no dampener

[aimr75]

My babolat dampener popped out during practice.. this happened to my other bab dampener in a previous session as well.. (never happens with the Sampras O) i lost them in both instances, but this time around i didnt have another dampener to replace it with and found i really enjoyed hitting without one.. i might stick to not using a dampener..

Anyone else switch to no dampener?

 

[khw72004]

I don't use a damper. I like how it sounds and feels with out it. I feel that my racket goes mute with one.

 

[Rickson]

I'm not crazy about the ping so I use a rubber band.

 

[mikeler]

Can't stand the feeling with a dampener.

 

[adidasman]

Yeah, to me the vibration is part of the feel of the racquet. With a damper, I just can't get a good gauge on my shots.

 

[Element54]

I always need a dampener now, an acoustic thing that annoys me if I don't have one.

 

[the 10s n00b]

i h8 the ping w/ out a dampener

 

[armsty]

I can play with either, doesn't make a difference, it's the same swing in the end, I use one though as I recently had some hectic TE and am doing anything to kill it.

 

[kfactor/all/the/WAY!]

wow i cant play my game with out a dampener, its weird.

i always dont want it on but i cant

 

[Matty G]

I can play with either, doesn't make a difference, it's the same swing in the end, I use one though as I recently had some hectic TE and am doing anything to kill it.

Are you still using the BBO that you have in your sign?

 

[some6uy008]

I'm not crazy about the ping so I use a rubber band.

Buy a bag and you'll won't have to worry about running out of dampeners for a loooooong while.

 

[chris_ah1]

I don't have the ping on my speedport orange tour without dampener???

I have converted to no dampener recently - it's amazing. I can take bigger better cuts at the ball with increased accuracy.

I also find the racket to be more stable in my hand and not twist around.

 

[v205]

If a dampener makes the racket feel dead, try the rubber band which feels in-between a dampener and no dampener.

 

[Mada]

I don't have the ping on my speedport orange tour without dampener???

I have converted to no dampener recently - it's amazing. I can take bigger better cuts at the ball with increased accuracy.

I also find the racket to be more stable in my hand and not twist around.

This has absolutely nothing to do with a dampener.

 

[ogruskie]

I hate the sound of not using a damp. However, all dampeners (I've tried almost all of them) make my strings feel very stiff and it makes my wrist hurt like hell. I play without a damp because its better for my wrist and I like the feel, but I hate the sound.

 

[GPG]

I used to play without a dampener until a month or 2 ago. I didn't like it before, but now I see myself better with it

 

[imalil2gangsta4u]

I didnt use one for a year and then picked one up and put it on for fun. I took it off after i was finished playing and when i played the next day, i went back and found it lol.

 

[chris_ah1]

This has absolutely nothing to do with a dampener.

why not? I agree technically it is surprising that it's the case. However all things being equal all i changed was removing the shock absorber and now I can keep a better grip on the racket and it feels easier for me to keep stable.
I don't think my footwork, positioning or swing timing got magically better such that I'm now not hitting any off-centre balls which previously made the racket twist like a wild beast and now nothing or much much less. ????

 

[eneka]

no damper FTW!

a friend of mine has 3 dampeners on his racket..

 

[COPEY]

why not? I agree technically it is surprising that it's the case. However all things being equal all i changed was removing the shock absorber and now I can keep a better grip on the racket and it feels easier for me to keep stable.
I don't think my footwork, positioning or swing timing got magically better such that I'm now not hitting any off-centre balls which previously made the racket twist like a wild beast and now nothing or much much less. ????

Hehe Mada is absolutely right. It's amazing how many people swear that by either inserting or removing a plastic accessory that their game is altered, sometimes radically. The claims of vibration dampeners inducing injuries, reducing injuries, making your ball faster, slower, more accurate, etc...it's all simply not true. The only thing it's capable of doing is suppressing noise from your strings - period. If anyone claims that by removing/installing one results in anything other than "noise cancellation" is...well, it's all in their head.

