Ultralight AMbelievable Dampener Reduces Vibration For Better Tennis Playing

Djokovic, Nadal, Sharapova and Williams – all four of these legends use a dampener on their tennis rackets. Dampeners, also known as shock absorbers, are small pads made of rubber or silicone that are clamped between the strings on the racket to reduce vibrations. And now they can also be created using additive manufacturing. Italian startup Additive Appliances has created a patented dampener using 3D printing. Named AMbelievable, it is particularly impressive for its innovative functionality, material, sustainability and customizability.

The Turin-based startup has set itself the goal of actively shaping the next era of consumer goods. According to them, consumer goods of the future should be customizable, sustainable and high-performance in order to make everyday life better. And for the young company, one thing is certain: there is no way to accomplish this without additive manufacturing! With the AMbelievable™ tennis dampener, the startup is launching a product aimed at all tennis players at every level to improve their game and prevent injuries.

Italian company Additive Appliances specializes in the manufacture of consumer products and is launching the AMbelievable™, an innovative tennis dampener (photo Credits: Additive Appliances)

When a tennis ball hits the strings during a stroke, this creates vibrations that are transmitted through the strings to the frame of the racket. The vibrations are transmitted to the player’s limbs and can contribute to their fatigue and promote injuries such as the dreaded tennis elbow. Dampeners can reduce vibrations at certain frequencies, but not all dampers are created equal and often a player has to extensively test to find the right material for them. Some dampeners, however, lead to a loss of feel and therefore control on the ball. Some players therefore do without the damper and accept the risk of injuries. With the AMbelievable™ Tennis Racket Dampener, Additive Appliances offers a product that dissipates only certain vibrations and improves feel.