Welle Trade is a China-based foreign trade company with our own supply chain and factory facilities. We specialize in R&D, OEM, ODM, custom product development, low-volume and mass production for brands, studios, and individuals. Leveraging years of foam processing expertise, we successfully developed a technically challenging grip for JC Croquet, a renowned Spanish croquet brand. This grip is a custom hollow PE/EVA foam column (hybrid foam grip) that perfectly fits their mallets. This project sets a new industry benchmark for precision deep-hole drilling in long foam columns.

Client Story: JC Croquet – Passion for Croquet, Craftsmanship from Spain

JC Croquet, based in El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, Spain, is a family-owned brand dedicated to handcrafted, fully customizable croquet mallets. Founders Susana Romero and Juan Carlos Morillo started their journey in 2013. Susana represented Spain at the 2012 World Croquet Championship in Cairo and later became an International Croquet Coach in England. Juan Carlos, an engineer with exceptional woodworking skills, once built a 40-foot sailboat that crossed the Atlantic. Their engineering mindset and love for the sport are poured into every mallet. For instance, from hand‑finished heads to individually weighted grips. After years of experience and thousands of mallets manufactured, JC Croquet now offers bespoke mallets in wood and carbon fiber. They also provide expert playing advice. Today, they serve croquet players worldwide and have earned recognition such as the “Best Custom Croquet Mallet Manufacturer” award in Spain (2026).

The Challenge: Drilling a Perfect 20 mm Through‑Hole in a 4×4×50 cm PE/EVA Foam Column

JC Croquet wanted a grip that combines comfort, durability, and shock absorption for their premium mallets. After thorough discussions, we settled on a PE/EVA blended foam material. The final specifications: Size: 4×4×50 cm (length), Inner Diameter: 20 mm (full-length through-hole), Weight: 59 g, Hardness: 45-50 Shore C. This hybrid foam merges PE’s chemical resistance and dimensional stability with EVA’s high resilience and soft touch. This makes it ideal for sports grips.

But the real challenge was the manufacturing process: How to drill a perfectly centered 20 mm hole through a 4×4×50 cm PE/EVA foam column, maintaining absolute concentricity over a depth of 50 cm. Foam materials are soft and resilient, causing drills to wander, hole walls to tear, or the bit to exit off‑center. Achieving a 50 cm deep, perfectly aligned bore is a significant technical hurdle for any foam processor. Additionally, the target weight of 59 g required strict control over foam density and material removal.

Our Solution: Welle Trade’s Precision Deep‑Drilling Process

Welle Trade’s engineering team tackled this challenge head‑on. Standard drilling equipment cannot guarantee concentricity over 50 cm in foam. Therefore, we designed and built custom deep‑hole drilling fixtures and a guidance system to eliminate axis deviation. Key technical elements:

• Custom guidance fixture: A long‑stroke precision guide that keeps the drill bit aligned with the geometric center of the column throughout the 50 cm stroke. This prevents wandering in the soft material.
• Low‑friction, self‑centering drill bit: Optimized geometry and surface treatment for PE/EVA foam reduces torque and friction while maintaining a self‑centering effect. This avoids hole enlargement or deviation.
• Controlled feed and speed: Parameters were tuned for the 45-50 Shore C hardness to ensure smooth, tear‑free hole walls.
• Weight consistency control: By precisely controlling the foam density of blanks and the amount of material removed during drilling, we consistently achieve a finished weight of 59 g ± 2 g.
• Strict quality inspection: Every batch is sampled for concentricity and weight. The 20 mm hole’s axial deviation is kept within ±0.3 mm, satisfying JC Croquet’s tight assembly requirements.

Thanks to this precision deep‑drilling process, Welle Trade successfully produces custom hollow PE/EVA foam columns – 4×4×50 cm, with a 20 mm through‑hole, weighing only 59 g. The result is a smooth, burr‑free, perfectly centered bore that allows easy yet snug fitment onto the mallet shaft. Our yield rate exceeds 98%.

Product Performance: Why PE/EVA Blended Foam for Sports Grips?

The PE/EVA blend offers the best of both worlds. Pure EVA provides excellent resilience and a soft feel, but may compress over time. Pure PE is more rigid and chemically resistant but lacks elasticity. By blending them in a proprietary ratio, we achieve a material that is both comfortable and dimensionally stable:

• Lightweight: Only 59 g – hardly changes the mallet’s balance.
• Shock absorption: 45-50 Shore C is in the “soft but supportive” range, absorbing impact without feeling loose.
• Weather resistance: The hybrid formula remains stable in humid or dry conditions, resisting hardening or aging.
• Anti‑slip & sweat‑resistant: Closed‑cell structure does not absorb moisture; the surface can be micro‑textured for a reliable grip even with sweaty hands.
• Eco‑friendly & safe: REACH compliant, low odor, recyclable.

Market Trend: The Era of Customized Sports Equipment

The global outdoor sports market continues to grow, and the croquet equipment segment is no exception. Industry data shows that the global croquet market is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 6% between 2023 and 2028. Demand for professional, customized gear – adjustable grips, personalized materials, and colors – is rising. In this context, collaboration between sports brands and manufacturers has moved beyond standard product sourcing. It is now headed toward deep R&D co-creation and material/process innovation. Welle Trade has been actively serving this trend, providing end‑to‑end solutions from material selection to precision machining. We help clients capture market opportunities with higher quality and flexible product forms.

Welle Trade’s Full‑Chain OEM/ODM Customization Capabilities

The JC Croquet project is just one example of Welle Trade’s custom manufacturing expertise. We are not just a supplier; we are a technical partner who participates in product development and innovation. Our services include:

• Custom material formulation: Adjust the PE/EVA/TPE blend ratio, hardness (Shore A / Shore C), density, resilience, flame retardancy, etc., to meet your exact needs.
• Shape & structural design: Beyond 4×4 cm square sections, we support trapezoidal, oval, and irregular hollow columns up to 100 cm in length.
• Precision deep‑hole drilling: Dedicated fixtures and guidance systems enable stable drilling of 50 cm+ lengths with minimal concentricity deviation. This solves a common industry pain point.
• Accurate weight control: By optimizing foam density and drilling parameters, we can keep finished part weight within ±2 g – critical for lightweight sports gear.
• Surface finishing & branding: Laser engraving, screen printing, heat transfer, fabric lamination, silicone overmolding, and multi‑color options.
• Flexible production – low to high volume: Minimum order quantity as low as 100 pieces for studio or personal projects, up to hundreds of thousands for global retail chains. All orders have strict quality consistency.
• One‑stop delivery: From compounding, foaming, precision cutting, drilling, to inspection, packaging, and shipping – fully in‑house. We also assist with CE, RoHS, REACH certifications.

Start Your Custom Project – Elevate Your Product with a Superior Grip

Welle Trade’s mission is to make customization simple and quality outstanding. Our engineering team can review your CAD drawings or concept and provide material recommendations, feasibility assessment, and cost optimization within three days. Whether you need a custom hollow PE/EVA foam column or a custom PE/EVA foam grip, we are ready to help.

Contact us today for free samples or technical consultation:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.welle-trade.com
• WhatsApp: +86-13921986099

From a high‑precision hollow foam column to a complete sports grip line – Welle Trade looks forward to co‑creating your next success story.