Life Time Founder, Chairman and CEO spearheads new ball for better play, consistency and durability
CHANHASSEN, Minn., Aug. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Life Time, which continues to be at the forefront of the fastest-growing sport in America, today announced it has filed a patent for The Ultimate Pickleball. Designed to address common issues of inconsistent speed, bounce and durability, the new patent-pending ball will be unveiled during an exclusive event featuring tennis legend and pickleball fan, Andre Agassi, at Life Time’s PENN 1 in New York City on August 19.
Pickleballs currently on the market often play too slow or the faster balls preferred by pros and higher-end players are inconsistent in bounce and have significant issues with durability. As an avid pickleball player and engineer, Life Time Founder, CEO and Chairman, Bahram Akradi, collaborated with his team to design a new pickleball with features to address these issues.
“Life Time has elevated the game of pickleball since 2021 and rapidly grown the number of courts we offer across North America, along with the best lessons, leagues, tournaments and coaches,” said Akradi. “A clear opportunity that emerged was to advance the quality of gameplay and participants’ experiences with a vastly improved pickleball. I always welcome the opportunity to solve challenges and am excited to launch our Ultimate Pickleball as a solution to offer the combination of improved weight, speed, hole distribution and material to support consistent play and durability.”
LT – The Ultimate Pickleball has undergone trials by some of the best players within and outside of Life Time. It will debut exclusively in Life Time clubs later this month and be used at all Pickleball Classic tournaments. Later, the ball will be available for sale at Life Time’s racquet sports pro shops and online at LT Shop.
With more than 700 permanent pickleball courts across its locations, Life Time serves thousands of members and guests at its clubs, hosting multiple Major League Pickleball (MLP) and Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) tournaments nationwide, as well as its own spring and fall Pickleball Classic tournaments for members. The recent appointment of Andre Agassi as the inaugural chair of the Life Time Pickleball and Tennis Board further highlights Life Time’s commitment to expanding access, enhancing programming, and building community within the sport.
On August 19, Life Time will welcome Agassi and other top pickleball pros and other athletes for an evening of exhibition-style play and other category-defining announcements with its partner JOOLA. The event will also be livestreamed on its complimentary digital app.
Life Time recently launched instructional pickleball videos by professional players Ben and Collin Johns available on its complimentary digital app. For more information on Life Time and Life Time Pickleball, please visit www.lifetime.life.
About Life Time
Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its portfolio of more than 170 athletic country clubs across the United States and Canada. The health and wellness pioneer also delivers a range of healthy way of life programs and information via its complimentary Life Time Digital app. The Company’s healthy living, healthy aging, healthy entertainment communities and ecosystem serve people 90 days to 90+ years old and is supported by a team of more than 45,000 dedicated professionals. In addition to delivering the best programs and experiences through its clubs, Life Time owns and produces nearly 30 of the most iconic athletic events in the country.
SOURCE Life Time, Inc.
