How to Protect my new racket?
Equipment
Arham Naeem Asked 7 years ago
Hi,
I bought a new racket recently and wanted to know how i can prolong its life. Should i put tape around its edges? If so, which tape should i use, the electric tape type? Any other ways to protect it?
And is it necessary to remove the transparent plastic covering from the surface of the racket?
Thanks in advance.
Jeff Plumb Answered 7 years ago
Hi Arham,
It's always exciting to get new equipment! As far as using edge tape, that does offer a little bit of protection in case you hit the edge of the bat on the table but it's certainly not essential. Normally a table tennis store can provide you with some special table tennis bat tape but I guess electrical tape would work too. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding edge tape for Arham?
And as for the protective sheets, these are to be used when you aren't playing so you definitely need to remove them when you are using the bat so that you can use the rubber to generate spin. They also aren't strictly necessary. As long as you clean your bat with some water using a damp cloth, then make sure the rubber is dry, and store your bat in a bat cover, and keep it out of direct sunlight and heat, then you've done all you can. As a rough guide a table tennis rubber will last around 80 to 100 playing hours, after that it will need replacing as it will have lost it's grip.
For more information on looking after your table tennis bat, have a watch of the videos in the care of your equipment module.
Thoughts on this question
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martin k Posted 7 years ago
You do not need any fancy edge tape as long as it sticks well. I usually prefer the wider textured/woven ones, 12mm or so. You can get edge tape from any brand, being it Butterfly, Yasaka, Tibhar, Stiga, Donic etc. They are more or less the same. As mentioned, it is just a little bit of protection. From time to time you might hit the the table with the racket, or if you are really unfortunate, the racket can fly out of your hand and maybe hit a wall or the floor. Hopefully not a player in doubles, that is really scary :P Happened to me at least a couple of times. When you remove the edge tape and rubber, you might see that the blade still splinters off some places around the edge, but it should not affect it too much.
Besides that, you got good advice on cleaning and storage from Jeff. Buy one of the larger racket covers that got a little padding or space for a couple of rackets , and you should be fine. They are quite cheap. I would avoid those thin small ones, shaped like a racket that barely fit. Sometimes you might get one with a preassembled racket. I would just throw it away.
Rohan Keogh Posted 7 years ago
Arham, I like the softer/padded edge tapes (there are several) but they do add a tiny bit of extra weight. I always use a tape wide enough (usually 12 or 15mm) to cover the blade edge and the rubber edge. This helps prevent table hits lifting the rubber along the edges. However, simple electrical tape will do the job too. Just rub/press it down well and trim to fit. Either way, I recommend using some form of edge tape.
Follow Jeff's cleaning and storage advice and pay particular attention to "make sure the rubber is dry" - really dry before storing it in any enclosed bag. This also applies to the handle since it can be damp from sweat or cleaning too.