Why Do Table Tennis Players Breathe on Their Rubbers?

Last Updated on April 24, 2024 by Alex Horscroft

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Table tennis players do all sorts of things that may seem strange to someone who is not involved in the sport, and breathing on their rubbers is right up there as one of the weirdest. Yet, it has a purpose. I should know after all, as I breathe on my rubbers more than anyone I know. The simple reason is to maintain high levels of spin. I’ll discuss exactly how breathing on your rubbers achieves this.

Breathing on Your Rubbers Promotes High Spin

We all know that table tennis rubbers degrade over time and gradually lose their spin. While this is unavoidable, regular cleaning helps to prolong their life. What’s more, in the short term, cleaning removes all of the nastiness that the rubbers receive from making contact with the ball.

Sure dust and dirt are partially to blame, but the main culprit is ball residue. A fine dust-like powder that leaves small circular spots from where the ball made contact. To many people, these fine markings aren’t very noticeable, however, skilled players notice the change.

It is most evident when you open a new pack of table tennis balls, as these have far more residue than say a week-old ball. 

The most common solution is to clean your rubbers with rubber cleaner, however, you can’t use this mid-game. So what’s the solution? Your breath! When you breathe on your rubbers the water vapor in your breath condenses, essentially giving you water. This is usually sufficient to remove ball residue. Simply breathe on your rubbers and then wipe away with your hand. It’s also free so there are no downsides.

Why Should I Care About Spin?

To me, spin is the most powerful weapon in table tennis. Any player can fall victim to it if used well, and it’s far more versatile than speed. Up against a powerful flat hitter? Throw some heavy pushes their way and they will be lost. How about an inverted chopper? Overwhelm them with heavy topspin. 

Given the importance of spin, maintaining grippy rubbers throughout a match is highly advantageous. So you really should consider breathing on your rubbers to remove ball residue if you find your grip faltering. 

How Often Should I Breathe on My Rubbers?

If you want to start breathing on your rubbers, you should do so whenever you see ball marks left behind or feel a slight reduction in spin. 

As mentioned earlier, I breathe far more than most, simply because I never want to have to worry about ball residue impacting my game. I’d estimate I do it around 2 to 5 times per game depending on the pace of play. If I’m honest though, this is probably overkill.

Closing Thoughts

No, table tennis players who breathe on their rubbers haven’t lost the plot! They’re simply maintaining their grip by using the water vapor in their breath to wipe away ball residue. It’s the perfect way to clean your rubbers mid-game when you can’t use rubber cleaner. Not many people do it, but I’m an advocate! Spin is very important, and I’ll take any edge I can get.