How to Install a Racquet Dampener (Easy with Photos)

Racquet vibrations on the impact can be annoying. There are players who prefer stiffer contact for better control and feel. Some of the players find the sound to be better when they have a dampener in their racquet.

It is really up to you. But if you’re a beginner, This is how you set up a dampener in your tennis racquet.

Steps to Install a Racquet Dampener

• Find the middle of the bottom string. In this example, the middle is between the strings 6 and 7.

• Bring the dampener and notice the slots in which the strings should go into.

• Put some pressure on the dampener and squeeze it inside the first middle main string

• Now put pressure from the other direction to fit the dampener between the middle strings

• Finally, the dampener should be inside the middle main strings, and the bottom cross string.

How to Remove the Dampener from the Racquet?

If you want to remove the dampener, simply put lateral pressure to take out the slots. Be careful not to break the racquet strings though.

Why Use a Racquet Dampener?

If you are familiar with tennis, you notice top players like Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic using a racquet dampener in their game. There should be reasons why they do so.

As the name suggests, a racquet dampener is used to reduce the vibration of the racquet strings bed on the impact.

It doesn’t have a significant effect on your game. The only major change is the sound of the ball, which can become cleaner and give you the feeling of a good strike without the “bing” sound.

Also note that there are many top players who don’t use a racquet dampener, like Roger Federer or Serena Williams.

According to racquetinc.com, these are the dampener usage rates among professional tennis players.

ATP players	58% use a dampener
WTA players	76% use a dampener

In the end, it all comes down to personal preference.

Where to Put a Racquet Dampener Legally?

According to the ITF rules, you can put a dampener anywhere outside the edges of the main or the cross strings (in the orange zones below).

However, all the players place them typically at the bottom of the racquet.

Final Words

We hope that you learned how to install your racquet dampener with this guide. If you are a beginner, try it out to see if it suits your game or not. It is all about personal preference 🙂