DropWideShot
Semi-Pro
These are foam filled, not sure if the lower weights will be if they make those too
Solinco M3
- Thread starter FrankyRelax
- Start date
thenewbig3
Hall of Fame
Damn! Damn! Damn! What a freaking racket (Oval-M3). Just 3 x 45 minute sessions and I'm ready to ditch my 22 Ezone98s for these.
jimdontcare
Professional
If Head can make a racquet called the Squared maybe Solinco can just call this Round or Oval, depending on which mold wins.
A couple people have said it's clubby, which is pretty different from my Blackout and Whiteout experiences. What about it exactly is clubby? Are we talking Blade Pro clubby or Speed MP high swingweight or am I not in the right ballpark
A couple people have said it's clubby, which is pretty different from my Blackout and Whiteout experiences. What about it exactly is clubby? Are we talking Blade Pro clubby or Speed MP high swingweight or am I not in the right ballpark
jimdontcare
Professional
This is a joke jsyk please don't name it Oval
thenewbig3
Hall of Fame
In short its not clubby in anyway shape or form.
But if you want to read more its below
The nice thing is based on specs so far Oval-M3 has a reasonable swingweight that allows you to go up if you need it and is not already too high like Blade Pros and many Speed Pros which cannot be adjusted. Even at Lower SWs - Weight distribution and flex profile can make some rackets feel clubby to certain recreational players (like me) especially of their current racket which they are used to is more polarized and has a lower twistweight. The Oval-M3 felt "relatively" clubby compared to my Round-M3 and my custom polarized EZ98 to me - during the first session because it was relative to my Custom EZ98s (with between 6-7g of lead between 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock). Now after 3 sessions that same Oval-M3 is just beyond superb and overall better than my EZ98 (not just groundstrokes) which I have had 18 months of practice and optimization behind.
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McLovin
Legend
To be clear, my first prototype was a club. But…it was even-balanced, and I mentioned that in my review to them. Then they sent a second that was around 8pts HL (unstrung). That was NOT a club. It was very easy to swing, yet still stable.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
The round was clubby when I had lead at 10/2. Once i relocated one strip of lead to 12 and ditched the other strip, it wasn’t clubby anymore. The oval with lead at 10 and 2 never felt clubby.
thenewbig3
Hall of Fame
Not sure if Solinco would like me reveal the codes that they sent me but I can tell you my Oval-M3 that me and some others are raving about is neither of the two above... But who knows.
My Round-M3 plays in the Power range of my 22 Ezone98 with better feel and impact. Beautiful loopy ball and can keep hitting for days. It won my heart instantly and felt more flexy and slightly faster swinging than Oval-M3.
My Oval-M3 is better power, spin and feel than my 22 Ezone98. More direct and crisper. The ball has the viciousness of a Pure Aero 98, a new level of impact feel which I shall name "Classic Wilson+" - crisp solidity yet comfortable, easy to flatten the ball, slap the ball, wind it up whatever. Im gonna rename my personal unit to M3-Boom. Obligatory AI Slop in Prism colors below
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DariaGT
Hall of Fame
Not sure if Solinco would like me reveal the codes that they sent me but I can tell you my Oval-M3 that me and some others are raving about is neither of the two above... But who knows.
My Round-M3 plays in the Power range of my 22 Ezone98 with better feel and impact. Beautiful loopy ball and can keep hitting for days. It won my heart instantly and felt more flexy and slightly faster swinging than Oval-M3.
My Oval-M3 is better power, spin and feel than my 22 Ezone98. More direct and crisper. The ball has the viciousness of a Pure Aero 98, a new level of impact feel which I shall name "Classic Wilson+" - crisp solidity yet comfortable, easy to flatten the ball, slap the ball, wind it up whatever. Im gonna rename my personal unit to M3-Boom. Obligatory AI Slop in Prism colors below
how does it compare to WO v2? I would like to see a 100inch WO as well in 22mm beam and ra62-64.
the M3 for me should be called GTFO
(get the funk out or guaranteed to freaking offend)
the GTFO would compete with the Redline very race car type or maxed out performance etc
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McLovin
Legend
thenewbig3
Hall of Fame
In my opinion WO V2 was a good enough modern control frame (Blade 98 category) but I didnt find it would enhance my own game (i was already committed to the EZ98 22 which really matched up nicely with Confidential 16L)
M3 seems to take on the Pure Aero 98 style category which was an upgrade for myself I have been planning this year - with the bonus extra feel and apparent comfort.
