The MOST UNDERRATED racket in 2023? Solinco Whiteout 18x20 Review 

Thanks!

Thanks for the insight!

Noah tennis bkk here maps.app.goo.gl/dyDiTMBNjDFShJe16?g_st=ic

Thanks! Yes I still feel that, but way less than 16x19.

@@tantennis Was there any vibration that you felt when using the Gravity Pro and TFight 315?

Yes. But Tfight is kinda dampened. Gravity Pro has vibration but it’s plush so no problem.

I think both are great rackets, best in 98s. But I prefer the Solinco tho, I think it’s a bit more well-balance.

The demo racket have SW of 315 on 16x19 and 320 on 18x20. But on the paper I believe it should be around the same. My 18x20 came at 325 tho, right on point of my preference.

I think it’s around Ezone comfortable. It’s a firm racket, not soft in anyway, but it’s foam filled so the impact most likely wouldn’t hurt you. If comfort is your key point, this is probably not something you would look at.

Thanks! It’s in my local store in Thailand.

@@tantennis thanks for the answer, maybe you can make a review on that. I liked the Version 2 a lot. Curious if the new version will be softer.

Thanks! I don’t think they fall in the same umbrella due to 10g differences in static weight. If you want a well-round control racket that is user friendly then Whiteout 18/20 is the way. PSX is more precise but way more demanding and underpowered.

@@tantennis I'm wondering if you mean that although the PSX is 10g heavier compared to the Whiteout, the power of it is weaker than the whiteout. If so, then I'm curious what benefit the PSX brings by being heavier? Stability of the racket?

@@houhouhou99 Stability, spin, and feel. I still think that PSX is more precise than the Whiteout 18x20.

It’s a muted string overall but not as dead as the black confidential. Still low power, control oriented. Better for flatten the ball, not a spin machine, but sure very accessible. Still quite stiff but not to the level that it’s hurting me, but more like soreness after. I think it works in the frame like this that has some vibrations because it will balance that out.

Here's my feedback about it using the Head Boom Pro: Solinco Confidential 3.0 1.30 (24kg) x Diadem All Court (Extra Duty) Unreleased soft and round-profiled string. Baseline: first half an hour hitting, I didn't get much feedback out of it. It needed more than half an hour to break-in. After that and throughout this playtest, sticking behind the baseline and exchaning groundstrokes with a rather flat trajectory made me feel more comfortable. Power delivery came with clean, fast and big swings. Stiffness was a bit higher than I expected (could be the racket?). Top-Spin assistance was above moderate and I could find short angles especially while being inside the mid-court area or on the run to my right to give arc on the ball. Forehands: Against advanced hitting partner I felt safer hitting super loose and flat. The sweet-spot was relatively small. Slight misshits towards the sides were not forgiving as were not lazy or late forehands. Backhands: on the backhand side both 1hbh and 2hbh felt absolutely great! Couldn't hit long and got some winners! Better sidespin than underspin. Had some difficulties producing underspin that would keep the ball low and long with the Boom Pro, still getting used to it. Netplay: this was its weakest part. The relatively small sweetspot didn't allow me to have good directional control repeatidely, so I prefered hit a half-volley after a cross court forehand or backhand. Conclusions: if released, I'd recommend it being strung at 1.5-2kg lower tension than I did for larger sweetspot and better comfort levels. Other than the mediocre underspin, I was able to keep balls in play against advanced hitting partner and play very good level of tennis. It played its best on the backhand side, I actually couldn't hit long and was able to attack. Lower tension and maybe 100 sq inch racket would be a good combo for this string. Insane snapback! Super stable performance! Comfort: ⭐⭐⭐⭐➖➖ Stiffness: ⭐⭐⭐➖➖➖ Power: ⭐⭐⭐⭐➖➖ Ball bite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐➖➖ Spin: ⭐⭐⭐⭐➖➖ Feel: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ➖

@@tantennis Are there any other strings that play similar to this? What gauge did you play this at and how was the tension loss? Thanks

Haven’t played with Wasabi yet

The spin is crazy on this 18x20. Control is great when hitting flat. It has everything really. I think don’t go with less shaped poly because dense pattern kinda locks the movement, I think go with hex or round are better.

@@tantennis Thanks! Check out Toroline Wasabi round with shaped

@@tantennis Wasabi Pro looks like a great option. Shaped mains with round cross. What would you tension them at, 50?

@@ryansolomon4178 I go 46 lbs main and 44 lbs cross with hyper G soft now. Shape main with round cross sounds good to me.

@@tantennis Awesome! I’m using a Vcore 2023 100 at the moment. Had a Ezone 98 2022 and it really hurt my elbow with hyper g 16L. Currently trying Ytex Quadrotwist

Dude. You read my mind.

I think Whiteout 18x20 has more control and good for attack. On the defense, no it doesn’t have that high topspin as the Shift 300. The launch angle is much lower than the Shift.

Nope. Still prefer ISO 315.

Sure!

@tantennis I hope you can share some lights between Artengo TR960 CT 16x19 (local decathlon does not carry 18m here) vs Solinco Whiteout 18x20

The spin potential of Shift 315 is higher if you can get that fast racket headspeed. But Whiteout is way easier to play with and easier to access the topspin for me.

@@tantennis Thanks!

@@tantennis I really liked the Shift. Only thing was that it was inconsistent when it wanted to flex and when not. I am UTR 9. Was thinking of getting whiteout 18x20

Way more powerful and spinny. Stiffer responsive feel.

This one is much more control, less spin potential, less power. Feels better. Extreme tour is a bit easier to play with.

Not at all. The dense pattern kinda prevents that. And you can also put the topspin on it.

