Tack of the rubber gone

**EyyT** · 12-20-2020

It has been 3 weeks since I bought and sheet of 729 battle 2 gold edition and after a week and half it lost 100% of its tack (tackiness) and seems to be an euro/jap topsheet, the place I train its a basement and its dusty but I always clean it when I get home, I train for 2 times 1.5hour each week, I read some articles and thay all say to put a few drops of water and wipe it with your arm or clothe, I tried but the tack just go away after a few minutes.
When I peel the plastic film it is sticky but not tacky
Does anyone know how can I restore the tackiness?
A friend of mine told that someone put a bit of coca cola and it became more tacky than the original, does it actually work?

**Kuba Hajto** · 12-20-2020

Is it cold where you play? If it is cold and moist my rubber has same tendency.

Edit: You cleaned it yet?

**EyyT** · 12-20-2020

Originally Posted by Kuba Hajto

Is it cold where you play? If it is cold and moist my rubber has same tendency.

Edit: You cleaned it yet?

Now its cold, is the start of the winter

**EyyT** · 12-20-2020

Is it normal for the rubber to loose the tackiness faster in the winter?

**UpSideDownCarl** · 12-20-2020

You have to clean it intermittently during play as well. If you watch top players, they will breath moisture onto their topsheet and then wipe with their hand. If you don't have access to a damp sponge, that will work. But you should clean frequently if you are playing in a setting that is dusty. I would take, just a regular kitchen sponge and make it damp, and wipe the topsheet every so often.

**EyyT** · 12-20-2020

Originally Posted by UpSideDownCarl

You have to clean it intermittently during play as well. If you watch top players, they will breath moisture onto their topsheet and then wipe with their hand. If you don't have access to a damp sponge, that will work. But you should clean frequently if you are playing in a setting that is dusty. I would take, just a regular kitchen sponge and make it damp, and wipe the topsheet every so often.

I will do this when I get a new sheet or when the tack is restored, but for now the thing I need to know is how can I restore not maintain it, but I appreciate your tips

**Kuba Hajto** · 12-20-2020

As UpSideDownCarl said. Winter sucks for rubbers. In my experience tacky rubbers suffer a lot. Not only they got hard (which makes it harder to use) but they also are getting covered by small particles of water that prevent grip. During play breath on it every know and then and wipe them clean.

**Kuba Hajto** · 12-20-2020

Originally Posted by EyyT

I will do this when I get a new sheet or when the tack is restored, but for now the thing I need to know is how can I restore not maintain it, but I appreciate your tips

Have you considered option that tackiness is still there and the problem is that dirt "sticked to the tackines"?

**EyyT** · 12-20-2020

Originally Posted by Kuba Hajto

Have you considered option that tackiness is still there and the problem is that dirt "sticked to the tackines"?

What dirt?

**Kuba Hajto** · 12-20-2020

Originally Posted by EyyT

What dirt?

The white crap that new balls are covered with, the dust that lingers in the air. Give the rubber clean with water and stick the cover as soon as it is dry. During next practice check whether it is any better. BTW, did you notice decrease in spin capability?

**EyyT** · 12-20-2020

Originally Posted by Kuba Hajto

The white crap that new balls are covered with, the dust that lingers in the air. Give the rubber clean with water and stick the cover as soon as it is dry. During next practice check whether it is any better. BTW, did you notice decrease in spin capability?

I think is normal to the ball spin less when your rubber isnt tacky, cuz the tack grips the ball and spin

**EyyT** · 12-20-2020

Originally Posted by Kuba Hajto

The white crap that new balls are covered with, the dust that lingers in the air. Give the rubber clean with water and stick the cover as soon as it is dry. During next practice check whether it is any better. BTW, did you notice decrease in spin capability?

But the rubber just doesnt gets tacky it just looks like a semi.smooth it doesnt stick anything to i, is just rubbery but no smooth as eurojap rubber

**Kuba Hajto** · 12-20-2020

At my new place I have used Battle 2 prov, used Battle 2 prov gold and new new sheet of battle 2 gold. I will compare the sheets when I am back and get back to you.

