What is Crash Tape or bumper guard tape
Crash tape is pretty much what it sounds like, a tape that you apply to the frame of your squash or tennis racket for protection from scraping whenever it makes contact or crashes with the walls or floor.
By preventing scrapes to the racket frame and bumper, crash tape extends the life of your squash racket.
Where to buy racket protection crash tape
Many racket stores sell crash tape as “CRASH TAPE”. However, if we carefully examine this so-called crash tape, it is exactly the same as the cloth bandage we can get from any pharmacy or convenience store.
So, instead of buying expensive crash tape from a racket shop, I would just buy a roll of cloth bandage from a pharmacy or dollar store for a tenth of the price.
How to apply crash tape to a tennis or squash racket bumper guard
Simply take the roll of crash tape and apply it along the head of the racket where you expect it to make contact with the walls or floor.
I usually just apply it over the bumper as shown in the image below and smoothen out creases along the way. It helps to keep the tape stretched as you go around the bumper to avoid creases and making the tape stick to itself.
If the crash tape is wider than the frame of the racket, I would trim off the excess crash tape using scissors to obtain a neat finish.
A complete demo on how to apply crash tape is provided in the video below. Click here to watch this video on youtube.
Some players may find that crash tape can add a few grams of weight to your racket. In my experience this added weight is negligible. You could however add multiple layer of this tape to make your racket more head-heavy. To learn more about different specifications of squash rackets, read this article.
All things considered, crash tape is worth the extra weight and cost for extending the life of your squash racket, especially during this era where rackets are getting more and more expensive.
How often to change crash tape
Crash tape, like your squash grip, wears out after usage. Whenever you feel the tape is finished and your racket frame is exposed for direct contact with the walls or floor, peel away the old crash tape and apply new crash tape as per the above method.
Read here to learn how to apply a grip to your squash racket.
What are the best shoes for squash
Read this guide on squash string tension
how to start a racket stringing business
Check out other posts about squash gear and equipment
