It’s only normal for a table tennis racket’s rubber to wear off after a while. Constant exposure to dirt, frequent use, and even regular cleaning can wear away the rubber’s texture and dampen the way it performs. Plus, older rackets can also have rubbers peeling away from the blade – a likely possibility when you consider the fact that they’re only held in place by a thin film of glue.
Now, before you toss out your paddle in search of a brand new one all together, you might want to consider replacing the rubbers instead. This can be particularly practical if you’ve got a pricey professional blade on your hands.
The best table tennis glue for rackets can help restore your paddle to its original shape, and save you the expense of buying a new racket all together. So if you’re on the hunt for a glue that will help bring your tired paddle back to life, our guide should start you off in the right direction
The Top 5 Best Table Tennis Racket Glues
1. Killerspin Table Tennis Torque AQ Glue
This water based glue has gotten quite a lot of attention in the market, thanks to its effective and easy formulation that makes rubber replacement hassle-free. Formulated to meet ITTF standards, this glue can keep your paddle in top shape without losing its viability for competitive use.
The entire set comes with an applicator clip, 15 applicator sponges, and an easy squirt bottle which dispenses just the right amount of glue with each use. The glue also comes in a medium thickness which is the ideal middle ground for optimum paddle performance.
2. Butterfly Table Tennis Racket Glue
With such a well-established name in the industry, it would be unreal for Butterfly not to have their own glue for paddles – and they don’t disappoint. The Butterfyl Free Chack Glue is a top rated ping pong racket adhesive thanks to its simple and straightforward use, and its reliable cling.
The entire set comes with a clip, 15 sponges, and an easy squeeze bottle to give you a complete package for all of your table tennis paddle maintenance needs. The only reason why we had to rank it a little lower is because it takes slightly longer than other glues to dry.
3. JOOLA Table Tennis Rubber X-Glue with Green Power
Another water based glue we can recommend is the JOOLA Table Tennis Rubber X-Glue with Green Power. The formulation is free from solvents, so its 100% safe not just during application, but as you use your newly restored paddle.
The package doesn’t come with any clips or sponges which we thought was a bit of a setback. But if you already have the necessary tools at home and you just need glue to put your rubber back in place, this affordable solution might be the ideal choice.
4. iNNOGLUE Easy Spread Table Tennis Rubber Glue
If you’re looking for a complete set at an affordable price, the iNNOGLUE Easy Spread Table Tennis Rubber Glue can be a suitable pick. This package can be a steal for buyers on a budget.
The glue is a concentrated emulsion that’s compliant with ITTF standards. It’s highly elastic and helps improve the performance of your rubber to give it a little extra bounce. Of course, it’s a little more fickle to work with compared to the more expensive formulations, but it definitely gets the job done.
5. Donic Formula First Table Tennis Glue
This ITTF compliant table tennis rubber adhesive comes in a unique bottle with an attached sponge applicator that’s intended to make the process of gluing your rubber a little easier. It’s definitely a lot more affordable than any other choice on our list, which is why it’s become quite popular among buyers.
Personally, we found the applicator to be a bit of a hit or miss. Because it changes the way you apply glue, it’s hard to tell whether you’ve applied enough or too much. It’s also worth mentioning that the sponge might not be able to spread the glue as efficiently as the clip and spreader combination that other glues offer.
Nonetheless, if you do manage to learn how to use the Donic Formula First Glue, it can become a suitable staple for your paddle maintenance kit.
Tips on Gluing Table Tennis Rackets
It’s one thing to do something in theory, and another in practice. While the process of sticking a new rubber onto your paddle might not seem like such a complicated task, it’s very likely to make a mistake especially if you’re trying for the first time.
To avoid a botched rubber replacement job, take these tips with you.
Read the Instructions
This one might seem like a no-brainer, but there are a lot of people out there who mess up a rubber replacement because they don’t read the glue’s instructions. Sure, the process might not seem complicated enough to warrant an in-depth review of the instructions. But different glues might come with minute differences in usage that result to major differences in outcomes.
Read the instructions and make sure to follow through. For instance, some glues might require just one pea-sized drop, and others might require more. Making sure that you put just enough glue will help guarantee that your paddle won’t end up too thick to perform properly.
Sand it Down
There are very precise measurements to a ping pong paddle. Ensuring that these measures are followed will help optimize your racket for top performance.
Unless you’re aiming to compete with your racket, there’s no need to get too precise with your measurements. Simply making sure nothing ends up too thick can be a great advantage to your play.
If you inspect the surface or your blade and find some patches of dried glue, you can work these away with some fine sandpaper. Work the areas lightly and make sure you’re not thinning out areas of the blade to maintain an even topography.
Peel Diagonally
If there’s old rubber still on your blade, it would be best to make sure you’ve got every bit of it removed from the surface before you start gluing your new rubber. But don’t just have at it – pulling the rubber the wrong way can affect the blade.
Remember that a wooden blade might have splinters, and pulling straight upwards or downwards could cause these bits to come away from the wood. Always pull diagonally if there are bits of rubber left on the blade to prevent damaging the wood.
Have the Right Tools
There are a few things you might need on hand if you’re planning on re-gluing table tennis rubber. The first is a wide piece of board with one straight edge that can span the entire width of your paddle. The purpose of this is to spread the glue evenly across the surface of the blade, leaving to bubbles or uncoated areas.
The second thing you need to make sure you have is a rolling pin or a large bottle. Once the glue is on the blade, you’ll use this to apply the rubber. Roll the pin or bottle over the rubber several times once it’s on the blade to work away any bubbles and to make sure the entire surface area has made contact with the glue.
What to Avoid
Just as you might want to follow instructions for proper rubber and glue application, so to should you be careful to do anything that could damage your racket. Make sure you keep a mental note of these common mistakes to prevent any errors while you replace your rubber.
Know Your Rules
Planning to join a tournament? You should know that the International Table Tennis Federation has some pretty strict rules when it comes to the condition of your paddle. So it’s important to brush up on these regulations before you make any changes to your racket just to be on the safe side.
For instance, speed glue is commonly banned for tournaments because of the way it alters a paddle’s performance. In the same way, rubbers and adhesives that make your bat too thick can make it inadmissible in an official game.
Applying Rubber on Wet Glue
With a solid piece of rubber with zero breathability plastered over the bat’s blade, it’s impossible to get any air flowing through to dry out the glue. So make sure you don’t slap the rubber on before the glue has been given the chance to partially dry up.
Once you apply a thin layer of glue and spread it around, leave it exposed to air for a few seconds. You’ll know that you can place the rubber on it once it starts to feel tacky.
Forgetting the Edges
If you’ll notice, the rubber commonly works away from the edges of the paddle, instead of from the center towards the borders. That’s because the edges are most prone to wear, so glue in these areas can lose their grip much sooner than any other part of the racket.
When applying a new rubber, be sure you glue all the way to the edges to keep them from peeling away too soon. It also helps to put a substantial weight on the surface of your paddle to keep the edges in place as the glue dries up.
Bottom Line
Re-gluing rubber on a ping pong paddle is an easy and effective way to save some green and eliminate the need to keep repurchasing a brand new paddle. There are lots of choices for glue, but if you want nothing less than the best table tennis glue for rackets, we highly recommend the Killerspin Table Tennis Torque AQ Glue which is easy to use, reliable, and practical especially for players who want to breathe new life into their trusted racket.