(Article courtesy Paddle Palace)
Regluing table tennis rubber sheets with speed glue is a practice that began in Europe around 1980. Since then it has become more popular among all ranks of players. Players reglue by first peeling off the rubber sheets from their blade. Next they put fresh glue on both the blade and rubber sheets, and finally replace the rubbers back onto the blade. One big effect that gluing has on the rubber is to make it swell. The rubber sheet, when 'swelled' becomes much softer, allowing the ball to penetrate further into the sponge, in effect, making longer contact with the blade. The result is more speed and spin. The softer sponge also markedly increases the time the ball stays on your racket (dwell time), so it can also increase control. Most manufacturers have special rubber sheets designed for regluing, which are a little softer than other rubber sheets.
Currently almost all top players in the world reglue their rackets. The recent trend in gluing is that intermediate level players have also started to reglue more than before. It is now very common for 1500 level players to reglue.
The most recent developments by the manufacturers are new long lasting glues. With these new glues, the effect on your racket stays pretty constant for about three days. This is especially appealing to intermediate level players, who might have heard about the benefits of regluing but still think it is too much of a hassle to reglue each time they play.
Traditional speed glue has a maximum effect of about two hours, then it tapers off. Professional players need to put at least three coats of glue on with an allowed primer time before they reach maximum performance. The precise ways in which the glue changes the effect on the rubber sheets is still under research.
Today manufacturers are developing rubber sheets that have regluing characteristics, but without the glue. Those rubber sheets have a close resemblance to a glued rubber sheet but are still pretty far from the real deal. ITTF hopes that by 2007 the manufacturers will be able to make rubber sheets with the same characteristics as when fresh glue is applied. However, at this time nothing on the market has a close enough resemblance for the better players to consider using it. Players who prefer not to reglue should try a rubber sheet that claims to have regluing effects in it. But be careful, you might like it so much you will want to move up to what the big boys and girls are doing!
Hazard Warnings
Another issue that has been talked about is the negative health effects of gluing. When the international governing body (ITTF) decided to ban certain harmful chemicals from glue in 1993, gluing definitely became much less hazardous. Today pumping gas has a much higher health risk than gluing your racket. When I started to reglue in 1981 I put the glue containing the old harmful chemicals on my hand and spread it on my racket. That is a dangerous practice that we hope to never see again. If you are careful to glue in well-ventilated areas, you should not encounter a higher health risk than washing your clothes with a regular detergent.
The benefits of the new long lasting glue
- It is cheaper. Each time you peel off the rubber sheet it creates wear and tear. With long lasting glues you only need to apply every 3-4 days.
- The effect is more constant and it is easier to learn to play with.
- It is easier to apply with less variances than traditional speed glue.
- You can put it on the night before you play and avoid the hassle and mess of regluing in the playing hall.
- The build-up effect is less compared to regular speed glue.
- It is much easier to use in tournaments, and it will have a constant effect both days.
The negatives compared to traditional speed glue
- The effect is a little less than the traditional glue.
- You have to plan ahead. If you forget to glue you are in trouble. The drying time can sometimes be up to 2 hours.
- You have to learn about drying conditions in the air to do a good job with the application.
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What to think about with the long lasting glues?
Application is the most important issue. It is strongly recommended that you apply the glue the night before, to make sure the glue dries enough before you play. The rubber sheet dries slower than the blade, so always apply glue to the rubber sheet first. Normal drying time is 30 minutes, but it depends on the humidity in the air. In Las Vegas which is in the middle of the desert, drying time is faster but in Portland, OR, where it is more humid the drying time is longer.
To make sure the effect lasts as long as possible, put your racket in a plastic bag after you finish play. That will keep it airtight and the glue will evaporate slower.
The glue has very few actual attaching components in it, so it is good to use regular glue on the first application of a new rubber sheet to make sure it sticks properly. The use of a racket press is also a good idea.
Try the latest technology in Table Tennis and see if your game goes up as much as the professional player's claim. According to a 1998 study done in the US, a glued racket increases spin, speed, and control by up to 30%.
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