pickleball participation has surged in recent years, and injury data has climbed alongside it. National estimates of pickleball-related emergency-department injuries have increased sharply in NEISS-based research. Eye injuries have also risen notably, and reported use of protective eyewear remains low, especially among professionals.
That’s why we see The Shield as a first line of defense. Not a helmet. Not a guarantee. Just a smarter option than raw-face pickleball.
Dimension #1: Opening vs. ball diameter
USA Pickleball specifies the ball diameter at 2.87 to 2.97 inches (about 73–75 mm). That’s the constant. Our design strategy is to keep the largest “window” far smaller than the ball (example ~36 mm target opening, model dependent), making a direct ball-to-eye path less likely.
Dimension #2: Rim thickness and the “impact plane”
A lens-free protector lives or dies by its structure. A thicker rim helps create a more consistent impact plane so the first contact tends to be frame-to-ball, encouraging deflection. (Example: a ~6 mm rim concept is common in our design thinking, depending on the variant.)
Dimension #3: Standoff distance (eyes sit back)
Your eyes are naturally recessed behind the brow and cheekbones. A protector that maintains standoff helps keep the contact point forward of the eye. The Shield is designed to sit as a stable “front porch,” so the ball meets the porch rail first.
Standards (what they do and don’t do)
ASTM F3164-24 covers eye protectors for racket sports (including pickleball) intended to reduce injury to the eye and adnexa from impact and penetration by paddles and balls, and it notes that protective eyewear does not protect other parts of the head. That’s why we never describe The Shield as a helmet-type solution.
Q&A
What’s the single most important number?
Ball diameter: 2.87–2.97 inches (about 73–75 mm). That’s what the opening strategy is built around.
Why do I keep hearing eye injuries are rising?
National database research has found a marked increase in pickleball-related ocular injuries in recent years, and emergency-department injury estimates have climbed as participation has grown.
Does The Shield stop every kind of impact?
No. It’s a first layer. Paddle strikes, collisions, and falls can still cause severe injury. No eyewear guarantees prevention.
