Fed Kennedy
Legend
Is it true that they are the same weight? How muted is the shock shield?
shock shield vs leather
- Thread starter Fed Kennedy
- Start date
Shock shield is probably heavier. That said, once you add an OG to the leather they'll roughly be the same weights.
It's also a completely different feeling grip to leather. Leather is much harder. Shock Shield is much more cushiony (it has a strip of medium firm squishy gel). I can't see how anyone liking leather would like Shock Shield or vice versa. You lose quite a lot of feedback with Shock Shield. Good for taking out vibrations from a harsh or stiff racquet though if that's what you want. Also, forget the official thickness specs on the Wilson site. Shock Shield is fat compared to any of their other grips.
See my comments here: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=370707
It's also a completely different feeling grip to leather. Leather is much harder. Shock Shield is much more cushiony (it has a strip of medium firm squishy gel). I can't see how anyone liking leather would like Shock Shield or vice versa. You lose quite a lot of feedback with Shock Shield. Good for taking out vibrations from a harsh or stiff racquet though if that's what you want. Also, forget the official thickness specs on the Wilson site. Shock Shield is fat compared to any of their other grips.
See my comments here: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=370707
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mikeler
Moderator
^ Depends what you mean by arm friendly.
If you're talking about the amount of vibrations travelling thorugh the racquet into your arm, then yes, it filters out more of those vibrations than any other grip I've tried, as it acts as an effect barrier in that sense (at the expense of muting some of the feedback).
If wasn't so fat, I'd consider using them on my Youtek Prestige MPs (deceptively stiff / slightly harsh racquet when strung with poly) but the Head pallets are hideously oblong shaped already which the Shock Shield would just accentuate.
As for tendonitis whether wrist, elbow, or shoulder, that's more swing mechanics, which I can't see a grip affecting too much. The only thing I would wonder about is whether having too soft a grip would cause the person to grip too tight? But I'm no expert on this.
If you're talking about the amount of vibrations travelling thorugh the racquet into your arm, then yes, it filters out more of those vibrations than any other grip I've tried, as it acts as an effect barrier in that sense (at the expense of muting some of the feedback).
If wasn't so fat, I'd consider using them on my Youtek Prestige MPs (deceptively stiff / slightly harsh racquet when strung with poly) but the Head pallets are hideously oblong shaped already which the Shock Shield would just accentuate.
As for tendonitis whether wrist, elbow, or shoulder, that's more swing mechanics, which I can't see a grip affecting too much. The only thing I would wonder about is whether having too soft a grip would cause the person to grip too tight? But I'm no expert on this.
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mikeler
Moderator
Yes, it is better than a vibration dampener.
Shock Shield and every layer of overgrip serve to reduce a little more shock & vibration.
The question only you can answer is whether it would reduce enough shock to make your current racquet & string setup sufficiently arm-friendly.
mikeler
Moderator
Yep, I always felt that about vibration dampeners. Never liked the resonance it provided so I don't use them.
Well, I've already got the PK 7G with full multi jobs but a little bit of comfort can never hurt. I really like the stock 7G grips but I usually slap on a new replacement grip once a year and I've had the sticks since last July.
You can have both: gel to reduce vibrations, and leather to feel the bevels.
I recently did this on my Head Pro Tour 630 Lite. The gel strips go under the pallet. This also corrects the Head Grip shape to Wilson. Leather can go on top. I actually did not use leather, I used a regular Head grip (soft). For gel, I recommend sorbothane. Check the web -- it is sold in sheets.
I must say the effect is quite perceptible. I have another identical racquet which has not undergone this operation yet, so I can play them side-by-side. The feel has much improved. Low-level flutter is dissipated very effectively. Strong big jolts still come through -- but as a single solid thud now, not a brassy cacophony of little reverbs.
Beware that sorbothane is very heavy. It is a good thing to put it on a Lite racquet, but I would think twice about putting it on a regular Prestige. Especially, since it will be quite labourious to remove it.
I recently did this on my Head Pro Tour 630 Lite. The gel strips go under the pallet. This also corrects the Head Grip shape to Wilson. Leather can go on top. I actually did not use leather, I used a regular Head grip (soft). For gel, I recommend sorbothane. Check the web -- it is sold in sheets.
I must say the effect is quite perceptible. I have another identical racquet which has not undergone this operation yet, so I can play them side-by-side. The feel has much improved. Low-level flutter is dissipated very effectively. Strong big jolts still come through -- but as a single solid thud now, not a brassy cacophony of little reverbs.
Beware that sorbothane is very heavy. It is a good thing to put it on a Lite racquet, but I would think twice about putting it on a regular Prestige. Especially, since it will be quite labourious to remove it.
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I recently called up Sorbothane and was told that one of the companies that manufacturers different types of equipment using Sorbothane is in the process of coming up with Sorbothane grips.
I don't know how close it would be to the original Gosen Sorbothane grips, but at least there will be some sort of replacement, rather than having to resort to cutting short strips from a sheet.
pennc94
Professional
That's it! Give it a go.
Shroud
G.O.A.T.
I certainly do and all my sticks get em.
Leather gets removed and I put some other stuff to shape and build up the handle and then the shock shield and then a couple of over wraps. Way better for the arm than with the leather and overwraps...at least for me. But if you like that hard distinct bevel, leather feel, shock shield aint for you.
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=472485&highlight=franken
ChicagoJack
Hall of Fame
That depends. The weight of leather ranges quite a bit. Anywhere from 12.5 grams untrimmed (Kimony) to 36 grams (Becker, TW Private Lable), with 22-26 being about average. ShockSheild at 26-27 grams is the heaviest synthethic grip I know of, excluding Gosen Sorbothane Cushion System II (at 39 grams) which went out of production decades ago.
I've opted for leather again after plying with the ShockSheild for the better part of two years. SS is a great grip, and even tho the feel is very different from leather, it's my favorite synthetic grip by far.
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Chotobaka
Hall of Fame
Good find.
JackB1
G.O.A.T.
this gave me an idea for Head or Volkl pallets, that's slightly different from using the sorbothane.
1)remove the pallet
2)cut a strip from an unused SHock Shield grip to place on the pallet, under the 2 widest bevels, on top and bottom.
3)Reattach the pallet, using double sided tape or some adhesive.
4) Regrip and overgrip
Now you have the dampening of the gel below the pallet and you don't lose the bevel definition on top. I would use a "normal" firm and not too thick overgrip on the outside, so you don't get too thick all around. I would also recommend starting with a racquet or pallet that is one size down from your normal size.
