Is using a racket without a vibration dampener bad for your arm

[Chosen 0ne]

I ordered the Head Ti S6 and I heard it transmits lot of shock. I will be playing everyday for about 2 hours during the tennis season.

[dman72]

The shock being transmitted to your arm is more a result of using an extremely light and stiff racquet like the Ti6.

I'm a believer in string dampeners, as the worst case of TE I've ever had was after playing a match and "experimentally" removing my NXG silencer/dampener, but the experts here will tell you it makes no different in TE. My personal experiences say otherwise, but I digress.

In your case, the much bigger issue is that featherlight butterfly net you're hitting tennis balls with.

[ChicagoJack]

Hi chosen one,

Welcome to the board.

Impact shock is entirely separate from the two types of impact vibration, which are vibrations of the frame, and vibrations in the string bed. A dampener does nothing with regards to shock, has no effect on frame vibrations, and only minimal effect on string bed vibration. Playing with or without a dampener is a concern of microscopic importance in comparison to the other factors at play here.

The HEAD Ti s6 (MP) has got a stiffness rating of 75, it is 5 points head heavy, weighs 9.6 ounces, plus it is extended length! Playing with an extremely stiff, extremely light, extremely head heavy, and ext length racquet like this one is akin to getting down on your hands and knees and begging the tennis Gods for arm problems. Put that together with playing consecutive days, and it's a blue print for injury.

I think you might have chosen this frame thinking it would provide you with a lot of power in a lightweight package. It wont. The largest contributor to racquet power by far is swingweight, not racquet stiffness. You'd be taking on a lot of injury risk with very little reward with with regard to power. Light frames can be swung faster than heavy frames, but that in itself can create a lot of errors especially at the 3.5 level and below.

-Jack

[tlm]

String dampeners do absolutely nothing to prevent any kind of shock to your arm. They only change the sound, but the sound obviously has a mental effect for many.

[The Meat]

Adding to everyone's post about it being practically useless besides muting the sound and maybe making it barely heavier, I also feel that the stringbed is a little tighter?

[TTech321]

I recently started playing without my dampener to see if it makes much of a difference. I haven't played enough days in a row with and without to come to a conclusion yet, but I do like how I can really hear the difference in my shots when I'm even a little off the sweet spot. Nothing else playing without the dampener is helping me hone my strokes.

I would say with or without a dampener, it's gonna be your technique that determines if your arm gets killed. The dampener has very little to do with arm injuries in tennis.

[zapvor]

Originally Posted by TTech321

I recently started playing without my dampener to see if it makes much of a difference. I haven't played enough days in a row with and without to come to a conclusion yet, but I do like how I can really hear the difference in my shots when I'm even a little off the sweet spot. Nothing else playing without the dampener is helping me hone my strokes.

I would say with or without a dampener, it's gonna be your technique that determines if your arm gets killed. The dampener has very little to do with arm injuries in tennis.

yea this. dampeners are more mental than anything

[ellipticality_224]

I use them if theyre on my frame, if theyre not, I dont look for one and play with it any way. If I happen to have one on my frame, great, but if it falls off or knocks off, I dont bother to look for it or put another one on. Naturally, the head dampeners that have come with my prestiges are long gone, and I haven't used one of those things in about a year. I like the feel and sound it makes, when you start to hit the sweetspot with more force, you dont even notice the racket tone. It actually feels better IMO, but as zapvor said, its a mental thing, you may play better or worse with one, but its not because of the dampnener, its because of you and your schizophrenic brain We all have one to an extent

[dr325i]

Geniuses here...

Anyway, the sound change comes from altering string bed vibrations, therefore, yes, it does have slight effect on the vibrations. It will not save your elbow, though ,and as Jack mentioned above, your setup is exteme, HOWEVER, I assume you are a 3.0 or less rec player, not hitting very hard or dealing with fast, action packed shots...

The dampener mainly mutes the sound, tightens the string bed slightly (watch Djokovic "free instruction video" when they ask him about the dampener) and takes ot some vibrations, also taking away the racket "raw" feel.

I used to play with dampener, however, once I tried without it, I totally loved it. It was hard to get over the "pinging" sound at first...

[mbm0912]

I just started using two dampeners...top and bottom

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by mbm0912

I just started using two dampeners...top and bottom

That's not enough, you need some on 3 and 9 o'clock too.

[TennisCJC]

A dampener does "next to nothing" but it does very slightly increase swingweight, tighten center strings, and reduce vibrations. A dampener is not going to make a noticeable or significant difference as these changes are very small and subtle. I use them as I like the muted feel.

Type of racket, type of string, and string tension have an enormous impact on comfort and risk of injury. This is where you get bang for the buck as far as preventing injury. The Head S6 is NOT a good racket for comfort. This isn't to say that you will get injured as some play with it for years but it does not fit the classic attributes for health.

Generally, softer and heavier rackets with a HL balance are better for your health.

If you stick with the S6, use a soft multi-filament string in the lower 1/4 of the stringbed range.

[Relinquis]

how about power pads? do they allow you feel more than a dampener?

i think they look pretty cool. might be worth a try for that alone.

[TroutSc]

Gamma marketing {bs} states :

"GAMMA Vibration Dampeners reduce the risk of tennis elbow and arm discomfort from repetitive play by absorbing vibration in the string bed before it can travel up your hand, wrist and elbow. Our most effective dampener, the original Shockbuster, is the best selling dampener in tennis (over 3 million sold) and should be your next dampener"

I have a TNT Core in the package, never opened/used it because it looks giant and strange. It says that TNT is Thermo Nuclear Technology. TNT processing expands the range of blocked frequencies resulting in less harmful vibrations reaching the players arm...protecting your arm.

I use O dampeners but only because of sound, cant really feel/notice anything else with or without them, just quiets the pingy sound and makes more of a crisp sound, kinda like the sound of taking a bite out of a fresh apple. If one falls off, ill stick it in my pocket until later. I like the worm, but I tend to mishit a bit working on my 2hbh and break those too easy.

[hmd]

http://www.tennis.com/gear/2013/02/a.../#.URQq66VtjB8

[TroutSc]

Originally Posted by mbm0912

I just started using two dampeners...top and bottom

dude, that might be illegal. be careful.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by TroutSc

dude, that might be illegal. be careful.

They should be outside the area enclosed by the first and last mains and crosses

[Blitzball]

Federer never uses dampeners, yet his scrawny arm has rarely bothered him.

[YoungLefty]

Originally Posted by mbm0912

I just started using two dampeners...top and bottom

How was it?

[zapvor]

Originally Posted by Relinquis

how about power pads? do they allow you feel more than a dampener?

i think they look pretty cool. might be worth a try for that alone.

now i think there is more to power pads. i string for the guy that used to be hitting partner to Lendl, and he always insists on the pads. he says it just isnt right. so for him it definitely makes a difference