EFFECT OF ATTACHlNG STRING DAMPERS ON VIBRATION CHARACTERISTICS OF A TENNIS RACKET

Abstract

The "damper", a small device attached to the tennis racket string-bed, is commonly used by tennis players with little scientific support for its functions. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of damper attachment on racket vibration characteristics. Two accelerometers attached at different locations were used to measure racket handle and string-bed vibration patterns with and without a damper. Ball-racket impacts were controlled by releasing the ball abve the racket for producing consistent impact intensity at four different locations. Although amplitudes of spring-bed acceleration could be reduced by the damper, vibration on the racket handle was not affected by the damper.