Vibration dampening via trap door?

[jonahnaturals]

Has anyone tried putting something in the butt cap of a head racquet to reduce vibration and make the frame more arm friendly? If so, what could one put in there? Dampened? Rubber bands?

Thanks for any tips you can offer.

 

[scotus]

Sort of permanent: Silicone

Easier to remove: Blue tack, play doe, soft foam (e.g., pieces from children's swimming noodles), cork.

You might also want to look into what you can do over the grip (e.g., silicone gel tape, sorbothane grip, kevlar grip, extra overgrip, etc)

 

[Hitman99]

Several years ago there was a rubberized butt cap that had a bulbous extension, was supposed to reduce virations. Seemed like mad science at the time.

 

[alidisperanza]

I agree with Scotus. Silicone is the way to go and not as permanent as you think. It's pretty easy to remove

 

[Vasuri]

Different solution, but worth trying..

Wilson shock shield replacement grip. Gel underlayer and PU upper. Very comfortable, but firm and maintains racquet feel well compared to other "comfort" grips that have some sort of foam underlayer. This grip is heavy though, equivalent to leather grip, so take the chance in balance into account.

 

[scotus]

Different solution, but worth trying..

Wilson shock shield replacement grip. Gel underlayer and PU upper. Very comfortable, but firm and maintains racquet feel well compared to other "comfort" grips that have some sort of foam underlayer. This grip is heavy though, equivalent to leather grip, so take the chance in balance into account.

A very nice grip. I use it myself.

But the gel layer is really thin, and although it might be better than most replacement grips out there at dampening shock/vibration, there are people like me who need more help.

It is actually fairly light in comparison to Sorbothane and Kevlar grips.

 

[scotus]

Several years ago there was a rubberized butt cap that had a bulbous extension, was supposed to reduce virations. Seemed like mad science at the time.

Can you track one down and post a picture? It may be a nice way to add tailweight. It might have contained some sand or other kinetic particles inside to reduce vibration.

 

[jonahnaturals]

Thanks for the suggestions!

The idea of putting a dampener or rubber bands came to me in looking at the butt cap of a volkl frame. I wonder if the rubbery material in the center runs right up the handle, or if it's just there in the butt cap.

All things being equal, volkl frames feel much easier on the arm than most other brands, I find.

Will try a couple of the ideas posted above. Thanks again.

 

[alidisperanza]

Different solution, but worth trying..

Wilson shock shield replacement grip. Gel underlayer and PU upper. Very comfortable, but firm and maintains racquet feel well compared to other "comfort" grips that have some sort of foam underlayer. This grip is heavy though, equivalent to leather grip, so take the chance in balance into account.

Interesting point, I forgot about those.

 

[Thepowerofchoice]

Different solution, but worth trying..

Wilson shock shield replacement grip. Gel underlayer and PU upper. Very comfortable, but firm and maintains racquet feel well compared to other "comfort" grips that have some sort of foam underlayer. This grip is heavy though, equivalent to leather grip, so take the chance in balance into account.

A very nice grip. I use it myself.

But the gel layer is really thin, and although it might be better than most replacement grips out there at dampening shock/vibration, there are people like me who need more help.

It is actually fairly light in comparison to Sorbothane and Kevlar grips.

Interesting point, I forgot about those.

This grip is awesome. It's about 10 grams heavier than reg synthetic grip but it allows me to play with stiffer frames with no arm pain and I have sensitive arms. Also it helps beef up your racquet static weight and make your racquet more head light.

 

[APG]

Another option are the discontinued Gosen Sorbothane grip systems. It is a much thicker layer of Sorbothane than the Wilson Shock grips but you can only use an overgrip. They are superior to WS but add about an oz to the handle. They can only be purchased on another site. They bought up the remaining supply some years ago. They work extremely well.

 

[alidisperanza]

Wow, that heavy? That must be a beefy grip to add a full oz.

 

[Thepowerofchoice]

Yeah it weigh as much as my leather grip but not bulky at all. I think it weigh more because of the gel strip inside but feels great not mushy.

