Where do you put a Vibration Dampener?

According to the USTA's Official Rules of Tennis and the ITF rulebook, a vibration-damping device “may only be placed outside the pattern of the crossed strings.

Therefore, legally it can only be fitted in one of three places.

At the very top of the racquet, however, there's rarely enough room there.

At the extreme left or right of the frame, which doesn't seem very logical.

Near the throat of the racquet before the first cross string as per the picture below. The only logical spot.

There are no rules on the shape, but it has to be a reasonable size.

Vibration dampeners come in two main styles:

• Button
• Worm

Button Dampeners

Button dampeners are usually circular (sometimes square or cut out like a brands logo) like a button and are the more commonly seen compared to the worm style. Most pros go with these as they're easy to fit, which means removing and putting one in a freshly strung racquet before a ball change is a job you can do walking back to the service line.

Worm Dampeners

The other common type of vibration dampener is known as a “worm” dampener. This type of dampener is long and thin, and it is fitted by weaving it between several strings. As a result, it is in contact with more of the stringbed and produces more of a dampening effect on the sound.

Compared to button dampeners they are a bit faffy to fit, but once they're in, usually they won't come out.

Four Recommended Vibration Dampeners for 2021

Below our experts have highlighted three of the most common vibration dampeners used on the ATP and WTA tours, and they are all solid choices.

Wilson Pro Feel Dampener

The Pro Feel dampener takes the shape of the iconic W logo and is one you will see used by a number of pro's who are sponsored by or using Wilson racquets. 

Simple to fit/remove and it comes in several colours to complement your racquet or string job. 

The Pro Feel dampener takes the shape of the iconic W logo and is one you will see used by a number of pro's who are sponsored by or using Wilson racquets. 

Pete Sampras Tourna Vibration Dampener

The dampener made famous by Pistol Pete is the Tourna Dampener. It is also where the nickname for the product ‘doughnut' comes from. A straightforward design and one you see many pros using alongside Tourna overgrips.

Tecnifibre Vibra Clip ATP Logo Vibration Dampener

The Technifibre Vibra Clip is one of the unique designs of vibration dampener and a number of pros including Daniil Medvedev uses it.

Weighing in at just 2 grams, it is incredibly light and has a slightly different fastening system which locks it in place.

Babolat Flat Dampener

This one is an excellent choice for players who want to play around with the level of dampening as you can remove the clear rubber piece in the middle for more ball feel or keep it for extra dampening.