Vibration Dampers

[Jetpilot2112]

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[Jetpilot2112]

Sorry about that...my browser crashed before while I was editing my post. I had to reboot so I don't have my original posting in the clipboard and I don't feel like typing it all out again, but I was basically bringing up the old vibration damper controversy. (whether or not they actually get rid of vibration) Talking to a fellow tennis player two days ago is what brought this topic back to mind...so many people think that vibration dampers don't do anything but eliminate some sounds while others think it does reduce some vibration as well. I have my mind made up...but what do you guys think?? :rolleyes:

(Not looking for a heated discussion here...just curious to see what people think.)

[JPtennis]

Good question. I do think they affect vibration to some effect, some more than others. The Shockbuster by Gamma, in my opinion, makes the racquet not only sound dead but also feel totally dead. I go back and forth, because sometimes I simply like the sharp, percussive sound of the racquet with no dampener.

[Jetpilot2112]

Right - it seems quite vogue to hear people around court say, "you know those vibration dampeners don't do anything but get rid of some sound." However, I'd like to point out that sound is vibration. And, at least on my frames, the frequency of vibrations that are eliminated are ones that I can definitely feel in my hand, wrist and arm.

[grippster]

Ya, I think that you can feel the difference with some strings more then others. With some strings, I can feel the vibration going right down my bones. If I dont have a dampner its really annoing, not to mention painful on one memorable occasion until I slipped a small dampner in. Then that was it! Just like that! gone.

[PBODY 66]

Once more it comes down to personal choice. The slight increase in mass and the physical disruption the various pieces set up change the resultant vibrations that flow to your grip.
On non_poly strings, I use it to reduce the sound. With poly, it does improve my comfort

[TennezSport]

I think that it is really dependent on the type of dampener you are using. The ones that only touch the two mains and bottom cross don't do very much except mute the ping in the string, as the mass is too small to make much of a difference.

However, the worm type dampeners that go across all or most of the mains do have more of an effect, but it is only string vibration that is impacted. The vibration that is most felt is racquet vibration and that is another story.

TennezSport :cool:

[Luminous]

I personally think that vibration dampers do work. But like said i before i guess it done to personal choice and opinion.

[MHK]

I'm in the "sound-but-not-vibration-reduction" camp on this. If I do use a damper, it's usually a rubber band tied around the two central mains. I'm also of the opinion that if you want to reduce vibration, make sure to re-grip fairly often and use an overwrap. (That's just speculation, but it works for me and I'm stickin' with it).

[Jetpilot2112]

For me, it's a bit of both...since sound IS vibration. But to each his own; comfort level is achieved when the right frequencies are eliminated.

[armsty]

Personally I use a Dampener (shock absorber) as I feel it makes a significant difference, that and I am very used to it.

Most of the people I play with and around use dampeners, although one of my closer tennis mates doesn't use one, and he thinks it doesn't do a lot.

It really is just a personal thing, my elder brother used to tie a rubber band around where you place a dampener as he felt it took away some of the vibrations but still had a bit there so you'd know when you'd hit the sweet spot.

[Flycaster]

Might as well add my 2-cents. First, from just about everything I've read and from the pros I've spoken with, string dampeners don't do anything to relieve the racket's vibrations reaching one's limbs. I use them because I can't stand the "ping" sound when a dampener isn't being used. For some reason, I've been conditioned to feel that my ball striking is technically correct (hitting the sweet spot) when I hear a solid thwack in a dampered racket rather than hearing the sickly ping from an undampered racket. The thwack makes me feel more confident in the hit than does the ping. Just me, folks.

[Jetpilot2112]

Thanks for weighing in, Flycaster...yeah, many so called "experts" say a dampener doesn't do anything. It seems like it got really popular to say that a few years ago (at least that's when I started noticing a lot of people saying it) just like everyone started saying, "you know, the Atkins diet really isn't good for you...your body needs carbs!" So, it seems that on this topic, people know what to say, but not what they're talking about. I've come to the conclusion that it depends on the string, tension, and the racquet. Personally, on my racquets, a dampener makes a huge difference. I'm not saying that using a dampener on my racquets eliminates the vibration frequencies that have a propensity for causing tennis elbow, but a simple rubber band eliminates (with certain strings) an annoying amount of buzz that I can feel in my hand and wrist.

[pipelines182]

I've even had a few of my customers say that moving their dampener so it makes contact with the bottom cross changes the way it plays as compared to it being slightly below it.

Who knows.

[alidisperanza]

Vibration dampeners really depend how you play. If you tend to center the ball almost every time the main action is going to diffuse off the main strings. For example, if you really shank a ball without a vibration dampener on a light frame you feel it. It's one of those where you wince and go aww crud i haven't done that in years ouch feelings. In physics anything acting on an oscillating wave is going to reduce it.

Like Jetpilot said sound is essentially vibration but to be honest I think that's the least of the problem. Sound is vibration translated through air. What's going through the racquet is the issue and the racquet is going to have a much lower translational constant makign it a better insulator for vibration.

In the end one must consider the racquet and strings used as well. A Head Ti S4 is goign to transfer a boatload of shock while a LM Radical or Prestige will absorb much more due to the weight and construction. Some handle vibration great; others not so much. Heavier racquets and thicker strings will absorb the shock better. [Tighter strings will create more of a ping.] Play with Pro Hurricane or Kevlar/Aramid strung tightly and you'll feel the difference.

In my experience using the little head shaped-2-string dampener helps tremendously although it does produce a bit of a "dead-er" feel. It's just more comfortable to me but as always it all comes down to preference.

String savers help reduce vibration a lot too!



In my experience shock absorbers do help. I personally just like the feel better

[alidisperanza]

Vibration dampeners really depend how you play. If you tend to center the ball almost every time the main action is going to diffuse off the main strings. For example, if you really shank a ball without a vibration dampener on a light frame you feel it. It's one of those where you wince and go aww crud i haven't done that in years ouch feelings. In physics anything acting on an oscillating wave is going to reduce it.

Like Jetpilot said sound is essentially vibration but to be honest I think that's the least of the problem. Sound is vibration translated through air. What's going through the racquet is the issue and the racquet is going to have a much lower translational constant makign it a better insulator for vibration.

In the end one must consider the racquet and strings used as well. A Head Ti S4 is goign to transfer a boatload of shock while a LM Radical or Prestige will absorb much more due to the weight and construction. Some handle vibration great; others not so much. Heavier racquets and thicker strings will absorb the shock better. [Tighter strings will create more of a ping.] Play with Pro Hurricane or Kevlar/Aramid strung tightly and you'll feel the difference.

In my experience using the little head shaped-2-string dampener helps tremendously although it does produce a bit of a "dead-er" feel. It's just more comfortable to me but as always it all comes down to preference.

String savers help reduce vibration a lot too!



In my experience shock absorbers do help. I personally just like the feel better

[lpbreeze]

I really didn't use them and when I dead I didn't like it, But now I put it neat the bottom and only in the main- not touching the cross. Working fine. But I swear I get tennis elbow more with dampeners. But I can't really prove that