How to Glue Table Tennis Rubber on Blade

Can You Stick Rubber on Table Tennis Blade?

Does your table tennis racket look something like this? Has the rubber on your table tennis racket come off? Or has it completely deteriorated from the edges due to rough and long use? No need to worry because you can always replace the rubber instead of buying a new racket which, to be honest, is very expensive.

Many table tennis coaches and players are known to assemble their rackets themselves as it gives them more control over the quality of rubber, wood, and glue. But having the right knowledge and details of the quality is not something everybody knows. It takes years of practice and knowledge to find out what is it that you exactly need. If you are one of those who don’t have enough knowledge or experience to decide for yourself, you are in the right place. Now we will guide you step by step through the process. This article is about buying a quality table tennis rubber glue to stick a new set of rubbers to your paddle. Either you are assembling the racket for the first time or re-gluing it, it works for both!

Why Do You Need To Stick The Table Tennis Rubber?

It might seem like a silly question at first. Why do we glue the rubber on our paddle? To stick it firmly onto the wood right? That’s not the only advantage of using glue. Around 1980, experiments began on using different types of rubber glues for table tennis. Many players found out that certain types of glues produced a faster shot and more spin than the others. This gave them an advantage over their opponent and hence the development in the glue began.

Currently, International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has some very strict rules on using glue for rubber. So even if you are participating in a big tournament or not, it’s very important that you know which glues are legal to use. Rubbers that included organic and inorganic solvent compounds are strictly banned by ITTF and now only the water-based glues are used and approved. Keep in mind that glue quality decides how firmly and evenly is the vibration distributed across the bat when playing a shot. It will affect the speed and spin of the ball and that’s what we are going to talk about in the next section.

Glue Buying Guide

Which glue you buy depends on your budget and the quality you are looking for. I can only provide you the details on all the available options so that it is easier for you to choose from. The decision is always yours but after this article, you’ll be able to do it wisely and correctly. When buying a rubber glue, you’ll see options from as low as $3 to as high as $30-$40.

Will any type of glue work?

Can you use any glue to fix the bat? Most people use the glue for sticking wood pieces and other stuff at home. Although that glue can help, it won’t be completely effective. Table tennis glues can easily be removed from the racket while normal glues might give you a tough time doing so. Table tennis glues are well optimized for their use and can be easily applied, removed, and do the perfect job.

Rubber price vs Glue price

The final decision is based on two factors. Your need for quality and your budget. If you are using an expensive and high-quality rubber, why would you compromise on your glue quality and ruin the whole experience? If we compare the prices, a very small amount of glue is used on a bat and spending 15-20$ on glue will last several replacements. This is not a very expensive solution if we think in the long term but if your rubber is of low quality and you are using a locally manufactured rubber, then go with the cheap glue.

Best Table Tennis Glues Available

There are two types of basic rubber gules you can use to fix our paddle. Water-based glues and quick glue sheets.

Quick Glue Sheets

Quick glue sheets are the cheapest way to glue the rubber. They generally cost around $2-$5. They come in as sheets just like double-sided tape. You can stick the sheet into the wood and place the rubber on it. Simply roll over the rubber and wait for it to firmly hold into it and you are all set. Quick glue sheets are of low quality and aren’t that effective.

Water-based glue

Water-based glues are used all around and come at different varieties and prices. I would recommend using them. There are generally two categories. Regular and speed glues. Regular works for the majority and the speed is the next step when are a semi-pro. Make sure that the glue you buy contains organic free solvents and meets ITTF standards.

I would recommend you to either buy Butterfly glues or Joola glues for high-quality standards. You can shop them at any relevant stores online.

What you need to glue table tennis rubber?

To start with, you must have your glue, a set of rubbers to replace, your paddle, a roller, and a pair of scissors.

How to put rubber on table tennis blade?

• 1. Apply glue to the rubber and spread evenly on the whole pad. Let it dry for about 10 minutes until the glue starts to become a little transparent on the rubber. Until then, apply the glue onto the racket’s paddle.

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• 2. Apply some glue to the blade and spread evenly with a brush or your fingers. Let it dry along with the rubber until it becomes transparent.

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• 3.Now place the rubber on the paddle and make sure to align it properly. Take the roller or any straight object to roll the rubber over onto the blade. It will put pressure on the rubber and keep it in even contact with the blade.

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• 4. Now flip the blade over and cut the excess rubber from the edges. This is the most difficult part and requires accurate and precise cutting. I would recommend using a cutter as shown in the picture below.

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• 5. Remove any stickers or irregularities in cutting. Press the rubber gently and roll it so that the excess glue will be removed from the racket due to pressure. After that, keep the racket for some time to let it stick properly.

Repeat the same steps on the other side too and you are all set!

Now you have finally replaced your table tennis rubber using your desired glue. Now get back to practice and improvise. Good Luck!