Carlton Fans Club

Discussion in 'Badminton Rackets / Equipment' started by Benwilluk, Feb 18, 2012.

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  1. Benwilluk

    Benwilluk Regular Member

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    I've used Carlton rackets in the past and have just recently got myself a couple of the new models, the Razor V1.0 and the Razor V1.2. I have to say I have been quite impressed with them both.

    Carlton will soon be launching a new racket so I thought now would be a good time to start a Carlton specific forum, a fan club if you like, so BC members can share their experiences of Carlton equipment.

    I have searched the forums and haven't found one similar so please feel free to post your experiences with Carlton equipment you have used. I am quite looking forward to reading others opinions of the gear.

    BTW - I have written a short review of the V1.2 which I will post shortly and will put one together for the Razor V1.0 when I have had more court time.

    Carlton rackets I have used include:

    Razor V1.0
    Razor V1.2
    ISO Fireblade Elite
    ISO Fireblade Tour
    Airblade Tour

    Looking forward to reading your reviews.
     
  2. Benwilluk

    Benwilluk Regular Member

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    Razor V1.2 Review

    Specs

    Head light
    Flexible
    Length = 670 mm


    Intro

    The Razor V1.2 is the thirdin the Razor series of rackets and is the most flexible and headlightIn the series. The racket is strung with Carlton X67 at 22lbs.


    Appearance

    The V1.2 is quite aconservative white colour with various splashes of black throughoutthe frame. It is a good looking racket but maybe slightlyovershadowed by its two brothers, both of which have great looking frame graphics and colour combinations. It also comes with anattractive full length racket cover.


    Initial impressions - thewarm up

    Having come from a slightlyhead heavier racket the V1.2 felt very light and my timing wasslightly off to begin with. Due to being head light the racket cutthrough the air very quickly and it was soon apparent that this wouldbe great during mid-court fast exchanges and in defence. Due to theRazor guided technology the shuttle felt very crisp coming off thestrings.


    Defence

    As first thought this racketis very good in defence. Due to the headlight balance it is very easyand quick to get the racket head into position to defend eithersmashes or mid court drives. Due to the speed of the racket it isalso easy to turn defence into attack as well.


    Net area

    The V1.2 was very easy touse around the net. I found it very easy to control the speed theracket offered and consequently control the shuttle at the net


    Mid-court exchanges

    For me this racket is greatduring fast flat exchanges. It cuts through the air very quicklyenabling me to either return fast drives with interest or use myopponents power to direct the shuttle into the open court.


    Overhead performance

    Due to the light weightframe combined with the head light balance of the racket I sometimesfound to difficult to clear baseline to baseline effectively,particularly on my back hand side. I felt I had to put a lot ofeffort into the clears.

    I also found the V1.2 slightly lacking in smash power but having said that Carlton do notrate this racket for players who want extreme power. For net kills itwas fine but from the mid to back court it fell short on the powerfront.


    Summary

    Overall I was impressed withthe performance of the racket and this would make a great racket fora defensive minded doubles player. Although I struggled slightly withthe power aspect someone with quick arm speed may not have the sameexperience and be able to generate power from it.


    About me

    As reviews are verysubjective I find it important to specify my level of play whenmaking a review. I currently play MD and XD at a fairly high leaguelevel so would rate myself as intermediate.
     
    #2 Benwilluk, Feb 18, 2012
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2012
  3. Benwilluk

    Benwilluk Regular Member

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    Carlton's new racket - the Kinesis

    Have just received details of the new racket Carlton will be launching into the UK in the summer. It is called the 'Kinesis' and has the following specs:

    Construction: Japanese HM Carbon
    Length: 670mm
    Frame weight: 86g
    Flexibility: Medium
    Balance: Even
    String tension: 18-28lbs/8-13kg
    Head tape: Optimetric
    String: X-elerate X67

    Carlton-Kinesis.jpg
     
  4. Benwilluk

    Benwilluk Regular Member

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    My Razor V1.0 - Review

    Specs

    Balance - even
    Flex - Medium
    Length = 670 mm


    Intro


    The Razor V1.0 is the first in the Razor series of rackets and sits between the V1.1 and V1.2 with an even balance and medium flex shaft. The racket is strung with Carlton X67 at 22lbs and should suit an all round game – time will tell! The racket features an Optimetric head shape and Razor's trademark wrap-round strings at the 3 and 9 o clock positions. The frame features Japanese HM Carbon.


    Appearance


    The V1.0 is a fabulous looking racket with a predominantly charcoal grey and black frame broken up with splashes of yellow running throughout the frame. The racket is strung with yellow X67 string which adds to the appearance and makes it an awesome looking racket.


    Initial impressions - the warm up


    Having previously played with a V1.2 it didn’t take too long to adapt to the V1.0, despite usually playing with a racket that is slightly head heavier. I kept the factory grip on so not to alter the balance point at all. Like the 1.2 this is a fairly quick racket and the shuttle felt very crisp coming off the string bed. My one biggest issue with the 1.2 was the slight lack of power but I could already feel that this racket would bridge that gap.


    Defence


    Defence with this racket was very good. The head is quite quick and not too heavy which made defending smashes quite easy. I also found it fairly easy to turn defence into attack with this racket as it is very responsive.


    Net area


    I found drop shots and net play to be very precise with this racket – I felt like I could almost feel the shuttle coming off the string bed. Once again feedback was great and I could easily place the shuttle exactly where I wanted it. The one area On net kills this racket felt slightly slower than the V1.2, possibly due to the latter being more head light. This however didn’t pose a problem.


