PREVIEW: Carlton Vapour Trail Tour / Elite

**Easy Tiger** · 06-30-2009, 06:11 AM

Try get them to return emails. I've been waiting nearly two weeks.

Hey Kwun, anyone reputable and who knows how to use email in the US who has them?

The Poms are pissing me off.

**colekwok** · 06-30-2009, 06:57 AM

Thinking about whether I should get the Elite or the Tour.

I already have the Firebalde Elite, so I may actually want to try the Tour since I play more and more doubles these days.

**Easy Tiger** · 07-01-2009, 03:54 AM

Alrighty, so I called up centralsports.co.uk and got some guy on the other end of the phone that seemed to not be aware that it says on their website (or anything else for that matter):

"We are currently only processing online orders for delivery to the UK & Channel Islands but we do deliver internationally so please call or email for a quote."

Which I thought was funny because I've emailled them 4 times in the past 13 days asking for a quote.The guy was completely clueless, so I just went online and placed an order anyway, with shipping to my Aunty in the UK. He said that wasn't possible because the Mail-To and Bill-To addresses have to be the same, but their online card processing system didn't seem to care about that.

So, If it all works out, in a couple of weeks I will have scored a couple of Vapour Trail Tours with BG80 and Karakal PU grips for AUD190/USD155/SGD223 a pop.....and if not I'll probably spend the next year of my life getting my money back!

Watch this space....

**jiehan** · 07-01-2009, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by kwun

according to Carlton, the Vapour Trail will only be available in Europe and America. it maybe available in Asia in the future, but for the time being it won't be.

Asia will continue to have different product lines than other parts of the world.

sorry for the bad news. i will post a review once i finish testing them...

Does you know when they will be available in America?

**jymbalaya** · 07-01-2009, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by Easy Tiger

So, If it all works out, in a couple of weeks I will have scored a couple of Vapour Trail Tours with BG80 and Karakal PU grips for AUD190/USD155/SGD223 a pop.....and if not I'll probably spend the next year of my life getting my money back!

Watch this space....

well, i wish you good luck with that. you got a pretty good deal on it i believe, considering that the Fireblade Elite retails for about $199 here where i live.

**Easy Tiger** · 07-03-2009, 06:17 AM

48hrs......no confirmation email. I'd be surprised if my order even gets processed.

**Easy Tiger** · 07-06-2009, 03:19 AM

5 days now.....nuthin'

**Easy Tiger** · 07-06-2009, 05:40 AM

Okay, we have an email!

So, be warned - CentralSports CANNOT process credit cards not from the UK, so if you live outside the UK, the only way to order from them is to get a relative or friend who does live in the UK to send them to you.

So I cancelled my order...

....and bought two VT Tours from a powerseller on eBay instead!

Price is a smidge higher, but they will ship globally via DHL, and hey, at least you can actually buy from them!

I'll report back again once they arrive. Quoted time is 4 days....

**JukUx** · 07-06-2009, 09:37 AM

*drools* its pink

**waiwai8** · 07-06-2009, 02:41 PM

Hi

I'm really curious as to how this racket feels. I've always been a Yonex fan and bought many top of the range YY rackets. But recently I bought Carlton Fireblade Elite (oval head) and fell in love with it instantly. It feels so light and powerful yet controllable I've abandoned my Arc 10, NS9900, Cab 21s and bought 3 Fireblade Elites.

Now this optimetric head shape seems to me like an in between isometric and oval head shape. Isometrics have a 33% bigger sweetspot whilst in my opinion oval head shapes have much less drag and a smaller BUT more powerful sweetspot. Does this mean that the optimetric headshape represent the best of both shapes?

If anyone has this racket please can you post your review??

Many thanks

Wai

**Easy Tiger** · 07-06-2009, 11:23 PM

There's reviews on the previous pages

**waiwai8** · 07-07-2009, 04:02 AM

Originally Posted by purple-marauder

Vapour Trail Tour (strung with Yonex Nanogy 95 Gold strings @ 23lbs)

I’d never have previously considered a Carlton racket using generally Karkal's and Yonex in the past. But I saw this new range displayed at the All England Championships earlier in the year and decided to give one a go. For the record I'm not a pro but am a good club player.

My initial reaction (aside from wow that's shiny!) was that the racket is exceedingly well balanced and feels very light. It's got a longer handle than I've been used to with my previous Yonex's which took a little getting used to. It was also slightly stiffer than I was expecting.