 

[alidisperanza]

Interesting, I'm not too picky on grips, I can play with anything including bare + over grips but I might have to give the Wilson one a try.

 

[scotus]

Another option are the discontinued Gosen Sorbothane grip systems. It is a much thicker layer of Sorbothane than the Wilson Shock grips but you can only use an overgrip. They are superior to WS but add about an oz to the handle. They can only be purchased on another site. They bought up the remaining supply some years ago. They work extremely well.

The downside of Sorbothane is its weakness against tensile forces.

When applying Sorbothane grips, you must not stretch it at all, or else it will soon be torn to pieces.

This is why that one company you mention wants you to send the racquet in, so he can install it himself.

However, with caution anyone can do this, and after having talked to the owner of that company, I don't want to give him my business. Such a rude fellow. And of course, he wants to charge you an arm and a leg.

 

[scotus]

BTW has anyone tried silicone gel tape? Not the kind used for bicycle handles (which only have a little bit of silicone gel) but the kind that is used for construction and such.

It is very pricy but I thought about trying it out.

 

[APG]

The downside of Sorbothane is its weakness against tensile forces.

When applying Sorbothane grips, you must not stretch it at all, or else it will soon be torn to pieces.

This is why that one company you mention wants you to send the racquet in, so he can install it himself.

However, with caution anyone can do this, and after having talked to the owner of that company, I don't want to give him my business. Such a rude fellow. And of course, he wants to charge you an arm and a leg.

Actually it is not all that fragile. I have installed them myself and I have also had my stringer install them. In fact I have carefully removed one from an old racket and used it at least 3 times on demo rackets. Just have some patience. It can be stretched some.
Yes, the owner can be abrasive but he can also be quite helpful.
The bottom line, if you have elbow issues it helps and adds weight that does not effect sw.

 

[scotus]

Actually it is not all that fragile. I have installed them myself and I have also had my stringer install them. In fact I have carefully removed one from an old racket and used it at least 3 times on demo rackets. Just have some patience. It can be stretched some.
Yes, the owner can be abrasive but he can also be quite helpful.
The bottom line, if you have elbow issues it helps and adds weight that does not effect sw.

That's good to know.

Maybe I selected the wrong durometer for my Sorbothane, or maybe Gosen's version has some Sorbogel in it that makes it more stretchy.

I do have a pack of Gosen Sorbothane as well. I'll slap that on one of my racquets at some point.

 

[Torres]

A very nice grip. I use it myself.

But the gel layer is really thin, and although it might be better than most replacement grips out there at dampening shock/vibration, there are people like me who need more help.

It is actually fairly light in comparison to Sorbothane and Kevlar grips.

Shock Shield is significantly heavier than normal replacement grips eg. Wilson True Feel. It's also noticeably thicker. Just wanted to make people aware.

Personally, I think you lose alot of feel with Shock Shield, but if dampening and removal of vibration (including an element of feedback) is your goal, then its definitely an option to consider.

 

[scotus]

Shock Shield is significantly heavier than normal replacement grips eg. Wilson True Feel. It's also noticeably thicker. Just wanted to make people aware.

Personally, I think you lose alot of feel with Shock Shield, but if dampening and removal of vibration (including an element of feedback) is your goal, then its definitely an option to consider.

When you have a very sensitive arm, you get plenty of feedback even when the frame is heavily dampened. Every shock, vibration, feel, etc., is amplified manifold.

Shock Shield = heavier than most grips but a light weight compared to Sorbothane and Kevlar.

 

[eldub20]

5/8" Backer Rod Foam

I stuff all my racquet handles with it and it works quite well and only weight about 3-4g so very minimal effect on the balance of the racquet.

A few years back I used to play with a MG Radical OS and couldn't stand the amount of vibration when playing stock...after adding that high density stuff it felt like a different racquet, I was quite impressed.

 

[alidisperanza]

How does something have high density but low weight?

D=M/V

 

[eldub20]

How does something have high density but low weight?

D=M/V

High density foam, not the regular white or yellowish foam...it's a bit more rigid. This stuff is used to stop drafts in windows & doors.