The importance of rubber care...

I've read quite a few posts complaining of oxidation of DHS sheets.

Here's how one method of care preserves the topsheet:

click to zoom

DHS Provincial Neo Hurricane 3 38 Degree 2.15mm.
150 hours of use.
Hand wipe during play.
Donic Bioclean after play.
Kinetix Rubber Rejuvenator every 50 hours.
Rubber protector sheets between play (and these are cleaned regularly).

Topsheet looks almost brand new :)

That does look good. Is that the blue sponge? I would like to know where I can buy the Skyline 3 blue sponge. I am more concerned about authenticity than a good deal. 

Tenergy 05

Hand wiped during play

BTY protectors after play

Cleaned with BTY Rushawa every 3 days

More than 250 hours of use

Edited by Vihito - 12/25/2011 at 12:31pm

Good info thanks.

Tinykin wrote: My team mate has had his bat for about 5-6 seasons. He has never cleaned the rubber or used protection sheets. The setup is Yasaki anti/Sriver. I estimate that it has done well over 300 hours.  One other thing, he has been top or near top of the division for each of those years.

Then odds are his rubber's surface doesn't play uniformly and he's simply a good player who makes little adjustments to his play along the way as the rubber looses a bit of friction and bounce.

Yes.  People make too much of the equipment IMO - at least from the standpoint of how much it matters to their level of play.  Some players are very honest and clear in saying that messing around with equipment is part of the fun for them - and I think that's fine.  Just so long as they don't confuse the equipment fiddling with being significantly related to improving their game.