Shock pads are becoming increasingly important in artificial turf systems. This is largely due to the trend towards using organic infill or less or no performance infill. Shock pad manufacturer Schmitz Foam Products has adapted its ProPlay shock pad range for mineral-infill and non-infill pitches.
Schmitz Foam Products is renowned in the synthetic turf industry for its widely used ProPlay-Sport shock pad made of recycled polyethylene foam. For decades, the company has delivered a complete range of shock pads tailored to different artificial grass systems. With years of knowledge and experience in the artificial turf industry and a strong passion for foam, Schmitz Foam Products continuously looks for opportunities to further develop the ProPlay shock pad – including solutions for specific applications such as non-performance infill pitches. Ron Lokhorst, Sales Manager Sports & Play, explains: "The move toward organic infill has increased the importance of the shock pad within synthetic turf systems. In systems without performance infill, the shock pad becomes essential, taking over its performance function."
Area elasticity
Technical Director Ron Moors was heavily involved in the development of ProPlay-Sport shock pads for non-infill and mineral-infill artificial turf systems. Moors explains: “In recent years, we have seen a clear market shift toward synthetic turf systems without performance infill. In these systems, the shock pad plays a decisive role in impact absorption, while a sand layer stabilizes the system. This means the shock pad must be soft enough to maintain point elasticity, yet robust enough to prevent that impact goes through the shock pad towards the subbase. The combination of low density and ProPlay’s characteristic thickness delivers exactly that balance. For sand-filled artificial grass systems without performance infill, we specifically developed ProPlay-Sport23/150.”
Looking forward
Moors expects the market to gradually move toward fully non-infill systems: “Several artificial turf manufacturers are investing in the development of non-infill systems that deliver optimal play performance without the need for infill. These systems are constructed more like natural grass pitches. The artificial turf includes a complete root zone, which inherently provides impact attenuation. However, this layer is highly point-elastic and therefore needs to be complemented by a stable shock pad. The shock pad ensures the right balance of elastic properties across the entire system.”
For these applications, Schmitz Foam Products primarily offers ProPlay-Sport15/215, specifically engineered to meet the performance demands of fully non-infill artificial turf systems. “With its exceptionally high density of 215 kg/m³, this shock pad provides a stable and reliable foundation for this type of artificial grass. It delivers effective impact attenuation without excessive vertical deformation, preventing impact forces from being transferred to the subbase. In combination with the artificial grass carpet, it absorbs impact in a way that replicates the behaviour of natural grass.”
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Opportunities
Lokhorst says that this new role for shock pads also creates new opportunities. “As shock pad manufacturers, we now play an even more decisive role in shock absorption, stability, and energy restitution. This means we can make artificial turf systems feel more like natural grass. Mineral-infill and non-infill systems will clearly differntiate true shock pad expertise in the market. These systems only succeed when combined with shock pads that deliver a truly natural playing experience. Naturally, this requires some adaptation, just as athletes once had to adjust to artificial grass. Playing on a non-performance infill field is different from playing on a traditional pitch. With ProPlay-Sport23/150 and ProPlay-Sport15/215, Schmitz Foam Products enables this transition."
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