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I only used the v1, 18x20 but it compares very favorably to that.
M3 is not quite as firm and very slightly less of a solid feel (part of this could be SW) but still very stable and swings a good deal faster.
Both M3s have more power and slightly less directional control.
But both M3s generate better spin, with one you get a bit higher launch angle while the other is slightly more moderate.
Definitely a modern racquet and will slot nicely between the blackout and whiteout.
I have not used the blackout but the M3 and whiteout v1 have a nice feel a bit more direct and I always think foam is more effective than exotic materials in the layup.
the_faceless_player
Hall of Fame
Much much better. Those were super firm with tiny sweet spots and massive power drop on anything remotely off center. Solinco’s racquet design skills now are a quantum leap forward from the days of Pro, Tour, Shadow/Protocol.
If those are the specs you want why not get the Wilson Blade 100v10. It has a 100 inch head, a 22 mm beam, and an RA of 61.
DariaGT
Hall of Fame
The shape is different on the retail, not sure of the pro labs version but so far the consensus the 98 is the OG for its qualities while the rounded retail 100 is like a different racquet with less control.
If they kept the same shape as the 98 with its more oval head, this is why many are liking the oval head version of the m3 as well. Never like rounded heads myself prefer oval pop vs oval control.
Im actually a fan of the ProKennex Ionic Ki 5X which was ahead of most of the blades of now specially the current rounded blade 100.
I never bought it but know of a few coaches who swear by them and use 1.20mm max power as well as msv hex 18 at 48lbs are just perfect for everything.
If back then PK used better simpler quality candy apple paint jobs like Willy then they would have sold like acai berry hipster bowls do now.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/HnQAAeSwCABpavpu/s-l1600.jpg
FrankyRelax
Professional
Into the quarters now
Tim Buktu
Rookie
Solinco QC on the Blackouts and Whiteouts were horrific. You could easily end up with a clubby overspec WO and underspec BO.
thenewbig3
Hall of Fame
This risk of spec variation exists - no matter what brand you buy or use. You might get lucky or unlucky. Unless someone has the ability to play 337SW with 1.25 poly (in my limited experience more common with Wilson and Head and Pro Kennex) or playing 305SW with that same 1.25 poly (in my experience with Yonex) if not interested in working with lead tape - why even risk it??
My Solinco rackets have been not as bad (yes BO v2 was underspec and WO v2 was slighly overspec for my abilities). But again why would anyone risk it... either pay the few extra bucks to check it at source or buy an unstrung racket (or many) - check it as is and if it doesn't work send it back and get another.
McLovin
Legend
Gotta respectfully disagree with you here. I've had 6 Blackout XTD V1s and 6 V2s, and all have been within 2g of 300g, and balance has been close as well (measuring on home balance board, so can't say it's "spot on"). But the truth is...I really don't care that much. I'm adding ~ 15g of weight (lead + built up butt cap), so if it's 305 or 295, makes no difference to me. I'll just add more or less.
Tim Buktu
Rookie
Sure, variation exists irrespective of brands but its been a long time since I've seen such extreme variations from one manufacturer. I bought a batch of 6 x Blade v9s last year and it was pretty easy to find 4 for the customer that could be easily matched etc. This year, all 4 BO v2s I bought were noticeably under spec, with three having swing weights of 270, 272 and 275. The customer wanted all three sent back. Of the 3 WO v2s I bought last year, two of them had unstrung SWs of 303 and 306. They were practically unusable for long matches. Solinco need to sort out the QC at the factory they're using.