Originally Posted by EyyT

I think is normal to the ball spin less when your rubber isnt tacky, cuz the tack grips the ball and spin

I don't think that is the case. Two perspectives here:
- yogi said that Omega VII China is not as tacky as Hurricane 3 but does show properties of tacky rubber and is spinny heck
- I've had sheets of Hurricane 3 prov which were less tacky then commercial Hurricane 3 and yet they were at least same spin as the commercial ones

I think that stickiness slows the balls and stops adding the spin at some point, so there probably there is a point of diminishing returns. I think that manufacturers want to provide a sweet spot. But who am I to judge...

Also one thing you can doo is to boost the sponge. (stretched topsheet sticks better to the ball? I don't fully know how it works on physics level but rubbers I had did stick to balls more after boosting)

**EyyT** · 12-20-2020

Originally Posted by Kuba Hajto

At my new place I have used Battle 2 prov, used Battle 2 prov gold and new new sheet of battle 2 gold. I will compare the sheets when I am back and get back to you.

I don't think that is the case. Two perspectives here:
- yogi said that Omega VII China is not as tacky as Hurricane 3 but does show properties of tacky rubber and is spinny heck
- I've had sheets of Hurricane 3 prov which were less tacky then commercial Hurricane 3 and yet they were at least same spin as the commercial ones

I think that stickiness slows the balls and stops adding the spin at some point, so there probably there is a point of diminishing returns. I think that manufacturers want to provide a sweet spot. But who am I to judge...

Also one thing you can doo is to boost the sponge. (stretched topsheet sticks better to the ball? I don't fully know how it works on physics level but rubbers I had did stick to balls more after boosting)

But the topsheet doesnt have any tackyness, so its basically a non-chinese rubber

**EyyT** · 12-20-2020

I just want to know how can I restore the tackyness.

**merlin el mago** · 12-20-2020

REvolution 3 cleaner and rejuvenator.

Falco Life Expander.

**LordPippington** · 12-20-2020

Originally Posted by EyyT

I just want to know how can I restore the tackyness.

Get a rubber protector or some kind of plastic sheet like that, stick it to the rubber after cleaning, and then put rubber face down on a table with some heavy books or a 10+ pound weight on it. Leave for several hours

**UpSideDownCarl** · 12-20-2020

Originally Posted by EyyT

I just want to know how can I restore the tackyness.

If the issue is dust, it might be that the tackiness is blocked by the dust. If that is the case, cleaning frequently during play will actually restore the tackiness.

If something actually happened to the rubber to make the tackiness not be there, putting a small amount of baby oil on the topsheet and spreading it evenly and letting it sink in can help restore some of the grip for a short time. Covering the topsheet with a plastic protector after adding the oil will make it add more grip.

But if it is a real tacky rubber and it is only a few weeks old and you are playing in a location with lots of dust, I doubt it is the rubber and instead think it is the dust that has caused the topsheet to not be tacky.

And, again, if that is the actual case, then all you need to do is clean the topsheet frequently; like, every few points.

**UpSideDownCarl** · 12-20-2020

PS, I have never heard of a real tacky rubber losing its tackiness in 3 weeks without there being something like a microwave or crazy heat or cold involved. So, if you are playing in a dusty environment, I would see what happens if you clean the topsheet every 2-4 points. Thoroughly. With water. So you get everything off the topsheet.

If it does not work, try the baby oil. Not a lot. A dot the size of a penny. And then spread it evenly over the whole topsheet. And then put a plastic protector over the topsheet and leave it over night. The next day, it should be more tacky. If you left it for three weeks, it would more tacky than just over night.

But you should not add oil more than once every 6 weeks. If you add too often, it will have the reverse effect from the one you want.

**UpSideDownCarl** · 12-20-2020

By the way, not a few drops of water. It sounds like you need to take a damp sponge, clean the rubber; rinse the sponge, clean the rubber; rinse the sponge, clean the rubber: And repeat that several times until the topsheet is really....really clean. And then, clean every few points while playing. With that damp sponge.

If cleaning how I described really does not get the rubber to start playing how it should, then you may need to examine how you store your racket. Because, if it really is not the dust.....then it is possible that you did something to the rubber without knowing it.

But since it is 3 weeks old, and you are playing in a space that you described as dusty, my first guess, without seeing the racket, would be that the issue is dust.

Can you show a photo of the topsheet in question?

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