Customworqs

[CanucksDynasty]

In my opinion, for what it's worth, I'm fed up of carbon stack nano tube, elastic Ti, grapheme, aerogel, nanpulsed vector rubbish which in reality, any half decent player knows, does sweet nothing to a racket performance, in fact it makes it play worse. Looking through this customworqs site, it's not trying to hoodwink you with fancy gizmos and charging you £200+ for it. Customisation is where golf has successfully gone, it's where racket brands need to go and this is a step in the right direction.

Customization in golf makes sense. As golf is dependent on several factors. Swing speed, player's height determines what length the golf club should be, etc.

My brother got customized golf clubs. BUT before that...he saw a "golf expert" that anaylzed his swing, got his height, etc. And also talked to him about his game. So gathering as much data as possible...they were able to customize golf clubs to suit him.

I don't see that happening with Customworqs.

[demolidor]

In my opinion, for what it's worth, I'm fed up of carbon stack nano tube, elastic Ti, grapheme, aerogel, nanpulsed vector rubbish which in reality, any half decent player knows, does sweet nothing to a racket performance, in fact it makes it play worse. Looking through this customworqs site, it's not trying to hoodwink you with fancy gizmos and charging you £200+ for it. Customisation is where golf has successfully gone, it's where racket brands need to go and this is a step in the right direction.

Don't generalize only because the UK is just about the most expensive country to buy rackets (+ I'd like to see those 200+ prices in the store? Maybe at the All England at full RRP?). An Armortec 700 is not even 90gbp right across the North Sea and here is some "custom" manufacturer charging 100+ for something that probably already exists amongst the countless existing models for less than 80. Just taking advantage of the UK market opportunity ...

That said, it is indeed at least a step in a right direction. So looking forward to the end result of our first order here

[demolidor]

Too late to edit but after a little browsing around found you can get practically any racket out there for this price (120gbp) over here. Not some obscure back alley store in Asia but on mainland (Western) Europe.

Almost thought they did offer full customization just now but turned out they were asking about your current racket's spec ... seeing as it slides down to 270mm how the heck do they call 295 super headlight??

... whilst in the meanwhile I'm totally forgetting to watch danish badminton league, again

[Eddie Hang]

Too late to edit but after a little browsing around found you can get practically any racket out there for this price (120gbp) over here. Not some obscure back alley store in Asia but on mainland (Western) Europe.

Almost thought they did offer full customization just now but turned out they were asking about your current racket's spec ... seeing as it slides down to 270mm how the heck do they call 295 super headlight??

... whilst in the meanwhile I'm totally forgetting to watch danish badminton league, again

Totally agree with you although can you choose a number of colour options for a given spec? Not important to the likes of you and me who see past the design and tech and concentrate on how it plays, others however will not. I coach a lot and the number of times I hear "I don't like the colour" kills me!

[baddersUS]

I think its slightly unfair to complain that the price is around the same as off the shelf rackets. You will never find anything whether it is a set of golf clubs, a set of curtains etc etc that are specifically made for someone to their desired spec that are cheaper than an off the shelf version. You have to take in to consideration that production runs can't be produced thus saving money.........surely there is something more fun and enjoyable in creating your own racket than buying one with a Yonex name on that thousands of other people will have?

[SolsticeOfLight]

Yonex, victor, carlton ... all those brands have more than 9 rackets in their selection. Does that make them tailor made? Further, you're paying a lot of money for what? 1 technology that they tout. I surmise then that you're paying a lot of money for a paint job.

[maxout]

Please note that baddy racquet dimensions are "set" within specified range by BWF, customised too much, you may end up with illegal racquet

[Eddie Hang]

Yonex, victor, carlton ... all those brands have more than 9 rackets in their selection. Does that make them tailor made? Further, you're paying a lot of money for what? 1 technology that they tout. I surmise then that you're paying a lot of money for a paint job.

3 weights x 3 balances x 3 flexibilities = 27 spec variances x 6 colours = 162 rackets if you're comparing. That's quite a range. Re technology, please don't get me started on this, I can't bear the thought of another player still thinking the nanoscale technology has improved their game....

Personally I like the fact I'm not having to pay for grips, string and head cover, none of which I use from a factory racket and which other brands factor in to their costs. My summation is I give them credit for trying to break free from the stereotypical badminton racket market which hasn't moved forward since 100% graphite rackets were launched, what 20 years ago.

If their £115 racket has a carbon lay up which means it plays well and it's been made in one of the premium racket factories, then I'm more than interested in making a purchase. Furthermore if I know that spec will stay around on that racket mold for a long time, it also means I don't have to worry that in 1 years time, a new range is brought out and I can no longer buy my favourite spec'd racket. That's happened to me god knows how many times in my playing career.

[SolsticeOfLight]

27 rackets, you're right. but those companies have more than 27 rackets too. And technologies do make a difference, when it comes to repulsion for example, or speed through the air. Or area of the sweet spot. Or flex point. Even the torsional stability. I don't know about you, but I notice when rackets have a low flex point (not something I like). And if sweet spot size didn't matter, everybody'd use an oval head, or if speed didn't matter everybody'd use an isometric head.

But then again, not all of these technologies are nanoscale. Nor did I say they need to be; that's just something you've made up in your head. If you want customisability, got get a better known brand racket: they have 5 different flexibilities and 5 different head weights in the case of victor.

Now I agree with you that 'customised' rackets are a great idea, but this is pretty much a con. Customworqs offers nothing current racket providers don't (and a lot cheaper for lower ranges). When you break your favourite racket, there'll be a similar one available on the market. Especially since you don't notice any difference in relation to technologies used.

