Squelching String Vibration and where should the vibration dampener sit?

This article was written to answer the following questions:

  • What is a String Vibration Dampener for a racquet?
  • Where should I install the String Vibration Dampener?

It seems that on a daily basis we are asked, “does that little do-hickey people use in their strings really do anything?” Our answer…Yes.

That little thing customers refer to is a String Vibration Dampener.  It can significantly quiet down string noise and dampen string vibration created by the ball impacting the strings.  We like to note that it is NOT a cure for tennis elbow, nor will it prevent tennis elbow. For players who are more serious about their game and like to feel and hear all of the string's feedback upon ball impact, we do not recommend using a string damper.

Dampeners are easy to install, come in many varieties and should be placed below the lower-most cross string, centered between the vertical strings.

SHOP TENNIS STRING VIBRATION DAMPENERS

SHOP RACQUETBALL STRING VIBRATION DAMPENERS (most cross over, but a few fit better in racquetball string patterns than tennis)

Note:  USTA Rules require that string dampeners are placed beneath (or on) the bottom cross string, as shown below.

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