Solinco Whiteout 18x20 Setup Journal
The following is a journal which will document setup process to fully dial in the Solinco Whiteout for my game.
It will be continuously updated as I continue to experiment.
Date of last update: December 20, 2023. No further updates expected.
Notes:
“Tip” means that weight was added at 12 o’clock (in the hoop) to achieve a certain swingweight.
I will not be disclosing the specific amounts of weight added to the different locations. This is because I’m using 3 different racquets to conduct this test and they all have different starting specs due to variances in quality control. They were all what I would call “on-spec.” I feel that saying I’ve added X grams at Y location will be misleading both for my own references, but also for people trying to replicate my spec. To me, what matters is the final spec of the frame.
In most cases, I will be referring to the unstrung spec of the frame. This is because I’m trying tons of different strings all the time and these strings weight different amounts. Once I settle on a string of choice and spec of choice for the Whiteouts, I will update this to include strung specs as well as unstrung specs.
*WCM refers to Solinco’s Weight Control Module, which is a trap door replacement which is an easy way to add weight to the butt cap. 5g and 10g options are available.
For the string setups: Rankings will just be 1-4. I initially wanted to ranking each one uniquely, however, that has proven to be impossible.
December minor tweak:
After honeymooning over the Pure Strike VS I realized that going to a 170ish recoil weight does help my forehand stroke. A higher recoil weight helps me with natural extension, something that I as much help with as possible, as lazy Beckett will enter T-Rex mode without hesitation.
Two big changes allow me to achieve this.
Shifting 5g of weight from 7 inches to the buttcap. This meant one of my Whiteout’s not has the 5g WCM and the other has the 10g WCM due to QC.
Peeling the backing off my VT Advantec leather grip. This sheds 10g which had to be added in the form of lead tape to the handle of racquet 2.
New specs:
343g static weight
31.6cm balance
331 swing weight
171 recoil weight
20.7 MGR/i
I can definitely feel that 20.7 MGR/i is suboptimal. The hoop has a tendency to lag more than I like and there’s a mild sensation of clubbiness, however, I think some time to adjust and it’ll be just fine.
I can increase MGR/i to 20.8 by adding 6g at 7 inches, but I’m not super convinced that’s necessary and I like the idea of a lower static weight if I can manage.
Still, the shadow of my Extreme Tour still haunts me as it swings noticeably faster than the WO in their modified forms.
Final Specs:
A few months ago I finalized my specs but failed to update this journal until now due to incompetance.
Final strung specs (with 1.25mm poly) are:
345g static weight
31.8cm balance
327 swingweight
This leads to an MGR/i of about 21 and and recoil weight of 163. 163 RW is below my “ideal specs” according to Brando’s guide. Ultimately, I think I would prefer a higher recoil weight to help with plow through. If I take time away from the game, it takes me a really long time to find court penetration on my forehand side. I also think that my tennis elbow experience might be cause from over muscling the racquet face as I make contact, forcing the racquet face to stay closed, when it should naturally come through. Currently I’m using my high MGR/i to compensate for this fact but I’m not convinced that it is sustainable over time.
I’m also currently tinker with the Pure Strike VS, a racquet with a lower balance point, allowing my to achieve a higher RW at a similar swingweight.
For strings, Grapplesnake’s Tour M8 is number 1 for sure. I prefer the additional string movement of M8, when compared to Tour Sniper, in competitive settings. It’s the string I used to win my last tournament.
For day-to-day, due to the price of M8, I am using Toroline Wasabi Pomegranate red as the workhorse string. It has better ball bite than M8, but feels less connected. Otherwise, things are pretty comparable.
String Setups:
Tourna Silver 7 Tour 1.25 @ 48lbs.
Control Rank: 1
Feel Rank: 1
Spin Rank: 2
Durability Rank: 2
Power Rating: Sufficient
ReString Zero 1.23 @ 52lbs.
