Best Tennis Dampener

Your Guide

   Gavin Davison

A Tennis Dampener – What Is It, and What Is Its Purpose?

A tennis dampener, also known as a shock absorber, is something that many tennis players prefer to play with.

There are many different designs and variations out there for this clever piece of equipment, but the overall reason for using one remains the same.

By placing a dampener on your racket, you are eliminating the vibration and shock that can come through the arm when striking the ball.

And if you are new to the world of tennis dampeners, here’s how you use them correctly:

So now that you know how to use them, you are ready to roll and pick the right dampener to suit your preferences.

Many professional players actually use dampeners too, and fun fact for you – many professionals actually used rubber bands as dampeners until the rubber ones became as sophisticated as they are today.

A prime example of this would be Andre Agassi!

I’m not suggesting you run and out and start playing with rubber bands on your racket, just to clear that up.

I’m merely showing how privileged we are to now have stylish and advanced dampeners that do the job without requiring the more creative solutions!

And now, I’d like to show you five of the best dampeners in the market today, which will most certainly serve you well if you want to eliminate the vibrations when hitting a ball.

Let’s get started!

My Top Five Tennis Dampeners

Wilson Emoji Dampener

Who doesn’t love a good emoji?

I certainly do, and Wilson has developed an awesome range of emoji-themed dampeners to choose from.

Sure, you won’t find many professionals using these dampeners, but they are fun to use and cool to look at.

Some may even improve your mood if you are having a rough time out there on the court!

And if you were so inclined, Wilson sells these things in bulk.

Key Features

• Many different faces to choose from
• Cheap and cheerful
• Button design

Pros

• Can buy in bulk from Wilson
• Fit snugly on the string

Cons

• Not all adults keen on emoji dampeners

Babolat Custom Dampener

I truly respect Babolat as a tennis brand. Whatever they manufacture, whether it be shoes, rackets, grips, or dampeners, they always do things right.

And these dampeners are certainly NO EXCEPTION.

The design on them is cool, they do their job effectively, and since they are not solid in the middle, many players actually prefer them.

This makes them a little easier to place on the strings too, which is perfect for if you have a hard time with this.

Key Features

• Streamlined design (hole in middle)
• Fit tightly on upper and side string
• Two different colors

Pros

• Decent price for two dampeners
• Color-coordinated with Babolat’s top rackets

Cons

• Can tear easier than solid dampeners

Head Xtra Damp

If it’s endorsed by the great Novak Djokovic, it has to be good, right?

I have personally used this dampener on my rackets in recent times, and I can confirm, it does remove complete vibration when hitting the ball.

I prefer things this way in tennis, whereas some players prefer to feel a little ping or vibration to actually ‘feel’ the stroke.

That’s all down to personal preferences, but if you hate that ping sound and you aren’t too fond of any vibration going up your arm, this is one to consider.

Key Features

• Endorsed by Djokovic
• Very cheap price
• Removes all vibration

Pros

• Easy to put on the racket
• All packets come with two dampeners

Cons

• Just one color to pick

MSV Vibration Dampener

You don’t often see these designs anymore. I can remember as a kid when everyone had these dampeners, but they seem to have all but disappeared.

However, they are actually highly effective at removing the shock associated with striking the ball.

As you’ll notice, rather than a button-style design, this one follows a ‘snake-style’ design, which weaves in and out of all of the strings to provide optimum vibration dampening.

The beauty of these is that you can stretch them out to improve how much the vibration gets taken away too, which is pretty cool.

Key Features

• Snake-style design
• Doesn’t risk flying off like button designs
• Can adjust the vibration dampening

Pros

• Easy to take on and off
• Unique design compared to others

Cons

• Not many styles to choose from

Roland Garros Dampener

I’m not really one for merchandise and using fancy pieces of equipment purely because of a name, but I’ll make an exception for this one.

Roland Garros is an awesome tournament, and since these dampeners are awesome at what they do, as well as being cheap on cost – I had to include them in my list.

I love the thicker circular design on these, as it means they fit on the string better, and it makes them easy to put on and take off – something which can get quite annoying if this isn’t a feature!

Key Features

• Official Roland Garros dampener
• Designed by Wilson – top brand
• Button design to fit tightly on string

Pros

• Aesthetically very cool
• Decent price for official merchandise

Cons

• Can fly off easy at times

And the winner is …

I have to confess here – I’m a big fan of the Emoji dampeners!

Not only do they serve their purpose incredibly well, but they also add a nice bit of fun to the game.

They are adaptable to suit all ages too, which is why you’ll often see kids running into the pro shops to grab these dampeners, but adults also use them too.

I myself use a Wilson Emoji dampener, although the Emoji I choose to go for depends on the day and the mood!

But that’s the beauty of these things, you can grab plenty of them and mix and match to spice up your tennis games.

All in all, I’d say that these are the pick of the bunch right now.

Which tennis dampeners do you use? Are there any great dampeners you know of that are missing? Do let us know in the comments!