Net shots - absolutely fantastic! This is far from the strongest point of my game but found myself feeling utterly confident around the net such was the control that I’m getting with the VT and playing some lovely tight net shots.

Clears and smashes – took a little while to get used to the timing on these. The racket seems to move through the air very fast so I often found myself hitting high up the head and not quite finding the sweet spot. Additionally it's about an inch longer than my previous racket. However after a couple of hours play I began to tune in to it and it can hit some very satisfying smashes when you connect. And again that speed through the air means your taking the shuttle nice and early.

Defence – like the net shots the VT tour really excels here. The combination of lightening speed and great control had me pulling off some outrageous smash returns.

In summary I’m very, very pleased with the Tour. If the rest of the range are as good then Carlton are certainly on to a winner

PM

Thanks for the comprehensive review. I have the Carlton Fireblade Elite (oval head) would you know how the Vapour Trail Tour compares against the Elite?

Thanks

wai

**Easy Tiger** · 07-07-2009, 05:49 AM

FFS, there's comparos on the previous pages.

**waiwai8** · 07-07-2009, 06:11 AM

Originally Posted by Easy Tiger

FFS, there's comparos on the previous pages.

What does FFS mean?
Hope it doesn't mean what I think it does.

I would like to know how the VT Tour felt like in comparison to the Fireblade Elite, NOT the VP Elite, unless I've missed something, I don't it's on previous pages.

If you genuinely want to help you can kindly direct me to the page if not, you need not get yourself irrate and be disrespectful, it'll only reflect badly on yourself.

**Easy Tiger** · 07-07-2009, 07:07 AM

Respect is earned, and ah well, you need to be more accurate in your product descriptions.

"would you know how the Vapour Trail Tour compares against the Elite?" can be easily 'misinterpreted'. There is a VT Elite too you know. Be more succinct.

I'd recommend you look at the VT Elite specs back on page 2 I think, and see how that compares to the FB Elite. Good place to start eh?

**waiwai8** · 07-07-2009, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by Easy Tiger

Respect is earned, and ah well, you need to be more accurate in your product descriptions.

"would you know how the Vapour Trail Tour compares against the Elite?" can be easily 'misinterpreted'. There is a VT Elite too you know. Be more succinct.

I'd recommend you look at the VT Elite specs back on page 2 I think, and see how that compares to the FB Elite. Good place to start eh?

If you read my previous post properly you'll see that I did state I have the Fireblade Elite, hence why would I want to compare a racket which I didn't say I have (ie VT Elite) with the VT Tour? I think you just need to switch your dimmer switch up a bit from dark (ie no clue) to dim, then you might've got it.

Also, why you recommending me to compare VT Elite with FB Elite? I don't care about the VT Elite. I've read on the specs of the VT Elite and its nothing like the FB Elite in any case, so it's pointless. A good place to start is on your head, get it checked out for any remote chance of the capacity to show logical reasoning.

You know you really are more than you're worth.

**Easy Tiger** · 07-07-2009, 11:15 PM

"why would I want to compare a racket which I didn't say I have....with the VT Tour?"

You're asking me to exhibit logic? You were not clear which "Elite" you wanted to compare, and now you're trying to tell me that people only want comparisons between a racket they own and one they don't? Like people never ask for comparisons between two rackets both of which they don't own?

Anyway, despite being that you live in a city where you can actually go into a shop and buy the ****in' things and the rest of us don't, I'll do your homework for you. You know, because I'm a caring, generous individual -

Vapour Trail Tour
Weight (unstrung): 84 grams
Flex: Medium stiff
Balance: Medium balance

Vapour Trail Elite
Weight (unstrung): 89 grams
Flex: Stiff
Balance: Head Heavy

FireBlade Elite
Weight (unstrung): 84grams
Balance: Head Heavy
Flex: Extra Stiff
Length: 670mm

So buggered if I know where you get the idea that the VT Elites are "nothing like the FB Elite" because they look on paper to be the same concept - head heavy, stiff singles biased rackets. colekwok on page 7 of this thread suggests the naming regimen of the 'Blades' is continued in the 'Vapour Trails' and this seems the case.

Kwun has played with both the VT Elite and Tour - scroll back a few pages and read what he reckons.