Having said that, for those who firmly believe otherwise, sure...whatever works for ya, but the facts are the facts. Do a little research - you'll see.

 

[Rickson]

I have a bag of Staples #64.

 

[MegacedU]

a friend of mine has 3 dampeners on his racket..

It drives me crazy when I see this. The kids at the camp I used to work at did this and it's simply unnecessary. Tell your friend his three damps are a display of his lack of tennis knowledge and make him look like an uber noob.

 

[chris_ah1]

yeah, but i still don't understand it even though it happens. Problem is I KNOW the science. but i can also feel and see the effects so I'm flummoxed by it.

You mean people think that my game just miraculously got better because i stopped playing with it because I magically wanted to play better?

Perhaps because without the dampener I can feel more of what's going on so I react faster in clenching my wrist to hold tight when I realise it's going to be hard?
Or because there is no dampener I automatically hold tighter because I'm anticipating a difference?

What about the fact that most vibration dampeners I have move the strings somewhat in a less than uniform way?
e.g. gamma shock absorber I see the poly strings at high tension become uneven. whereas the effect is less with a RVS or sampras/babolat O-ring??

I would try a rubber band, but as I said here or somewhere else, my orange speedport tour (string inserts) and cyberflash co-poly at 28Kg (top of the tension range) doesn't even ping.

I do know it shouldn't be the case, that's why I'm still searching for a satisfactory answer.

 

[COPEY]

Hehe if you feel your game is improved without it, so be it. That's all that matters in the end.

 

[Rickson]

Federer never uses a dampener.

 

[v205]

I thought I read that RF uses a leather strip tie. Someone here must be able to confirm.

 

[PimpMyGame]

Federer uses power pads.

 

[PimpMyGame]

I hate the sound of the strings without a dampener. But I admit that is the only reason I use one, there is no change to how any of my rackets play either way.

And smiley/shocked/sad Wilson dampeners rule! Far better QC on their dampeners than their rackets!

 

[chris_ah1]

Hehe if you feel your game is improved without it, so be it. That's all that matters in the end.

Indeed, even the coach noticed I was hitting much better without it too and asked me if I had restrung the racket in the middle of the set or something lol.
Let's face it, the only reason why we care about any of the gear here is to get the last 5% of performance out of ourselves either with a better racket, or faster/stickier shoes etc whilst warding off injury.

 

[ilikephobo]

at the start of the highschool season, i didnt use a dampners. my friend gave me one and i put it on to try it out. it felt horrible. But for some reason later on in the season i found a sponge bob dampner, and decided to use this one sponge bob dampner that i found just because it looked cool. i dunno why i really liked the dampened feeling.. weird story hard to explain..

 

[Jaewonnie]

My Mg Prestige is already somewhat dampened. It has a mix of a ping and a pop sound without a dampener. Also the feel is very crisp. With a dampener, all that changes. It feels like board.It barely even makes a sound even when I hit a hard shot.

So i dont use one.

 

[Jaewonnie]

at the start of the highschool season, i didnt use a dampners. my friend gave me one and i put it on to try it out. it felt horrible. But for some reason later on in the season i found a sponge bob dampner, and decided to use this one sponge bob dampner that i found just because it looked cool. i dunno why i really liked the dampened feeling.. weird story hard to explain..

I got that dampener and when I put it on my racket, the vibration increased. Can't explain why...

 

[vascoboy]

no dampener...takes away feel...

i prefer to play without, it takes away "feel"...i want to feel when i hit on & off center...i like the sound without it...i want to hear the POP, that's the greatest sensation...
i think it's just another useless accessory

 

[COPEY]

Let me help you out just a little:

i prefer to play without, to me it takes away "feel"...i want to feel when i hit on & off center...i like the sound without it...i want to hear the POP, that's the greatest sensation...
i think it's just another useless accessory

I'm certainly not going to attempt to convince you that vibration dampeners have absolutely no effect on whether or not you feel off-center hits. Nor will I try to persuade your way of thinking in that the feel you refer to is a characteristic of the racquet itself coupled with the "type" of strings you use. It's the significant difference in sound that creates the illusion of a different feel - nothinig more. Now, for those of you who prefer the natural sound of the ball coming off the strings, great. Some people don't. It's that simple.