It looks more dense than gravity pro to me but yes it has better spin

I asked Chris Edwards from Tennis Warehouse which of the top 18x20 racquets he would recommend most and he said, "I’d likely go with the SOLINCO WHITEOUT 18x20 XTD since it offers more power on serves and still felt easy enough to maneuver at net. Both offer more power and a livelier feel (as well as firmer feel) than the Speed and Gravity Pros. If you prefer more of a standard length I still think you’d find ample power from the standard 18x20 version."

Very decent. I give it 8/10.

MSV focus hex in thin gauge. Round I would say Solinco Confidential 3.0

@@tantennis Thank you. 17g?

@@tantennis Confidential 3.0 doesn’t seem to exist yet.

I can’t seem to get MSV in Canada. Any thoughts on Toro Toro or Tour M8 as options?

I don’t feel anything special on the serves

I chose Whiteout 18x20 for sure. It feels more suitable for 2HBH, and I can get easier power. Static weight is lower as well, a level I can handle for more than an hour.

@@tantennis you found it easier to play with than ps97 v13. Recently i was amazed by v13. Despite its weight it was quick through the air, more than enough power when you go for it, great spin potential and amazing on volleys. It only didn’t help a lot when on defence….. not enough zip/pop. Is whiteout more quick through the air ? Like blade v8 16x19 ? I have a 1HB and pro staff was AMAZING.

@@TheodorosKolokotronis799 I think it’s not as quick as the blade. It’s better on defence than PS97 for sure. But if you have 1HBH, I think you would be better sticking with PS97.

Now I use Blade 98, ISO 315, and Gravity Pro just came into equation.

@@tantennis so you prefer gravity pro over whiteout 18x20 ?

@@TheodorosKolokotronis799 Yessir! The pops on the Gravity Pro give me easy time on the defense. The downsides are not so much spin and it’s heavy. Whiteout is more maneuverable and more spin. It plays like a 16x19 racket.

@@tantennis i didn’t enjoy whiteout 16x19. I found it way too head heavy and kinda thick. Feel was not sth special… harsh and kinda muted. This 18x20 seems overall better

@@TheodorosKolokotronis799 it’s better than Whiteout 16x19 for sure in my opinion. But if you don’t like the balance and the feel, then you probably wouldn’t like the 18x20 as well.

Hmm. I think whiteout has a but better control. Power and spin are probably on the same level. Whiteout is more maneuverable, of course. ISO 315 is more dampened and I think it’s softer, even though the spec says otherwise.

Hi. Overall I think whiteout 18/20 is superior than Gravity tour on every aspects except comfort and forgiveness.

@@tantennis ok, thx. Are confort and forgiveness far from the grav tour ?

@@Le-Chuck I think gravity tour is probably 20-30% softer. Whiteout 18/20 is a firm but solid racket. Need to choose string wisely. On the forgiveness, I think whiteout is pretty easier to hit with, obviously not as much as the gravity but I don’t have any problem with it so far.

@@tantennis Thx, it s interesting. All reviews, as yours, tell this frame give a good amount of spin which, on paper is surprising for a 18/20 98 racket. I have to try it !

@@Le-Chuck you really have to. It has a very good amount of spin.

Solinco Confidential 3.0 @48lbs on both rackets. I don’t feel the discomfort on the 18x20 tho.

@@tantennis I'm just reading the reviews on the Wilson Shift 315 right now on TW and it looks like a great racket, have you tried it?

@@prophetmargin7497 yes I have. I made a video on it. Quick summary is it’s too demanding for me with 330+ SW and the racket requires fast racket head speed to spin the ball. I cannot give that. But I would say it’s the most spinny 18x20 racket I have ever played.

@@tantennis Yes, most of the individual reviews (not the TW play testers) on TW claim you should have a 4.0 or higher rating to get the full potential out of this racket because the sweetspot is small and the swingweight is on the high side!

@@prophetmargin7497 that’s accurate. I mean, I can play with 330 SW On the Blade and PS97 just fine because I can go with medium racket headspeed and use the plow. But on Shift 315, that approach does not work. Fast racket head speed only.

Good point!

Reckon it’s a reverse psych thing. ‘WhiteIn’ doesn’t sound right

U use leather grip?

@@ncrov6015 sorry, I misread and thought you talk about the swingweight. Yes I think it’s like 4-5g overweight.

That makes sense. But it seems like the flex and comfort doesn’t follow.

The reason I use 17 on this playtest is because I normally use 17 on 16x19 rackets. So I should see the difference clearly and theoretically I should prefer 16x19 because my groundstrokes don’t work for 18x20. But this one is different.

@@tantennis And yet a 98 inch headed racquet is designed to perform with 16 gauge strings . Therefore optimized test results would occur with a 16 gauge string , on both racquets with a non hybrid .

I think it highly depends on racket and string choice. It’s not a one-size fits all.

@@tantennis In order to have any non tainted results , one must test the racquets with the proper gauged string for that pattern maintainment . In this case it is 16 gauge on a 98 . Once the better performer is identified by the string types that would best accentuate the racquets , then one can give different options to choose from , in color properties and gauge functionality uniqueness .

@@derekpappas1556 your argument doesn’t make sense. He literally just said he usually plays with at 17g string. If he were to put a 16g string in his play test he is always going to say it plays bad because hell never feel comfortable and won’t have anything to compare it too since he always plays with 17g strings. Too many things to consider when testing racquets and gauge isn’t really something that matters as most people play with 17g in 18x20 to increase the launch angle and spin. I get your trying to make this test objective but most reviewers will string bring some subjective measures to their test. If you follow the channel long enough then those subjective measures are easier to understand and allow the objective measures to be discussed.

It’s a great stick and not many people are using it. Not sure why you get the impression of just a normal modern racket. I think I’m positive here. Really have not many things to complain so I put all white paintjob as cons.