[baddersUS]

I have to disagree that technologies make a difference (maybe I'm biased as I have a racket on order). There must be over 100 technologies in the racket sports industry that claim to be able to change your game and the racket........this is all marketing and has absolutely no effect on the way a racket plays!! If anything these "technologies" will impurify the carbon lay-up and weaken the frame! I agree that there are aspects that influence the way a racket plays such as head geometry, whether the frame is tapered and the shape of the frame.

Reading through the various threads on this forum it seems that people are after a brand that does something a little bit different? Surely its clear that the majority of the existing brands are the con in the way that they simply give a frame a new paint job and release it with a new "technology" in it and charge a premium?

I hope I'm prooved right and my new frame doesn't play like a $30 racket when it arrives

[Avenger]

Don't generalize only because the UK is just about the most expensive country to buy rackets (+ I'd like to see those 200+ prices in the store? Maybe at the All England at full RRP?). An Armortec 700 is not even 90gbp right across the North Sea and here is some "custom" manufacturer charging 100+ for something that probably already exists amongst the countless existing models for less than 80. Just taking advantage of the UK market opportunity ...

That said, it is indeed at least a step in a right direction. So looking forward to the end result of our first order here

nah, I don't even think it goes past £150
if I'm not wrong, VT80 is around £140...

£120 is huge, it is better for me to buy a well know racket for that amount (I can buy an MX80, AT900, etc for £120)

[kwun]

I have to disagree that technologies make a difference (maybe I'm biased as I have a racket on order). There must be over 100 technologies in the racket sports industry that claim to be able to change your game and the racket........this is all marketing and has absolutely no effect on the way a racket plays!! If anything these "technologies" will impurify the carbon lay-up and weaken the frame! I agree that there are aspects that influence the way a racket plays such as head geometry, whether the frame is tapered and the shape of the frame.

Reading through the various threads on this forum it seems that people are after a brand that does something a little bit different? Surely its clear that the majority of the existing brands are the con in the way that they simply give a frame a new paint job and release it with a new "technology" in it and charge a premium?

I hope I'm prooved right and my new frame doesn't play like a $30 racket when it arrives

interesting that you claim you are in the US, but all your posts came from various IP address in the UK, where Customworqs is base.

maybe you should disclose your affiliation before i disclose it for you.

[demolidor]

...

In the meanwhile I've found out the brand was set up by a former England national squad member and former Carlton product manager Matthew Shuker so the pedigree behind it should be pretty solid. Which probably explains why the length is 670mm as well ...

Still this seemed like a promotional thread to me as well, thoroughly defending an, until now, completely unknown company which just launched itself this month. Also the claims of "full tailor made customization" are marketing 101 when in reality it practically is picking up something off shelf with all these set "variables". I really wonder which of these variables exactly matches baddersUS desired specs rather than be around them ... (like so many off the shelf out there probably already are).

Also makes it less surprising former Carlton player Andrew Smith has "joined" the brand as a player ...

[amleto]

nah, I don't even think it goes past £150
if I'm not wrong, VT80 is around £140...

£120 is huge, it is better for me to buy a well know racket for that amount (I can buy an MX80, AT900, etc for £120)

vt80 is £160 everywhere

[demolidor]

"Only" 140 euro here (unstrung) ... UK all price matching ending on 161.49GBP (strung) . (149.99 on Amazon so one could price match that depending on the conditions)

So the lowest Carlton series that have "Japanese HM Carbon" are the Air series, like for instance the on sale 40GBP Air Sonic and a few more sub 50 ones from the Vapour series as well with little to no dang technology and RRP's towards the 120GBP range ...

An 83gram, 312mm bp, 6.5 flex CstWrqs would be interesting to see

[CanucksDynasty]

"Only" 140 euro here ...

So the lowest Carlton series that have "Japanese HM Carbon" are the Air series, like for instance the on sale 40GBP Air Sonic and a few more sub 50 ones from the Vapour series as well with little to no dang technology and RRP's towards the 120GBP range ...

An 83gram, 312mm bp, 6.5 flex CstWrqs would be interesting to see

That thing will probably snap in half on a full-powered smash. Is there a warranty in place if such a thing were to occur?

[Eddie Hang]

Hi All,

Rather than everyone speculating on this thread, here are some facts. I am Matthew Dance-Shuker and I am the owner of Customworqs. My credentials are:
- Played badminton since 5 years old (30 years)
- Highest world ranking, 43, at men's singles
- 5 years at Carlton Sports responsible for the brand globally (product development, sponsorship and marketing) on a shoe string budget and with no control over the Far East market (Carlton is licensed over there)
- Responsible for the Vapour Trail range of rackets which was Carlton's best selling range for 10 years
- Qualified coach with experience coaching juniors through to internationals

This brand has been 2 years in the making. The reasons for launching this brand as follows:
1. Aside from frame geometry, "technology" has negligible impact
2. Some well known international players do not use off-the-shelf products, they have specific frames / carbon lay-ups customised for them which are painted to look like the current range of rackets

Because of the above, I felt the rackets industry was doing a dis-service to all badminton players by hoodwinking them into purchasing rackets based on questionable information.

Having spent 4 years understanding what makes a good badminton racket (this is all to do with racket geometry,specs and carbon lay up), I left Carlton and approached a premium rackets factory to discuss setting up a single racket production line. 2 years later and having developed 27 different carbon lay ups which play fantastically well, Customworqs was born. So yes, each racket is made individually. Yes, the spec range is limited at the moment, we had to start somewhere. We have agreement that this can be increased to 3 frame geometries, 7 weights, 7 balances, 7 shaft flexs, 100 design options in the future dependent upon success.

Like you, I am a mad keen shuttler and always will be. Customworqs is trying to do something different which breaks away from the norm, to drag the rackets industry into customisation and in doing so, it can catch up with other sports categories. It might fail, and if it does, then at least I can say the brand was transparent in it's offering to badminton players.

Mat