Control Rank: 3
Feel Rank: 4
Spin Rank: 1
Durability Rank: 1
Power Rating: Overkill +10%
Head Hawk Power @ 50lbs
Control Rank: 2
Feel Rank: 2
Spin Rank: 4
Durability Rank: 4
Power Rating: Sufficient (was +10% at 48lbs)
Signum Pro Polaris @ 52lbs
Control Rank: 4
Feel Rank: 3
Spin Rank: 3
Durability Rank: 3
Power Rating: Overkill +15%
Weight Setups
Tip + 7 + 5g WCM (strung w/ ReString Zero 1.23mm) (unstrung in italics)
Static Weight: 340 g (320 g)
Swingweight: 340 kgcm² (306 kgcm²)
Balance: 32.4 cm (31.4 cm)
Recoil Weight: 169.40 kgcm² (159.45 kgcm²)
Twistweight: 13.07 kgcm²
MGR/I: 20.52 (20.74)
Polarization Index: 0.498 (0.498)
Pro’s: Most fluid feeling option. Most powerful. Easiest to hit heavy.
Con’s: Synthetic replacement grip.
Tip + 7 + Leather (strung w/ ReString Zero 1.23mm) (2 frames with specs that were indistinguishable for me)
Static Weight: 347/349 g
Swingweight: 336/337 kgcm²
Balance: 32.2/32.2cm
Recoil Weight: 164.98/165.00 kgcm²
Twistweight: 13.27/13.17 kgcm²
MGR/I: 20.88/20.91
Polarization Index: 0.48/0.47
Pro’s: Very solid feeling. I like the leather and it swings well from all areas of the court.
Con’s: Struggling with really finding a solid extension. Mild sensations of muscling the angle of the racquet face. Discussions with Brando have led me to want to increase the recoil weight.
Tip + 7 Mk. I (unstrung)
Static Weight: 313g
Swingweight: 303 kgcm²
Balance: 32cm
Recoil Weight: 151.51 kgcm²
Twistweight: 13.17 kgcm²
MGR/I: 20.81
Polarization Index: 0.48
Pro’s: This one swings the lightest while retaining strong stability against bigger hitters. Lots of tip feel through aggressive strokes. Very fluid from all areas of the court.
Con’s: Lacks some put away power.
Tip + Leather Mk. I (unstrung)
Static Weight: 312g
Swingweight: 303 kgcm²
Balance: 31.6cm
Recoil Weight: 157.43 kgcm²
Twistweight: 13.07 kgcm²
MGR/I: 20.61
Polarization Index: 0.50
Pro’s: Very fluid feeling. Retains much of the tip awareness from Tip + 7 Mk. I. Stability is sufficient
Con’s: Feels noticeably heavier than Tip + 7 Mk. I without noticeable increases in stability or power. Lacks some easy putaway power.
Tip + 5g WCM* Mk II (unstrung)
Static Weight: 311g
Swingweight: 302 kgcm²
Balance: 31.7cm
Recoil Weight: 155.55 kgcm²
Twistweight: 13.27 kgcm²
MGR/I: 20.66
Polarization Index: 0.50
Pro’s: Increases in power and stability over stock. Possible the most powerful feeling setup due to clubby feel, unclear if this actually translates to heavier balls for the opponent.
Con’s: Very little tip control. Feels unwieldy and hard to get a consistent contact point.
Stock (Strung with Silver 7 Tour 1.25)
Static Weight: 323g
Swingweight: 326 kgcm²
Balance: 33.1cm
Recoil Weight: 153.6 kgcm²
Twistweight: 14.2 kgcm²
MGR/I: 20.65
Polarization Index: 0.48
Pro’s: Excellent all around performance against players who hit slower than me.
Con’s: Insufficient stability and power against those who hit similar or bigger balls than me. Poor stability and punch at net.
Tip + 5g WCM Mk I (unstrung)
Static Weight: 314g
Swingweight: 309 kgcm²
Balance: 31.8cm
Recoil Weight: 159.8 kgcm²
Twistweight: 13.27 kgcm²
MGR/I: 20.51
Polarization Index: 0.51
Pro’s: Excellent power and stability.
Con’s: Too heavy. Tired me out very quickly.
