Table tennis paddle and ball

Table Tennis Glue Alternative – The importance of the paddle rubber

There are a lot of alternatives for table tennis glue that are cheaper and works better than glue but before having a look at them let’s understand a little bit about table tennis. 

Table tennis is a two or four players game in which the players have to hit a small lightweight ball with the help of small rackets. This game is played on a hard table which is divided by a net, this game involves rules which everyone is supposed to follow and this game is also known as ping pong and whiff-whaff. 

The role of glue in table tennis 

The glue plays an important role in table tennis as it decides the consistency of rubbers performance and the amount of spin. Only the professional or dedicated players can understand how crucial this is because they glue and reglue frequently to maintain the quality and speed of the combination spin. A lot of people suffer because they don’t know how and why to use the glue properly.

There are many different types of glue used in different evolution, let’s have look at some glues and how to use them in table tennis.

  • Speed glue – This glue is banned in a lot of competition due to the dangerous and poisonous compounds it contains. This glue is used on rubber but it contains a lot of volatile organic compounds.
  • VOC based glues – VOC stands for volatile organic components, this glue is banned by ITTF in competitions. At some City levels, it is allowed to use this glue but if this does not evaporate fast then the umpire can stop you from playing the game. 
  • Non – VOC – This is a water-based glue and it is allowed by IITF in the competitions, it is also one of the best glues which you can use for the best rubber performance in table tennis. This glue is more often used by professional players. 
  • Booster – This glue is also called a tuner, it is a chemical substance that is used to tune the rubbers so that it can add more spin and speed. Unfortunately, this glue is also banned by IITF, it is hard to identify this glue but if you are caught using this glue then you won’t be able to play the game.
  • Butterfly free chack glue – This glue is used by a lot of professional tennis players. This glue is not only strong and clean but also it is easy to remove and it dries fast, it does not leave any kind of funky smell and you can just use it with the help of a clip.
  • Donic Vario clean glue – It is water-based glue, the players who usually play in clubs use it. It is very easy to use and dries within 12 to 15 minutes. It is transparent glue that you are supposed to spread evenly on the sheet with the help of a clip tool and sponge.
  • Revolution 3 glue – This glue is used for Chinese rubbers, it is a very strong and thick glue that is designed for the heart Chinese sponge. You are supposed to apply 3 layers of this glue because more than that might cause you trouble like peeling it off.
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Alternatives to table tennis glue

Sometimes you don’t have the glue, you might have finished it is or you think that the glues are expensive and you are want something thing that you can use instead of using glue.

  • The first thing you can do is to keep your table tennis racket in a pressure box, by this you can stabilise or expand the inbuilt glue effect. All you have to do is to put the racket in the pressure box and then tighten the screws and pump it till you reach over the I bar. 
  • You can also, use a silicon-based water tube, this not only works better than the glue but is also a lot cheaper than it. you don’t need it in a large quantity. It is also easy to remove as it comes off due to the silicon. 
  • If you want to reglue then all you have to do is just use a damp sponge and some warm water to dissolve the old paste, this option is water-based and VOC free.
  • There is also a very inexpensive alternative which is a tear mender. It is easily available on both online and offline platforms and it is a water-based latex glue. It is easy to separate and you just have to press a little to stick it.
  • You can also use Elmers as a lot of people have used it and they had not haven problem, it is not only cheap but is also easily available. To use this all you have to do is to put 2-3 layers of it on the rubber and that’s it. It is a rubber-based wrinkle-free cement.
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How to make your ping-pong paddle more sticky 

There are a lot of ways by which you can make your ping pong paddle more sticking and some of them are. 

  • You can use glue before you start the game which temporally increases the stickiness of the ping pong paddle and allows you to play freely.
  • When you buy a ping pong paddle that comes in a cover that you can place over your racket on the day you are not playing, it keeps your paddle clean and makes it non-sticky.
  • It is very important to clean your paddle to remove the existing dirt. It helps you to bring back the original stickiness and also you can also replace the rubber after using it for a while.

It is crucial to choose the right glue and also it is hard to select one alternative best for you especially when your match is close. Using unauthorised duplicate glue without permission can create a lot of trouble for you so In that case, you can use any of the alternative options mentioned above and have a blast in your match.