    Mid/rear court


    This racket definitely fills the power element missing in the V1.2. Smashes from the back of the court where very powerful and also accurate and I was often able to put the shuttle on the floor.
    The area this racket really shone for me where fast flat exchanges and drives. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but the racket seemed to generate lots of power when getting into mid court battles. The speed of the racket also meant that the head was always in position to attack the next shot.


    Summary


    This racket really impressed me and it is a great all-round racket, mixing power and control. I think it would suit an all-round or attacking doubles player. The razor guided strings/grommets produce a unique feel which is very crisp when hit in the centre, however you can certainly feel off-center contact.


    About me


    As reviews are very subjective I find it important to specify my level of play when making a review. I currently play MD and XD at a fairly high league level so would rate myself as intermediate.
     
  5. chrisfong89

    chrisfong89 Regular Member

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    Great reviews! I personally used V1.0 and i quite like it as well. I remembered having massive power from smashes but maybe because the string was Carlton Xcelerate strung quite low at 21-22lbs. Recently changed to BG65 at 25lbs and somehow felt that i lost all my power? Maybe my tension was too high.

    Anyway, i have to admit this is really one good racket. It slices through the air really fast. Maybe because the frame is designed slightly like bravesword series, just more rounded on the edges.
     
  6. Benwilluk

    Benwilluk Regular Member

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    Thanks Chris - I really enjoy playing with this racket as I find it quite effortless to use. Have you played with any other Carltons? The other racket that tempts me at the moment is the Vapour Trail Tour - Any experiences with this racket?
     
  7. sautom88

    sautom88 Regular Member

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    Anyone care to share their experiences w/ Aeroblade FX9? How does it play compares to FX8? A shop here is still selling them for about US $40. Thinking of getting one.
     
  8. elastiekje

    elastiekje Regular Member

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    The new Carlton Kinesis featured with pictures on dutch badmintonforum!

    A dutch website has exclusive pictures of the not yet available Carlton Kinesis.
     
  9. chrisfong89

    chrisfong89 Regular Member

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    Wow!!! Twisted frames?

    How in the world is it going to help gameplay?
     
  10. elastiekje

    elastiekje Regular Member

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    It should guide and distribute the airflow better as to reduce any resistance.
     
  11. Benwilluk

    Benwilluk Regular Member

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    I can't wait to try this racket. Have been quite impressed with my last few Carltons.
     
  12. allyjack110

    allyjack110 Regular Member

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    @ Benwilluk

    Personally, I am still undecided if the 'twisted' frame will provide any physical or measurable advantage over other conventonial racket designs out there. However, I really admire and respect Carlton - especially for being such a small company - for trying to develop and introduce new racket technologies; having owned a VTT, I think the development of the optimetric headshape was a great innovation. Visually, I think the Air Edge is the best looking racket in the entire Carlton line-up.
    Nice thread.
     
  13. Masch78

    Masch78 Regular Member

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    Hey there,

    years back I switched from Yonex (my loved MP77 run out) to Carlton and I've never looked back. Currently I use:

    - Airblade Rasmussen Superlite
    - Vapor Trail Tour

    The Tour is simply the best racket I owned and I love it for playing double. It only lacks the last punch for singles. For that reason I will add another one in the next weeks. I want to say with Carlton. Pricewise only the Razor rackets are expensive, all other Rackets have a fair value here. So it will probably the Vapor Tour Elite - but I've not give up on a Razor :D ... any suggestions?

    To sum it up, Carlton is mostly used by beginners here 'caus their entry level rackets are placed in most sports stores here for low money. Yonex and Victor are seen the most. Nevertheless, if some Austrian or German read this, give them a try you will not regret it.
     
  14. dbswansea

    dbswansea Regular Member

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    Any ideas on the price of that kinesis in the UK when it comes out? Will it be in line with the Razor?

    I fancy buying one.
     
  15. ShoRyuKen

    ShoRyuKen New Member

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    Hi, I've been using Carlton since the Boron Classic to the Prototype v1.0 - great racquets! Unfortunately, Carlton not very popular in Canada. I still have Powerblade Elite, Powerblade Superlite, Airblade Elite, Vapour Trail Tour, Powerflo, Boron Classic and the Prototype v1.0 - it has been really trial and error in terms of which felt the most comfortable until I finally settled on the Prototype.
     
  16. dbswansea

    dbswansea Regular Member

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    I've always used Carlton, mainly because they're easily available in sports shops. The styling is pretty sweet on them too. Currently looking at a Vapour Trail, not sure which one yet.
     
  17. meteor

    meteor Regular Member

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    Ben, Thanks for the reviews on the razors. I've been looking at the razor 1.0 and 1.1 for a while.

    Knowing you are a Victor mx user, how does razor 1.0 compare with the mx70?
    Does it feel:
    - faster in defence/fast exchanges?
    - has similar smash power?
    - easier, more efortless to play with?

    Is prototype 1.0 the exact same racket as razor 1.0?

    Cheers!
     
  18. bbh66

    bbh66 Regular Member

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  19. dbswansea

    dbswansea Regular Member

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    In terms of graphics and paint, thats badminton porn for me. I want 2 now.
     
  20. Benwilluk

    Benwilluk Regular Member

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    I think the Kinesis will be in a similar ball park to the Razor's. it should be out end of June/beginning of July ready for the new season.
     

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