Best Solinco Racquet For Me
As of now, there are two main families, the Blackout series which is built around power access, and the Whiteout, which skews more toward feel and control. Solinco also now has an oversized option with their Prizm 115, a great option for seasoned doubles players and those who enjoy anything north of 110 square inches. With all of these racquets, keep in mind that users can purchase Solinco’s butt cap weight modules, which makes modifying one’s racquet extremely doable and straightforward. Additionally, this modification is a good way to tinker around with shifting the balance point on your racquet to see how a more headlight swinging experience can potentially help your game.
The Blackout
The Blackout family is Solinco’s first-and-foremost power-based hitting experience. This racquet takes aim at competitor lines like the Babolat Pure Drive, Wilson Ultra, and the Head Boom series. But thanks to the addition of foam in the latest version of the Blackouts, we found one of their most natural comparisons to be the TFight family from Tecnifibre. Wonderful power access on the whole, but with a smidge extra stability and feel, likely owing to that partially foam-filled interior. Let’s break down each main option within the Blackout family.
Blackout 300 v2 Camo
As the primary flagship model within the Blackout family, the Blackout 300 v2 Camo sets the standard in many ways for a modern power frame. While our testing team was quick to note the inherent pop and pace generation of this racquet, they also picked up on the racquet’s relative comfort, especially compared to the first generation of this powerful franchise. While the main takeaway was power, the reliable spin and maneuverability also turned heads, making this a compelling option for fans of the tried-and-true 100 square-inch, 16x19 string pattern, and 300-gram unstrung weight recipe for a racquet.
Blackout 300 XTD v2 Camo
For fans of extended-length power racquets, the options are definitely limited. While there are of course extended length Pure Aeros/Drives and VCORES/EZONES, there aren’t too many foam-filled racquets with an extended length, with Solinco being responsible for most of them. This Blackout 300 XTD v2 surprised our team with its playable nature and improved feel, letting our team feel mostly in control of their shots. The handling proved to be above-average (for an extended-length frame) coming in strung with an 8 points headlight balance and a sub-330 swingweight.
Blackout 300 XTD+ (28 inches!)
There’s extended-length racquets, and then there’s the behemoth XTD+’s. Solinco offers both a Blackout and a Whiteout at this rare 28 inch length. The Blackout 300 XTD+ is one of the most powerful racquets we carry in stock form, and its massive length demands some patience when getting used to the additional leverage and reach that this frame offers. But if you’re able to wield it, the upsides are massive. As expected, our team reported booming first serves and heavy groundstrokes, with the primary drawback being some decreased maneuverability. That said, anyone who is playing a 28-inch racquet likely already knows what they’re getting themselves into as far as handling goes. If you are a defensive player who is looking for some extra help getting back into a rally when on the back foot, this is one of the best options for changing the narrative of any point.
Other Blackouts
Rounding out the rest of the Blackout family are some lighter weight and oversized options. There’s some user-friendly Blackout 285s targeted more so at beginners and intermediate players, and Solinco now has a true oversized option in-line with the Blackout 110 v2.
The Whiteout
Compared to the Blackout, the Whiteout is more of a traditional frame design, with constant tapers and a beam that is quite boxy, harkening back to control franchises like the Wilson Pro Staff, the Head Prestige, and the Babolat Pure Strike. Make no mistake though, these racquets are loaded with modern internals designed to handle the demands of the game these days, being designed for increased power and feel in addition to their precise nature. For its flagship option in both standard and extended-lengths, the Whiteout comes available in a more open, spin-friendly 16x19 string pattern and a denser, more controllable 18x20 string pattern
Whiteout 305 16x19 v2 Camo & 16x19 XTD
This racquet is one of the most versatile in Solinco’s entire lineup, offering a true jack-of-all-trades sensation for players who like to have a bit of everything at their disposal. Compared to its predecessor, we found the v2 Whiteouts to have a slightly softer and more muted feel, which went a long way for increasing comfort. However, for fans of the slightly firmer and perhaps more traditional feel on the v1 Whiteouts, Solinco still offers those racquets for players. This 305-gram, 16x19 racquet has excellent feel and plenty of control. Fans of racquets like the Radical MP, Blade 98 16x19, Strike 16x19, TF40 305 16x19, and Percept 97 should consider demoing this racquet alongside those options to see if they jell with the Solinco feel. Also available in a 27.5 inch length for increased power, leverage, and reach.
Whiteout 305 18x20 v2 Camo & 18x20 XTD
The slightly denser counterpart to the Whiteout 16x19 is its 18x20 sibling, with its denser pattern offering increased directional control and more reliable spot-targeting at the tradeoff of some power access. But with lots of control frames, having increased trust in the racquet’s ability to hit through the court and specific spots means that they can swing out more freely without worrying about the ball sailing long or spraying wide. Our team of testers praised this 18x20 for its reliable nature, but almost all of them prefer the extended-length option in the Whiteout 305 18x10 XTD v2 Camo, which along with the v1 of the frame is the only extended-length 18x20 racquet that Tennis Warehouse currently carries. This unicorn racquet is one of the most unusual frames out there, and its design is extremely well-balanced in terms of its characteristics balancing each other out. This 18x20 XTD has been an in-house favorite since its inception, and the v2 didn’t miss a beat either.
Whiteout 305 XTD+ (28 inches!)
This 28 inch beast of a racquet is one of the most demanding frames Tennis Warehouse carries. It is heavier than the 28 inch Blackout XTD+, and has a noticeably higher swingweight hovering around 340+ when strung. Our team noted that this racquet certainly asked a lot of them, but it was capable too of blowing people off the courts, giving them the ability to swing big and let it really rip off either wing. By blending an extra-extended length with more control-oriented geometry, Solinco has crafted one of the most potentially devastating frames on the market.
Other Whiteouts
While there isn't an oversize Whiteout (yet), Solinco makes a more user-friendly option with their Whiteout 290 that is geared more towards beginners and intermediate players. Note, the 290 version of the Whiteout does not have foam inside its beam, if you prefer that stiffer impact sensation. As such, one could get the 290, the Solinco weight module, and customize up to a preferred spec, if so desired.
