What is the Purpose of Shock Absorbers on Tennis Raquets?
I answer this question a lot. It’s a very interesting topic, highly debated by the tennis community. Some people swear by them. Others hate them. Some argue that they are great, because they change that annoying “ping” sound to a more satisfying “pop”. Makes them feel like they’ve hit the ball more successfully. And there’s no doubt that they do change the sound of impact. Their purpose is to reduce string vibrations. Less vibrations = more muted sound. But some people argue that they lose feel on their shots due to the dampening. This makes sense as well, because the dampener will reduce feedback (in the form of those vibrations) to your hand/arm when you hit. However, the reduction in actual frame vibration is minimal. I use them. My frames have too much power for me, but I can’t afford to upgrade right now. To combat the power, I string at high tensions. And I feel like using the dampener provides me with even more control. Without one, I feel like I’m hitting with a small trampolin
