Massage gun attachments are the difference between owning a percussion device and actually knowing how to use one: the flat head, ball, bullet, fork, dampener, and scraper each change how the same motor treats a muscle, and using the wrong head on the wrong tissue is why so many massage guns end up in a drawer. Here's what each attachment does, when to reach for it, and how JAWKU — the sports performance brand behind the Muscle Blaster line — organizes its head system.
Why the head matters as much as the gun
A massage gun delivers percussions; the attachment decides how that energy lands. A wide, firm face spreads force across a broad muscle. A narrow tip concentrates it into a knot. A soft or dampened face takes the edge off for sensitive spots. Same gun, completely different treatment.
JAWKU builds its percussive therapy line around this idea. Its compact Muscle Blaster Mini ships with 4 massage heads and 3 speed settings running from 1,600 up to 2,800 percussions per minute — the head choice is how you tune that output to the body part. The brand's larger V2 and Chrome guns support a wider attachment ecosystem, sold as individual heads, bundles, and full kits.
The core four: heads every massage gun owner should know
- Flat head — the default. The generalist face for large muscle groups: quads, glutes, pecs, lats. JAWKU's Chrome Flat Head version is designed to go over clothes easier and to be used with oils and lotions, which makes it the pick for post-training sessions where you're not changing clothes first.
- Ball — the cushioned all-rounder. A softer first touch for the same big muscles, and the traditional starting head for anyone new to percussion. JAWKU's Chrome bundle includes both a Chrome Ball and a generic ball, so you can pick firmness by feel.
- Bullet — the precision tip. Concentrated force for knots, trigger points, and small targets like forearms and feet. The Chrome Bullet, like the flat head, is built to work over clothes and with oils and lotions.
- Fork — the spine-and-tendon specialist. The twin-pronged head that straddles what you shouldn't hammer directly — the muscles alongside the spine, or either side of an Achilles. JAWKU includes a fork attachment in its Muscle Blaster Chrome bundle.
The specialist heads: dampener, scraper, and hot/cold
Beyond the core four, JAWKU's newer V2-generation attachments cover the situations where standard heads fall short:
- Dampener. A shock-absorbing face for the places a firm head feels like too much — the JAWKU Dampener is one of the newest attachments in the brand's percussive therapy line, compatible with the Muscle Blaster V2 and Chrome.
- Scraper. A blade-profile head that brings scraping-style muscle work into the percussion routine, again V2 and Chrome compatible.
- Hot/Cold Ball. The most specialized of the set: a ball head designed for temperature therapy alongside percussion. Note the compatibility warning — JAWKU states this one is only compatible with the Muscle Blaster V2, and the brand may ask you to confirm your unit at purchase because it can cause damage to other units.
That compatibility point generalizes: attachments are not universal, even within a brand. JAWKU flags that some V2-kit attachments will not work with other JAWKU Muscle Blaster units, and mixing heads across brands is even less predictable. Check the fit before you buy, and when in doubt the brand's support line ([email protected]) is the tiebreaker.
Buying strategy: single heads, bundles, or the full kit
JAWKU sells its attachment system three ways, and the right entry point depends on where you're starting:
- Already own a V2 or Chrome? The New V2 Attachment Kit is the complete package: a V2 carrying case with a 7-attachment holder, plus the Chrome Flat Head, Chrome Bullet, Hot/Cold Ball, Dampener, and Scraper.
- Want just the new-generation heads? The V2 Attachment Bundle carries the same five specialist heads without the case.
- Building a classic set? The Chrome Attachment Bundle covers the fundamentals — Chrome Ball, Chrome Flat Head, generic flat head and ball, fork, bullet, and a carrying pouch.
Starting from zero — no gun at all? The Muscle Blaster Mini is the brand's entry point: the smallest and lightest massage gun on the market by JAWKU's claim, at only 1 lb, smaller than an iPhone Max, with 40 lbs of stall force, noise reduction under 40 decibels, and its 4 heads and carrying case included. It also comes in 2-pack and 3-pack bundles for households where the gun keeps walking off. Our JAWKU recovery tools buying guide compares the guns themselves in detail, or you can browse the whole ecosystem at JAWKU.
A simple routine that uses the heads properly
A head-by-head session structure, using the roles above:
- Warm-up (pre-training): ball or flat head, fast passes over the big movers — 30 seconds per muscle group, nothing aggressive.
- Post-training flush: flat head over quads, glutes, and back; switch to the fork alongside the spine and Achilles.
- Knot work: bullet head, slow and stationary on the trigger point, easing pressure to tolerance — this is where JAWKU's 3-speed range earns its keep at the low end.
- Sensitive areas or rest days: dampener head, low speed.
- Hard-to-reach spots: JAWKU's Back Buddy — a universal massage gun holder that the brand says works with almost any massage gun brand — holds the gun with suction mounts so you can work your own back, shoulders, and glutes without contorting.
For the legs-heavy days, percussion pairs naturally with pneumatic compression: JAWKU bundles its Prime Compression Boots — a heated, wireless full-leg compression system — with the Muscle Blaster Mini for exactly that stack. The brand's whole catalog, from timing systems to recovery gear, is built around its #GetFast-and-recover-quicker pitch; our full JAWKU brand review maps the lineup end to end.
Attachment FAQ
Which massage gun attachment is best for beginners?
The ball, then the flat head. Both spread force across large muscles, which keeps early sessions comfortable while you learn your tolerance. Save the bullet for when you can already tell a knot from ordinary soreness.
Can I use massage gun heads over clothes?
Some are designed for it: JAWKU's Chrome Flat Head and Chrome Bullet are explicitly built to go over clothes easier and to work with oils and lotions. Smooth chrome faces glide where rubberized heads drag on fabric.
How do speed settings interact with attachment choice?
Think of them as two dials on the same treatment. Wide heads (flat, ball) tolerate higher speeds because the force spreads out; narrow heads (bullet) generally want the lower end of the range, since all that energy lands on one small spot. On a gun like the Mini — 3 speeds spanning 1,600 to 2,800 percussions per minute, with adjustable amplitude and frequencies — the working rule is simple: the more focused the head, the slower the setting, at least until you know how the target tissue responds. Quiet operation helps here too; at under 40 decibels, the Mini lets you actually pay attention to how a muscle feels rather than bracing against the noise.
Do attachments fit every massage gun?
No — and this is the most expensive mistake in the category. JAWKU's hot/cold ball fits only the Muscle Blaster V2, several chrome heads fit only the V2 and Chrome, and cross-brand fit is never guaranteed. Match the attachment to your exact unit before checkout — the compatibility notes on each product page at JAWKU spell it out.