Solinco unveils Whiteout V2 tennis racket with more stable power

Just over two years removed from popular tennis string manufacturer Solinco entering the racquet space with the release of the Whiteout and Blackout frames, the California-based brand is back with the Whiteout V2, launching in three models on January 10.

While careful not to deviate from the ethos of the original racket so as not to alienate the newly acquired following, Solinco still wanted to improve the rackets' access to effortless power while improving stability during off-center shots. Helping engineers get there was the new Arch-2 construction, KT Kim, director of Solinco Sportstells me, a fresh approach to the model's carbon fiber layout.

We kept the same geometry, the same general specifications in terms of swing weight and balance, says Kim. What we have done is improvements to its construction, its architecture.

The updated carbon fiber architecture improves playability, all part of an effort to evolve and improve the frame based on feedback generated since it launched in spring 2022 and expanded the range. We have been able to create a racket that provides power and pop more easily, says Kim about V2. We call it more effortless power from the string bed and improved stability and feel. Shots that may be off-center are more forgiving and reinforce the racquet's sweet spot.

But at its heart, the Whiteout V2 is still a player's stick, with a 98-square-inch head and a thinner radius for players with higher swing speeds. This is an approach of evolving versus reinventing, says Kim about the decision to keep key technologies prominent in the first version, such as the Foam Tech Core with PU foam in the head to improve feel, high-performance 40T carbon fiber, weight control modules on the stock and liquid crystal fibers in the grip to reduce vibration. The original version also remains available to consumers.

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Kim says there would always be a balance when debuting a second version for such a new manufacturer in the racquet industry. With so much effort going into launching two racquet franchises in 2022 to let people know the frames exist, get people interested in trying them, go through the logistics of getting them into player's hands and then needing people to hopefully love it and switch, Solinco knows. the importance of gradual and not large-scale changes. The approach for the second version was not to alienate existing players with such a dramatic switch that those who enjoyed the first version wouldn't even know what the second version was.

That's why Solinco focused on something that every player wants. I think people generally appreciate the concept of more effortless power and more control and stability, says Kim. That's something I think everyone would take.

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He notes that the Whiteout V2 remains a control-oriented design, but in real match play, where players stretch in all directions, sometimes just trying to get a racket on the ball, and have the ability to control in non- centered shots with a level of pop and control is a desirable quality.

To help customers distinguish between the all-white first version and the Whiteout V2, Solino has adopted a gray-based arctic camo graphic that covers the entire frame. It is inspired by video game culture and the skins players can choose while playing.

The design is inspired by youth culture, says Kim. We got feedback from the younger generation that they wanted something more exciting. Besides putting neon yellow, purple or pink on the racket, we wanted something that would excite version two and differentiate it from version one.

As Solinco continues to develop the racket range, you can expect a second version of the Blackout. This will see the addition of a foam core in the more power-oriented 100-square-inch headstock in 2025, but the launch of the Whiteout V2 comes first. On January 10, Solinco will roll out three versions, with the 290 gram and 305 gram versions and one extended frame. Then, as the year progresses, expect an 18×20 string pattern and an extended version of the 18×20 to appear at retail, specifications that have become unique to Solinco.

Kim says the tinkering never stops. The brand is already working on new prototypes of a third line, one that could fall between the two existing models. With much to come, Kims looks forward to taking a company once best known for its strings even further into the direction of strings and rackets. We are excited, he says, for what is to come.