Rubber Life

Basmundo · May 6, 2020

OK so please bear with me as I am asking this because I am a relatively new to the modern game and have some catching up to do.
I am about to order a new bat setup using Tenergy rubbers. Please don't try to persuade me otherwise because this is the end of a long road involving many hours of research online and consultation with those that know what they are talking about such as the amazingly helpful UpSideDownCarl and also Konrad Bak.
It appears that the characteristics of the Tenergy sponge are unique for some reason, and other rubbers can only compare by boosting. I have also been led to believe that Tenergy rubbers have a limited life compared with other types. So my questions to those with greater knowledge are:

1. Why is their life so much more limited?
2. Is it because they have a form of boosting which I understand also has a limited period of effect?
3. Is it because that something evaporates from the sponge?
4. If this is the case, would the rubber deteriorate significantly while in storage and not being used?
5. Assuming that the process of deterioration is gradual, how will I know when to change the rubbers as I am not confident that I will?
6. Alternatively is the deterioration due to the physical deformation of the rubber/sponge and is something that can be judged by hours of playing?

Thank you in advance.

burhanayan · May 6, 2020

5. I decide to change my rubbers when my opponent start to return my slow high topspin shots much easier than before.

But I don't change my rubbers when I decide to because of slothfulness and rubbers' cost.

There is another solution for me. Boosting

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lasta · May 6, 2020

Hi Basmundo,

I understand that there is a lot to take in after some absence (I've been there too). But maybe you are spending your time focusing on the wrong things.

Short answer is rubbers degrade even when left unused but the "acceptable wear" level varies from person to person. World class players can go through more than one sheet every day. Some members on TTD regularly use rubbers more than 1 year old. Personally, I change between 4-6 months on 2-4 hours weekly average.

In the end: club fees, table rentals, gas, parking, energy bars, sports drinks, after-play drinks, and wife appeasement dinners add up a lot more than periodic rubber refreshes.

1. No more, no less
2. Most modern rubbers have "boosters" applied at the factory. You can tell because when you remove the rubber and put it back on your blade, it is smaller than before.
3. Yes, the "booster" evaporates/dries slowly (usually 4-5 weeks).
4. If not vacuum sealed, yes. I bought 3 sheets of the newest DNAs and Omegas before the virus situation. Played only once or twice each, but they've all lost their "shine".
5. Subjective. I change when grip is not as "tight" as I like, or when the sweet-spot feels softer than the surroundings etc. You can also see evidence of oxidation on older sheets (loss of color, clear white spots etc), or skipping in certain areas, but IMO, useful life has long passed on these sheets. Some people are more or less sensitive in this department.
6. Some people has posted in the range of 1XX playing hours, but again, subjective. Some people smash hard enough that there are visible and permanent topsheet damage after just one session.

Basmundo · May 6, 2020

lasta said:
Hi Basmundo,

I understand that there is a lot to take in after some absence (I've been there too). But maybe you are spending your time focusing on the wrong things.

Short answer is rubbers degrade even when left unused but the "acceptable wear" level varies from person to person. World class players can go through more than one sheet every day. Some members on TTD regularly use rubbers more than 1 year old. Personally, I change between 4-6 months on 2-4 hours weekly average.

In the end: club fees, table rentals, gas, parking, energy bars, sports drinks, after-play drinks, and wife appeasement dinners add up a lot more than periodic rubber refreshes.

1. No more, no less
2. Most modern rubbers have "boosters" applied at the factory. You can tell because when you remove the rubber and put it back on your blade, it is smaller than before.
3. Yes, the "booster" evaporates/dries slowly (usually 4-5 weeks).
4. If not vacuum sealed, yes. I bought 3 sheets of the newest DNAs and Omegas before the virus situation. Played only once or twice each, but they've all lost their "shine".
5. Subjective. I change when grip is not as "tight" as I like, or when the sweet-spot feels softer than the surroundings etc. You can also see evidence of oxidation on older sheets (loss of color, clear white spots etc), or skipping in certain areas, but IMO, useful life has long passed on these sheets. Some people are more or less sensitive in this department.
6. Some people has posted in the range of 1XX playing hours, but again, subjective. Some people smash hard enough that there are visible and permanent topsheet damage after just one session.

Thank you Lasta. That all makes good sense.

Jimbob MacInbred · May 6, 2020

Basmundo said:
1. Why is their life so much more limited?

Thank you in advance.

One reason might be how todays topsheets are designed: They are under a lot of tension before being glued on the sponge (in fact Butterfly claims that the topsheet of the Tenergys are stretched 300% more than older/classic rubbers; i. e. topsheets); ESN Tensors like Evolution or Rasanter are also high tension rubbers and boosting these rubbers adds to the problem of limited life span of a rubber.

Basmundo · May 6, 2020

So, based on the above info., for the following reasons I am assuming that it would not be a good idea to order my new bat fitted with Tenergy rubbers now:-

1. The rubbers have been in storage at the retailers for months now during the lockdown and potentially deteriorating, or is the fact that they are sealed in their packaging preventing this?
2. We don't know when the UK will be able to resume TT so it is presumably not a good idea to have the rubbers sitting on the bat deteriorating for months without using?

lasta · May 6, 2020

Basmundo said:
So, based on the above info., for the following reasons I am assuming that it would not be a good idea to order my new bat fitted with Tenergy rubbers now:-

1. The rubbers have been in storage at the retailers for months now during the lockdown and potentially deteriorating, or is the fact that they are sealed in their packaging preventing this?
2. We don't know when the UK will be able to resume TT so it is presumably not a good idea to have the rubbers sitting on the bat deteriorating for months without using?

Dude...too far! If it is on a shelf, do whatever you have to do to convince yourself it is new.

Jimbob MacInbred · May 6, 2020

Basmundo said:
So, based on the above info., for the following reasons I am assuming that it would not be a good idea to order my new bat fitted with Tenergy rubbers now:-

1. The rubbers have been in storage at the retailers for months now during the lockdown and potentially deteriorating, or is the fact that they are sealed in their packaging preventing this?

Only if the rubbers had been on the shelf for a long time and had been exposed to direct sunlight extensively, then you should be careful (however we as customers usaually cannot tell how a particular store treats that issue and we have no influence on how rubbers are stored). Otherwise you can also play with a rubber that had been on the shelf in the original packaging for some time.

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Rubber Life

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