Dredoestennis
New User
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McLovin
Legend
Well, there’s your problem. Please point me to a location where Solinco specifies “swing weight” as a spec.
I’ll save you the trouble: they don’t. No manufacturer specifies swing weight as a spec. Therefore, it is literally impossible for them to be “out of spec”.
Wait until these guys measure Yonex frames…they’re always the worst for me in sw
thebigz
Professional
I wouldn’t want to say worse or not. But definitely had experienced a large variance in SW from Yonex.
They don’t control for it nearly as much as they do static weight
Tim Buktu
Rookie
It's not my problem, it's Solinco's problem for having garbage QC during their manufacturing. I know people who won't even buy Solinco because of this issue.
Maybe when they get to the v7 generation of their racquets they might have manufacturing quality comparable to the big established manufacturers. Until then, they'll remain a 2nd tier niche underdog brand when it comes to QC
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You've clearly never used Tecnifibre.
They reign supreme for awful QC.
the_faceless_player
Hall of Fame
I don't doubt that every brand has challenges and batches with QC issues but agree this instance feels like the minority with Solinco. I've ordered dozens of their frames and every one has had tighter tolerance to stated specs than any of the other brands, except for maybe peak Yonex. Stark contrast to when I've gotten Blades in the past where 1 was 10g under spec and 1 was 10g over. Again, this is just my experience with them.
I think Solinco's bigger issue tends to be the frequency with which string reels are short of the 656ft they should be.
I think Solinco's bigger issue tends to be the frequency with which string reels are short of the 656ft they should be.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
TF definitely wins the award for worst QC in my experience, too.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Solinco QC has been pretty good in my experience. TF has been the worst. Head and Wilson have been bad. Wild swings in specs. Babolat has been better than Head and Wilson. Yonex has been a little better than Babolat
Of the 6 blade 100s in the v9 the unstrung swing weights went from 278 up to 302. I took the 302 and a 300 one right on back to TW. I will say I have 3 babolat PD Teams, two new and one from the 'used' basket at TW and two were exact on for SW and one or two grams off static, and the third took one gram at 3 to match the other ones. I was pretty pleased with that. Of course I know it's the exception and not the rule.
thebigz
Professional
We probably all have different anecdotal experiences. Since we are not talking about having measured hundreds of frames across different batches or sources I assume.
My worst experience has been with Babolat. 30 points SW apart for PA98 2023 from the lightest or heaviest SW I measured, out of 6-8 sticks over time.
Head has been very good in SW. But I've had rather small sample size.
TF is OK. Wilson is OK. Yonex a little better in static weight but just about average in swingweight.
I'm absolutely more bothered by having units being over spec significantly, which happened the most with Babolat, since I can't take that away easily. Almost all of the Wilson and Yonex off spec copies are under in swingweight for me, which is fine, easy to lead up.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
I seem to always get Head and Wilson racquets that have higher swingweights. I’ve gotten higher and super low swingweights with TF. I generally have gotten low swingweights with Babolat which I can add lead to.
Sounds like a luck of the draw thing since everyone’s experiences seem to vary.
thebigz
Professional
Yes
ChrisJR3264
Legend
I am joining the m33 party.
Delivery due today.
Delivery due today.
ChrisJR3264
Legend
My Tfight 305S came in with a low SW. even with weight on it, i feel it was poorly distributed. Odd flex in the throat. Wish it were stiffer.
thenewbig3
Hall of Fame
This is a thread about the SOLINCO M3.
I think its quite unfair for @Tim Buktu to drop in and doo-doo all over this unconnected thread with large sweeping statements about Solinco rackets - using his limited anecdotal data of spec variation about 2 different rackets - especially when it is demonstrable from years of anecdotal data that the BIG BRANDS are typically and sometimes considerably worse.
More meaningless anecdotal data from me - For me Prince has been the most consistent (to my spec expectations). Babolat has been most variable in both directions. Recent Head and Wilson have been high which really hurts me.... Yonex has been lower swingweight than my expectations with good other specs and is "fixable". My BO v2 is 280sw, My WO v2 16x19 was 302SW, My M3s were bang on my spec expectations.