I'm not sure how old you guys are, but about 15 years ago some vibration dampeners were tagged with employing false advertising by claiming that their product reduced shock. You won't find that claim on any vibration dampener (well, you shouldn't) nowadays. TW innappropriately has the section with vibration dampeners labled "Shock Dampeners", but if you look at the products, if the word shock is in the description, it's followed by vibration at some point.

 

[adidasman]

Let me help you out just a little:



I'm certainly not going to attempt to convince you that vibration dampeners have absolutely no effect on whether or not you feel off-center hits. Nor will I try to persuade your way of thinking in that the feel you refer to is a characteristic of the racquet itself coupled with the "type" of strings you use. It's the significant difference in sound that creates the illusion of a different feel - nothinig more. Now, for those of you who prefer the natural sound of the ball coming off the strings, great. Some people don't. It's that simple.

I'm not sure how old you guys are, but about 15 years ago some vibration dampeners were tagged with employing false advertising by claiming that their product reduced shock. You won't find that claim on any vibration dampener (well, you shouldn't) nowadays. TW innappropriately has the section with vibration dampeners labled "Shock Dampeners", but if you look at the products, if the word shock is in the description, it's followed by vibration at some point.

But the vibration, if it's not being damped, changes how the racquet feels, doesn't it? How can something damp the strings' vibration and not affect how the ball feels on the strings? It can't possibly be just about the sound - if a damper affects the way the strings vibrate within the frame, that has to change how the ball feels when it hits the strings. Doesn't it?

 

[COPEY]

It actually doesn't. The sound that you hear are high frequency sounds generated by the ball impacting the strings. It's the low frequency vibrations that travel from the frame through the arm that cause arm discomfort, potentially leading to tennis elbow, wrist injury and the like.

Again, claims by people who say dampeners distort the feel of their shots, reduce injury, make them play better/worse...it's purely psychological. I assure you, I'm not trying to insult anyone (there's enough of that kind of stuff on this board as it is lol). Your on-court psyche is a big part of your game, hence if you feel dampeners hinder or enhance your play, then go with works best for ya. It doesn't change the fact, however, that dampeners do one thing and one thing only: attenuate high frequency string noise.

Here - have a look at this, and it's just one of several studies.

 

[adidasman]

It actually doesn't. The sound that you hear are high frequency sounds generated by the ball impacting the strings. It's the low frequency vibrations that travel from the frame through the arm that cause arm discomfort, potentially leading to tennis elbow, wrist injury and the like.

Again, claims by people who say dampeners distort the feel of their shots, reduce injury, make them play better/worse...it's purely psychological. I assure you, I'm not trying to insult anyone (there's enough of that kind of stuff on this board as it is lol). Your on-court psyche is a big part of your game, hence if you feel dampeners hinder or enhance your play, then go with works best for ya. It doesn't change the fact, however, that dampeners do one thing and one thing only: attenuate high frequency string noise.

Here - have a look at this, and it's just one of several studies.

That's why I asked - because I genuinely wanted to know. Interesting. I still feel that hearing the natural sound of the ball on the strings affects how I "feel" the ball on the racquet, but you may well be correct that it's just sound, and not vibration, giving me that feedback. Thanks for the information.

 

[COPEY]

I still feel that hearing the natural sound of the ball on the strings affects how I "feel" the ball on the racquet...

I hear ya (no pun intended lol), and that's all that matters - how you feel with or without it. I like 'em personally, but only because I can't stand the pinging noise lol. I hit just as well (and some days just a poorly) without it.

There are myths of every kind out here, which include all of the so-called qualities thought to be associated with dampeners.