Breakdown

Groundstrokes: 8.8

Solinco has done it again, creating a racquet suited for experienced players of all game styles. Our team celebrated the controllable power and amazing feel of the Whiteout 305 18x20. As with every Whiteout racquet release, Chris found plenty of power on tap from this 18x20 version. He said, "The Whiteout 305 18x20 felt like a great fit for intermediate through advanced level players. I'd have to say this is one of the most powerful 18x20 racquets I've hit that also has a player's racquet frame design. I did find better depth control compared to the open string patterned version, but my shots still had lots of zip to them. I liked the feel on my flat shots and found the ball to dive down nicely toward my targets. I was able to be more aggressive when I was inside the court and pushing forward compared to the original Whiteout 305. I felt more in control on approach shots when I had to get a low ball up and over the net, while still getting it to dive down inside the lines. I had fun driving backhand slices since I was getting plenty of spin and excellent pace."

"This was my first time testing a Solinco racquet, and I was impressed," added Zsofi. "I haven't always been a huge fan of 18x20 setups in recent years, but something about this racquet totally made me fall in love with it. It doesn't really feel like an 18x20 at all, more like a 16x19. It was very forgiving, and I was able to generate ample spin and power, but I was never really overhitting either, so there wasn’t too much power. I especially enjoyed the Whiteout 305 18x20 on slices! The swingweight feels just perfect, and the stability of the racquet was on point; it wasn't getting pushed around at all."

The Whiteout 305 18x20 was quite a surprise for Howard at the baseline, but in a good way. He described, "I normally gravitate toward an open string pattern for the easy access to spin, so I was excited to find I was able to generate a decent amount of spin with this racquet. I never worried about having my shots land short and really enjoyed the additional plow through. The stability was great with the Whiteout 305 18x20. I enjoyed playing against harder hitting opponents and not having to worry about the racquet twisting in my hands. Finally, my favorite highlight of this racquet had to be the overall feel on impact."

Because most racquets with 18x20 string patterns have lower launch angles, Austin normally prefers more open patterns. He said, "To me, the racquet itself plays like a souped-up Wilson Blade, with more heft and a noticeably stiffer flex. These characteristics made generating power and heavy balls easy. From the first few strokes, I quickly found a good degree of control and maneuverability. Even as a 305-gram racquet, it was more stable than its 16x19 counterpart. This racquet worked swimmingly for my attacking game style, and it was versatile enough that I could recommend it to a wide array of advanced players."

Volleys: 8.4

The praise continued as our team evaluated the Whiteout 305 18x20's performance at net. The racquet did everything right for Howard when he took it to the net. He explained, "Touch volleys were on point, while stability and plow through were present. Maneuverability at net was great as well. When I ran into some tough decision-making with this racquet, I never had trouble getting it in place for any volleys. Overall, this was one of the best racquets I have hit volleys with in the last year."

"Much like its performance at the baseline, this racquet checked all the boxes on volleys," added Austin. "Stability, control and maneuverability were all appropriately balanced for volleying, so I found myself looking to approach the net as frequently as possible during points. My slice approach shots became a verifiable weapon as I followed them to the net to easily close out points."

Chris found that the Whiteout 305 18x20 offered a crisp and clean feel at net. He said, "I was able to zip volleys away with ample pace. I also liked the easy power I found on tough pickup volleys, since it helped me dig the ball out and still stay on the offensive. On short and angle volleys, I added spin to help me cut the ball away from my opponent. I missed the plush response of my Head Speed Pro on touch shots, but I definitely got plenty of pace on punch volleys. I liked that the Whiteout 305 18x20 felt solid enough against hard hitting players, yet it was also maneuverable enough for me to quickly get it into position."

Serves: 8.1

Serving with the Whiteout 305 18x20 was a positive experience for almost everyone on the team. The racquet's blend of control, power, feel and precision continued to be a hit with our playtesters. "I enjoyed every aspect of serving with this racquet," said Howard. "I was a bit worried at first with my second serve kickers. To my surprise, I was still able to put a good amount of kick on my serve. My favorite serve had to be going down the T with a nice flat serve. Pinpoint accuracy was great with this racquet, and I enjoyed moving my serve around to different locations to keep my opponents guessing."

On the other hand, one of Chris' favorite shots to hit with the Whiteout 305 18x20 was the serve. He continued, "On my first serve down the T, I had fun adding a little slice to help curve the ball into the corner, which enabled me to aim slightly wider than the box on the deuce side and cut the ball away from the returner on the ad side. I also had good results on my second serves. Again, a nice mix of pace and spin made it easy to serve effectively with the Whiteout 305 18x20."

When serving, Austin did not find the same wow factor he did with his ground game, but he still noted exceptional control and consistency. He explained, "I preferred hitting first serves over seconds because of the racquet's stability and plow through. I was able to lay into attacking serves, but this was not the most powerful 98-square-inch racquet to serve with. It was easy to settle into a nice groove, but it was a bit more challenging to hit second serves with as much net clearance and topspin as I typically look for in a racquet."

Zsofi also enjoyed the Whiteout 305 18x20 on serves. She said, "I especially liked hitting my first serves! I felt like I had great control over the placement of my shots and was able to go for a wider kick serve as a result of that trust in my racquet."

Returns: 8.3

Stability was the characteristic that our team all appreciated when returning with the Whiteout 305 18x20. Echoing his comments on groundstroke performance, Austin was very pleased with the variety he was able to find with his returns. He said, "Given the higher twistweight, which is reflected in the racquet's inherent stability, I didn’t find myself, or the racquet, getting pushed around when returning first or second serves. Timing was also not an issue, and it did not take me very long to settle into a comfortable, consistent routine."

"I was able to block fast serves back well with the Whiteout 305 18x20," added Chris. "I felt like I could control those blocked shots well and was able to place the ball deep into my opponent's side of the court. On bigger swings, I had to make sure I got plenty of spin on the ball because I was finding sufficient power to easily overhit. On the plus side, I had a ton of pace on my topspin returns and often found myself stealing away the advantage from the server."

Zsofi was pleased with the Whiteout 305 18x20 on her returns. She described, "This was probably one of the highlights of this playtest for me because the Whiteout 305 18x20 was so stable. It provided me with the perfect amount of power and control."

Stability was the standout feature here for Howard as well. He said, "I felt super confident taking a large cut at the ball and knowing that it would dip deep in the court. Whenever I needed to block a serve back, this racquet had enough stability, and thanks to the maneuverability, I could get it in position on time. I felt comfortable wielding this racquet, and at times I was confident enough to try a dropper on a return."

Breakdown Summary