I think its quite unfair for @Tim Buktu to drop in and doo-doo all over this unconnected thread with large sweeping statements about Solinco rackets - using his limited anecdotal data of spec variation about 2 different rackets - especially when it is demonstrable from years of anecdotal data that the BIG BRANDS are typically and sometimes considerably worse.
More meaningless anecdotal data from me - For me Prince has been the most consistent (to my spec expectations). Babolat has been most variable in both directions. Recent Head and Wilson have been high which really hurts me.... Yonex has been lower swingweight than my expectations with good other specs and is "fixable". My BO v2 is 280sw, My WO v2 16x19 was 302SW, My M3s were bang on my spec expectations.
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HypnoticLasagna
Semi-Pro
I had the opportunity to hit with MD over the weekend to get the M3 experience quoted above. Both frames were a menace, but I would have to agree with the comments. Oval definitely had more of a driven bounce that was difficult to return back. It caused panic since I was late to hit the ball back... a lot. When MD switched to the Round frame, I immediately noticed the loopier ball. While the ball to hit felt a little slower, it still had a lot of spin and kick, the ball I had to hit back was always up over my shoulders, which is also exhausting to return.
When I hit with them, I much preferred the oval frame much like everyone else. Very easy to maneuver and swing thru the air, and I just liked the ball I hit a bit more due to the lower trajectory. What can I say, it just hits a good ball. I tried a lot of frames that have come out this year, and this one is definitely worth checking out if/when it gets released, elite.
I felt a little less in control with the round egg frame with the higher launch, but I think it would take some more adjusting to. I thought the round had a more forgiving and uniform feeling string bed, but I thought it had a more polarized weighting despite the frames being matched, maybe this is what I felt as the "clubby" feeling previously described in the thread. I thought the round one feels a bit more like my whiteout with the similar launch and spin, but I would need to hit them back-to-back, which I have not yet been able to do. Soon hopefully.
Just had a lot of fun on the court with these just rallying, volleying, and hitting some ugly overheads.
My primary frame is the WOv2, but I have been using the BOv2 since injuring my knee. I think this prototype frame slots in really well in the lineup and the feel of these frames are excellent and less muted than the WO/BO. can see why Jack Kennedy switched to it and Andy Johnson has been hitting with it for a little longer.
Tim Buktu
Rookie
You sound like a Solinco fan boi.
Your WO's were seriously out of whack in terms of SW, which just proves my point!
I think I play better with the less popular one but I see why the other is more popular.
The ball comes off it hot and fast and I think my flatter stroke doesn't mesh with it as well.
Or maybe I'm just bad at tennis
Have Mach10 at 50lbs in them right now and going to probably add a little weight
The ball comes off it hot and fast and I think my flatter stroke doesn't mesh with it as well.
Or maybe I'm just bad at tennis
Have Mach10 at 50lbs in them right now and going to probably add a little weight
Dberger820
Rookie
Are a lot of guys on here sponsored by Solinco or have a long working relationship with them? How did you all receive the prototypes to test out?
thenewbig3
Hall of Fame
I think I play better with the less popular one but I see why the other is more popular.
The ball comes off it hot and fast and I think my flatter stroke doesn't mesh with it as well.
Or maybe I'm just bad at tennis
Have Mach10 at 50lbs in them right now and going to probably add a little weight
Out of the box Round-M3 worked better for me as well. For me it played with more control and the polarization made it easy swinging for me. (All my personal favorite rackets are more polarized and others have most of the weight added at 12).
The Round-M3 really won my heart BUT Oval-M3 is a bigger weapon that I can work into.
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mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Who found the round one to be “weird?” I don’t recall seeing anyone saying it was weird.
Does it play differently than the oval frame? Yes, it does. Different doesn’t mean and isn’t the same as weird at all.
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DropWideShot
Semi-Pro
I just emailed them but there is a chance I have to send the racquets back, havent had to so far
