Category Archives: Racquets – New
New racquet introductions
Solinco Black Out 300XTD
Solinco is not new to the tennis racquet business but the new offerings have some excellent features that I don’t remember on the previous ones we saw.
The two (2) racquets being reviewed are the Black Out 300XTD and White Out 305 XTD
Solinco Black Out
Cleverly, one is all black and one is all white! I mention this because the graphics are minimal which I think is a very good design platform.
We will start the review with the Black Out. As you might have guessed the 300XTD is a 300-gram, 27.5-inch-long racquet having a 100-square-inch hitting area.
This racquet comes with three (3) butt caps for adding much-needed weight! Pop out the 0-gram standard and pop in a 5 or 10-gram replacement! When you pop out the butt cap you will see this is a non-filled (hollow) racquet, and, there is nothing wrong with that. You will also see that the grip pallet is a molded foam pallet, allowing for minor size and shape changes.
That is enough narrative. Take a look at the specifications below:
| Manufacturer | Solinco |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Solinco Black Out 300XTD |
| Reference Tension | 42 |
| String | Volkl V-Star 18 |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| String Bed Stiffness - RDC | 42.0 Units |
| String Bed Stiffness -FlexFour | 39.0 pounds |
| String Bed Stiffness - SBS | 41.3 pounds |
| String Bed Stiffness - ERT | 28 Kg/Cm |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 70 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 49.0 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 377.4 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 330 |
| Weight, Ounces | 11.64 |
| Balance, mm | 323 |
| Balance, Inch | 12.72 |
| Length, Cm | 69.9 |
| Length, Inch | 27.52 |
| Head Width | 9.81 |
| Head Length | 12.98 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 645.3 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 100.0 |
| Beam Height @ Grip, mm | 23.3 |
| Beam Height @ Mid, mm | 24.5 |
| Beam Height @ Tip | 23.7 |
| Beam Width @ Grip, mm | 16.0 |
| Beam Width @ Throat, mm | 15.7 |
| Beam Width @ Mid, mm | 11.0 |
| Beam Width @ Tip, mm | 12.8 |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 19 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .637 |
| Main String Grid | 7.70 |
| Cross String Grid | 10.68 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .822 |
| Average Cross String Space | .562 |
| Average Main String Space | .481 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 30 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 167.79 |
| First Moment, Nm | .819 |
| Polar Moment | 332 |
| Torsional Stability | 15 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 317 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.18 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 344.3 |
| Power, RDC | 60 |
| Control, RDC | 36 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 75 |
| Power, Calculated | 2330.5 |
| Head Points | 8.35 |
| Head Weight, % | 46.2% |
| Center of Percussion | 20.9 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 10.19 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 25.0 |
| K, Lb/In | 125.00 |
| Recoil Weight | 155.24 |
| Twist Weight | 237.60 |
| End Weight | 136.4 |
| Tip Weight | 192.7 |
| 9 O'Clock | 100.4 |
| 3 O'Clock | 101.3 |
| Butt Cap | 127.5 |
| COF, Main | .370 |
| COF, Cross | .332 |
Comparing Racquets (for real)
The Racquet Quest podcast recently aired a session on comparing racquets, so, to be fair I wanted to post that same data here. If you listened to the podcast this will sound familiar.
These racquets are not random. These racquets are owned by a client that is seeking an upgrade without going overboard!
Here is what Jess has to say:
“Hey, John –
Jess definitely likes the VS more than the Rafa. She said that she gets more easy power and stability with the Rafa but she’s able to accelerate faster on the forehand side with the VS.
She also felt like the VS was more maneuverable at the net. She said that if she’s in control of the point that she can really whip her forehand for a winner. She definitely noticed the lighter swing weight and liked that.
However, she also said that sometimes it feels a little unstable – like the VS is getting pushed around a bit. For example, she noticed that the head of the racquet can twist sometimes if her opponent nails a hard ball at her.
She has more control for sure with the VS – felt like she blasted more balls out with the Rafa. Overall, she likes the racquet- just would like a little more stability.”
By the way, Jess had not seen the racquet data prior to her hitting. So, there you have it. I believe you can see how much numbers help us find the right performance characteristics for a racquet.
Head Boom Team L 2022
Like the Head Boom Team 2022, the Head Team L 2022 has been much anticipated!
Finally, a 107 square inch head without the ridiculous thick beam and ultra-lightweight, a legitimate “tweener”!
The Boom Team L has the highest power level assigned to recent Head racquets coming in at “900”, compared to the Boom Team at 800 and the Boom Pro at 400. If a power racquet is what you are looking for, this may be a good choice!
