Solinco Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo Racquet Review

The Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo delivered exceptional groundstroke reliability, keeping our playtesters in control of nearly every shot. The inherent control-to-power ratio of the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo allowed Chris to take big swings at the ball without fear of overhitting. He said, "I was able to hit with a lot of power with the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo. My best shots were when I had time to line up and drive through the ball straight to my target. I found my shots were penetrating the court very well, and I was also hitting some nice winners. It did take some adjustment when I was trying to flick an angle, as the Whiteout was not as maneuverable as the racquet I'm playing with now (Tecnifibre TFight 300), but I got there in the end. I was using a heavier racquet when we tested the previous version, so I had less of an adjustment. One shot that didn't take any adjustment was my backhand slice. I was able to hit a driving slice, which skidded low and became a go-to offensive shot for me."

Being very well-versed with the lineage of this frame, Mark had only positive things to say about the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo's groundstroke capability. He said, "There certainly have been a lot of racquets that I have enjoyed playing with from the baseline. However, there are just a few that get me close to the Goldilocks level of predictability and manageable backcourt power that the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo delivered. The 18-main string pattern worked well for both my topspin and slice groundstrokes, especially with a thinner polyester string, which complemented my baseline offense and defense. The shot depth and directional control of my groundstrokes were great, and that extra half inch in frame length allowed me to effectively dig out shots that I might have missed with a standard-length racquet."

As one of our most consistent users of extended-length frames, Troy was able to keenly sense how the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo functioned in relation to its specs and to its predecessor. He explained, "I have played frequently with the first version of this racquet over the past couple of years. This v2 Camo felt a little more maneuverable, and on contact it felt a bit more plush or flexible. This racquet still remains a unique and enjoyable hitting experience from the baseline. My go-to racquet, the Yonex EZONE 98+ (2025 version), is one of the closest comparisons in terms of specs, but I noticed the added control and feel for the ball that I was getting with this Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo. I felt very connected to the ball when going for my drop shots and backhand slice, and the precision made me feel very dialed in on my forehand. The launch angle was a little low compared to my racquet of choice, so that was a bit of a downside for me when it came to topspin, but the slice and touch made up for it. The overall power of this Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo is on the lower side compared to other extended-length racquets, similar to the Head Gravity MP XL." 

A longtime fan of the Whiteout 18x20 XTD, Oak found lots to love from this update. He said, "I will start by saying that the v1 of this frame is an all-time classic in my book.  Aside from that first generation, there are no other 18x20 extended-length constant-beam frames available to the general public. This Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo offers a demanding, yet rewarding, experience. As with any extended-length frame, figuring out the spacing of the racquet is crucial, but once adjusted, this racquet unlocks benefits you won't find elsewhere. There are many ways to source power from a racquet, such as head size, overall mass, beam thickness, string pattern, swingweight and, of course, length. The characteristics that this frame uses for power are its length and swingweight, with everything else skewing towards control. Spin is great despite a slightly smaller head size and a denser string pattern, and there's phenomenal reach for playing defense. Slices are deadly, and the racquet is surprisingly quick for its specs. My only knock on groundstrokes was that my best shot (two-handed backhand cross court) required more concentration than I'm accustomed to. As such, I found myself hitting more one-handers with this racquet, which was helped by the extended length." 

Typically, extended-length frames suffer a bit at net due to their demanding nature, but not the Whiteout 18x20 XTD v2 Camo. The extra reach proved only beneficial due to how much inherent control this racquet has. For Oak, the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 emphasized the need for intentionality while volleying, eventually letting him place his shots with ease. He said, "While the increased length is definitely something to be aware of up at net, I found myself not really minding the additional wingspan. If anything, I felt like the extra reach encouraged me to have better preparation for my volleys and to connect more out in front. The feel was cushioned, yet responsive, and I always like how deeper ball pocketing feels on volleys. The 18-main string pattern does a great job for spot targeting, letting me place drop volleys and go after smaller targets. I found myself hitting a good variety of shots at net, and I felt like I could hit any type of volley."

Troy thoroughly enjoyed the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo in stock form while at net. He described, "I felt like this Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo was solid, stable and very versatile on my volleys. I could punch the ball deep in the court with ease, using the added length and leverage. I also found great touch and feel for short angles and drop volleys. The 18x20 pattern, the more traditional beam design and the slightly lower stiffness all combined for a feel that I really liked. I felt like maneuverability was pretty good on this v2 update, but I would still probably do my customization thing on this bad boy with some tail-weight, either putting weight inside the handle or adding a leather grip or shrink sleeve. All of those are tactics to gain that more traditional head-light feel."

This Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo was authoritative when Mark was at net, letting him put balls away with emphasis. He said, "The all-court versatility of the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo allowed me to confidently handle my business at net, and it also let me get a little creative with my volleys. The softer frame kept the ball on the stringbed for great directional control, and it also provided decent energy return for my point-ending volley attempts."

Chris was able to deploy his signature net play with this modern classic racquet, utilizing the denser string pattern to shape his shots to a devastating degree. He noted, "The Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo felt rock solid at net. I thought the racquet had a nice blend of power and control, and I was able to use the mass of the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo to drive volleys away. The dense stringbed offered excellent feel, and I was able to find my targets consistently. The previous version had a rawer feel, but I still felt connected to my shots with the v2 Camo. I found the overall response of the new version to be smoother and more comfortable."

As most of our team expected, this Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 earned very high marks on serve, highlighted by its control and reliability. For Chris, the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 let him shape his shots down into the service box with lots of spin. He said, "Another favorite shot to hit with the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo was my serve. I hit mostly slice first serves, and with this racquet I was getting lots of spin and pace on the ball. I felt like I could give the ball ample clearance over the net and still get it to dip nicely inside the box. I tend to go for just as much on my second serve as I do on my first, and I found that tactic to work especially well with this racquet." 

When it was Mark's turn to serve, he appreciated the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2's additional leverage, which helped him put more of a downward angle on every serve. He explained, “The extra half inch in length added some much-needed power to my serve (and the rest of my game), and the 18-main pattern tamed that power with surprisingly easy access to spin. My serves to the T on the deuce court and out wide on the ad side were a little more effective than usual."

Oak was not surprised to find that the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo was nearly perfect for starting off a point. He said, "As expected, this racquet is a dream on serve. It's just so unbelievably steady, powerful and precise, and it’s still quick through the air. There are few frames that come close to it. This Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo felt obedient on whatever serve I tried, but it excels at sliders up the T on the ad side or flat wide to the deuce court. I would've maybe liked a hair more spin, but I really have no major complaints performance-wise."

Although extended-length frames are primarily known for their increased power on serve, Troy was most impressed by the control and consistency he found from the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo. He described, "Even though the extended length of the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 gave me some added leverage on my serves, I found the control and precision to be what really stood out. Whether I was in a tight doubles set or playing practice games, the control and precision let me go for my spots on serves. I felt like this racquet was lacking slightly in spin potential, or it made it a bit more difficult for me to get net clearance on my spin serves. However, there’s a ton of control built into this Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo, so I could hit those spin serves super aggressively. Basically, the moral of the story is that I had to work a little bit harder to achieve the spin and net clearance."

Continuing its trend of reliable performance, the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo was a force to be reckoned with on returns. The racquet's control allowed Troy to tee off from the get-go, minimizing the effectiveness of his opponent's serves. He explained, "This Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo allowed me to be aggressive on my returns. With the dense 18x20 string pattern and the relatively low stiffness rating, I could really swing big on my forehand returns without fear of overhitting. I found the same control on my backhand returns, but I just don't generate the same level of racquet head speed on that side compared to my forehand. There was a ton of control and feel for my slice backhand returns, as well as the backhand chip lob that I tend to use in doubles. I also loved how plush and comfortable this racquet felt on contact; when facing a big hitting server, this racquet absorbed the pace well and didn't feel overly stiff or jarring. The launch angle was a bit low compared to my usual setup, so I had to adjust to get the proper net clearance."

Oak felt like he was able to attack his returns with the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo in his hands. He noted, “The Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo did a good job absorbing pace on returns. 18x20 frames are almost always easy to trust on returns, especially for blocked or chipped returns against bigger servers. I also appreciated the extra reach when I got pulled out wide. The extra length helped more balls hit the center of the stringbed on wide returns. Thankfully, this is one of the fastest swinging extended frames out there, quicker even than its 16x19 counterpart, which has a higher swingweight." 

Deep drives and low slices were well within Chris' capabilities on return, regardless of the pace of the serves he was facing. He described, "Driving through the ball was easy with the Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 v2 Camo thanks to its heft and stability. This racquet packs some swingweight to it, and it absorbs the incoming pace of serves with hardly any backswing required by me. Again, my backhand slice was working well. I felt confident knifing that shot, which was a good thing because I was struggling with maneuverability on my topspin backhand. On my forehand, I stuck mostly to straight drives for the first couple of weeks and then started going for more angles toward the end of the month-long test, after I got more used to the racquet." 

Mark found easy reliability on return, and he could use his chip and block returns  to get into points. He said, "The Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20 Camo felt very solid on my returns. My slice return was easy to execute, and although my topspin returns were not exactly on fire, I was getting this extended-length frame around my body (with topspin) a pretty high percentage of the time."