Some questions about Edge tape, Gluing, impacts on gameplay

[ander999]

On the contrary to what a lot of people are saying here, I will provide my 2 cents.

1. Putting edge tape DOES affect the feeling of the blade, but for the average person it is not noticeable. Without edge tape my racket feels more crisp, and with edge tape that feeling is a little more muted. *For me*, I put edge tape 1/4 of my racket where I tend to hit the table the most.

2. I put 1 layer on the blade and 2 on the rubber. I am used to it and it provides more feeling to me. 1 is enough as well, just depends on what you are used to.

3. That time actually varies depending on what environment you are. Dryer environments dry quicker and humid take more time. I usually let 30-40 mins pass for each layer (in NYC). You can play immediately after, but best performance would be a day or 2 after so that the glue had time to harden.

I'm changing my rubber for the first time and Was just wondering what the experienced players think.

1) Does putting edge tape really hurts the "feeing" of the blade?
In term of pure gameplay, is it better to NOT put any edge tape? I get that it protects the blade, but someone told me that its a more natural feeling to play without edge tape. Do you agree?

2) how many layers of glue are you applying to the the blade and to the rubber? is 1 to each enough?

3) after you let the glue dry and put the rubber on the blade (20 minutes?) , how much time do we need to wait before we can start to play with the new rubber?

Thx for the advice, it's my first time changing rubbers myself.

 

[Tinykin]

This is why I use edge tape:

 

[lodro]

This is why I use edge tape:View attachment 34960

View attachment 34959

what am i supposed to see ?

 

[lipt0n]

what am i supposed to see ?

Top layer "disconnecting" from the rest of the blade. Had exactly same issue, and I didnt even hit that hard

 

[Lazer]

This is why I use edge tape:View attachment 34960

View attachment 34959

Exactly, happened to me too. And to seriously believe you ca feel the difference is ridiculous.

Cheers
L-zr

 

[lodro]

Top layer "disconnecting" from the rest of the blade. Had exactly same issue, and I didnt even hit that hard

OK, i get it now. You are trying to make me believe that the top veneer of the blade de-laminated because you did not have the edge-tape .
Right ???

 

[Tinykin]

OK, i get it now. You are trying to make me believe that the top veneer of the blade de-laminated because you did not have the edge-tape .
Right ???

Correct. It happened a couple weeks ago. I banged the side of the table quite hard.
On the bat below, the creases in the edge tape shows the banging it has received

 

[banbekas]

1. I don't use side tape coz my blade and my rubbers are cheap. Using edge tape also change the sound that I make when the edge hit the table.

2. I put 3 layers of glue on the rubber and 1 on the blade.

3. How long do I wait? Around 15 minutes for each glue. I play immediately after gluing it.

 

[kapahoo]

Lin Yun Ju had very unusual edge taping in the match against Franziska earlier today. Bits and pieces of tape on parts of the edge.

 

[_ak]

This is why I use edge tape:

still doesn't help much if you chop serve aggressively over the table and hit it

 

[TTCraze]

• Does edge tape affect the feeling of the blade?
  Yes — it definitely can. In my experience, the difference is noticeable. I had been using edge tape but removed it when re‑gluing my forehand rubber, and the change was surprisingly big:
  • The blade produced more vibration without the tape and felt less stiff.
  • The overall balance shifted slightly toward being more head‑light.
  • The racket felt a bit more hollow and less solid overall.
• How many layers of glue do you apply?
  For me, two layers on the rubber and two layers on the blade work well. This gives a strong bond but is still easy to peel off cleanly if I want to reuse the rubber later.
• After letting the glue dry, how soon can you play?
  As long as the glue has fully dried — usually around 15–20 minutes — you can glue the rubber on and start playing immediately.

Thanks.

 

[riemsesy]

I'm changing my rubber for the first time and Was just wondering what the experienced players think.

1) Does putting edge tape really hurts the "feeing" of the blade?
In term of pure gameplay, is it better to NOT put any edge tape? I get that it protects the blade, but someone told me that its a more natural feeling to play without edge tape. Do you agree?

2) how many layers of glue are you applying to the the blade and to the rubber? is 1 to each enough?

3) after you let the glue dry and put the rubber on the blade (20 minutes?) , how much time do we need to wait before we can start to play with the new rubber?

Thx for the advice, it's my first time changing rubbers myself.

1 edge tape has some weight, maybe that's reason why do use it to cover only part of the blade.
2. 1 on rubber 1 on blade. never had rubber detaching and I don't need the extra weight.
3. when glue is dried and clear.. you can touch with finger without sticking to it. Roll the rubber on, cut it and go play.

 

[golden_son]

• Does edge tape affect the feeling of the blade?
  Yes — it definitely can. In my experience, the difference is noticeable. I had been using edge tape but removed it when re‑gluing my forehand rubber, and the change was surprisingly big:
  • The blade produced more vibration without the tape and felt less stiff.
  • The overall balance shifted slightly toward being more head‑light.
  • The racket felt a bit more hollow and less solid overall.

I would venture that this had more to do with you re-gluing your rubber than with the edge tape. More glue, less glue, tension released from the rubber, tension added to the rubber...there are too many other variables.

Racket gluing is a very unscientific process that people try to make very nuanced conclusions over.

For what it's worth, I also only partially tape my racket, but I just prefer the way it looks without tape 😀. I'd go completely without if I didn't bang the table so much...

 

[Lando]

I've played with 0 tape and with 100% tape and I can't notice a difference. But I'm just an amateur

 

[TTCraze]

I would venture that this had more to do with you re-gluing your rubber than with the edge tape. More glue, less glue, tension released from the rubber, tension added to the rubber...there are too many other variables.

Racket gluing is a very unscientific process that people try to make very nuanced conclusions over.

For what it's worth, I also only partially tape my racket, but I just prefer the way it looks without tape 😀. I'd go completely without if I didn't bang the table so much...

Yes you are right, gluing does make a noticeable difference. I consistently apply two layers of glue on the rubber and two on the blade, and I followed the same process this time as well. For that reason, I do not believe the re-gluing itself caused the change. 🙂

Additionally, I always press the rubber onto the blade by hand rather than using a roller. There was no tension during application, after re-gluing, the rubber aligned perfectly with the blade, which also indicates that there was no shrinking.

 

[Doralikesmath]

I play away from the table so hitting the table is not a concern, but I still use some carbon fiber edge tapes from Gewo/Yasaka that adds like 2g to the racket, making it a bit more head-heavy while looking kinda cool. Personally, I think this is a very practical way to micro-adjust the balance of your paddle.

 

[Topspinslinger]

I do notice the balance of the blade being affected if I put a full round of edgetape on my blade.

But having some edgetape also protects the blade from damage is nice aswel.

There are thing's I worry about when playing tabletennis then that 2/3g of edgetape on my racket.

 

[sebi]

Correct. It happened a couple weeks ago. I banged the side of the table quite hard.
On the bat below, the creases in the edge tape shows the banging it has received

If you hit the table that hard no edge tap will safe you.

I use edge tap only on the parts where it can hit the table.
Unnecessary weight is not welcome 😂