The Boom Team L is a slightly longer racquet at 27.35 inches. This increase in length increases the swing weight without adding weight. You can think of swing weight as “leverage.”
The Boom Team L incorporates all the newest materials and design chops of the viral Boom Pro and Boom MP.
The specifications will give you a better idea of where this racquet may fit your game.
| Manufacturer | Head |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Head Boom Team L 2022 |
| Reference Tension | 56 lbs - 25.4 kg |
| String | Head Reflex MLT 17 |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| ASPS, RDC | 45.0 |
| ASPS, FlexFour | 55.0 |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 63 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 46.0 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 339.8 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 290 |
| Weight, Ounces | 10.23 |
| Balance, mm | 353 |
| Balance, Inch | 13.90 |
| Length, Cm | 69.5 |
| Length, Inch | 27.362 |
| Head Width | 10.15 |
| Head Length | 13.25 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 679.5 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 105.6 |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 19 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .643 |
| Main String Grid | 7.90 |
| Cross String Grid | 10.56 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .792 |
| Average Cross String Space | .556 |
| Average Main String Space | .494 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 31 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 173.39 |
| First Moment, Nm | .805 |
| Polar Moment | 331 |
| Torsional Stability | 18 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 313 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.04 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 361.4 |
| Power, RDC | 53 |
| Control, RDC | 48 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 78 |
| Power, Calculated | 2139.2 |
| Head Points | -1.73 |
| Head Weight, % | 50.8% |
| Center of Percussion | 20.7 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 9.48 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 26.3 |
| K, Lb/In | 144.23 |
| Recoil Weight | 129.71 |
| Twist Weight | 221.11 |
| End Weight | 97.7 |
| Tip Weight | 192.3 |
| 9 O'Clock | 93.0 |
| 3 O'Clock | 92.8 |
| Butt Cap | 103.8 |
Head Boom Team 2022…BOOM!
It is here, and I bet you heard another big BOOM recently!
The Head Boom Team 2022 has arrived and is ready for you to try! The Boom Team is a valuable addition to the Head lineup.
For years players have been asking for a 102 square inch racquet that has the “player” characteristics they wanted.
Player characteristics can mean different things to different players, but here is what the Head Boom Team 2022 has:
A fairly thin beam
A thin head cross-section
A modified box beam shaft cross-section
This racquet continues with Graphene and fresh Auxetic material that has been popular in the Boom Pro and Boom MP!
All specifications are in the chart below but suffice to say; this is a significant step in the right direction!
Looking at the inside of the shaft, you will notice the transitional shape from a thin box beam into a slightly thicker trapezoidal beam.
The head shape also continues with the broader upper section like the Boom Pro and Boom MP. Most “aggressive” shots are hitting the string bed in this area, so giving it more energy makes sense!
The density of the string in that area should contribute to good string life.
The first thing you notice upon pickup (first moment) is the weight distribution. While this is still a “headlight” model (see the specs below), the weight is toward the tip of the racquet.
We have had great results with the Boom Pro and Boom MP in both “retail” and full custom racquets, so, If you are considering a racquet upgrade, this one should be on your list!
| Manufacturer | Head |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Head Boom Team 2022 |
| Reference Tension | 55 lbs - 24.9 kg |
| String | Head Reflex MLT 17 |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| ASPS, RDC | 48.0 |
| ASPS, FlexFour | 64 |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 61 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 45.0 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 389.6 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 300 |
| Weight, Ounces | 10.58 |
| Balance, mm | 337 |
| Balance, Inch | 13.27 |
| Length, Cm | 68.6 |
| Length, Inch | 27.008 |
| Head Width | 9.97 |
| Head Length | 13.065 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 659.7 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 102.3 |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 19 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .642 |
| Main String Grid | 7.80 |
| Cross String Grid | 10.80 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .845 |
| Average Cross String Space | .568 |
| Average Main String Space | .500 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 33 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 184.57 |
| First Moment, Nm | .786 |
| Polar Moment | 320 |
| Torsional Stability | 15 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 305 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 10.76 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 340.7 |
| Power, RDC | 46 |
| Control, RDC | 54 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 83 |
| Power, Calculated | 1921.4 |
| Head Points | 1.89 |
| Head Weight, % | 49.1% |
| Center of Percussion | 20.8 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 9.18 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 26.9 |
| K, Lb/In | 153.85 |
| Recoil Weight | 138.76 |
| Twist Weight | 222.21 |
| End Weight | 114.3 |
| Tip Weight | 187.8 |
| 9 O'Clock | 91.5 |
| 3 O'Clock | 93.6 |
| Butt Cap | 114.8 |
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