Solinco Mach-10 Review: The Soft Poly That Actually Stays Soft

Soft polys have a reputation for not staying soft. The selling point — a gentler feel, more pop, easier on the arm — tends to fade faster than with standard polys. Solinco's solution to this is the Mach-10: a pentagonal shaped poly built on their CloudFORM technology, designed to maintain its soft, crisp response over the full life of the string rather than just the first few hours.

It's a bold claim, and having played with it in both my Babolat Pure Aero 98 and my partner's Head Extreme MP L, I can say it largely delivers. Here's the full picture.

What Is CloudFORM Technology and Why Does It Matter?

CloudFORM is Solinco's proprietary chemical formulation applied to the Mach-10's co-polyester compound. The idea is to engineer softness into the molecular structure of the string — not by reducing diameter or changing shape, but by altering the compound's response characteristics at the chemical level. The practical benefit is a string that feels soft and comfortable without the rapid tension decay you'd get from simply making the poly thinner or less dense.

In head-to-head tension retention tests, Mach-10 outperforms both Tour Bite Soft and Hyper-G Soft — the other soft-category strings in Solinco's lineup. That's a meaningful claim because those are already decent performers for tension maintenance. Mach-10 is genuinely the best tension-holder in Solinco's soft poly range.

The feel that results from CloudFORM is what Tennisnerd describes as "nice impact feel, still somewhat crisp despite being soft" — which is an accurate description. It doesn't have the mushy, dead softness of a string that's just lost its tension. It retains a crispness at impact that makes it feel responsive rather than deadened.

Spin: What Does the Pentagonal Profile Add?

Mach-10 shares its pentagonal (five-sided) shape with Solinco's other shaped strings — Hyper-G, Tour Bite, and Confidential. The five-sided profile creates edge bite on ball contact and allows the strings to snap back to position after impact, both of which drive topspin production. Mach-10 isn't the most spin-aggressive string in the Solinco range (that's probably Tour Bite or standard Hyper-G), but the shaped profile gives it meaningfully more spin potential than any round poly would.

The combination of pentagonal spin profile and CloudFORM's softer compound means Mach-10 sits in a unique spot: it's a spin string with a soft, comfortable feel rather than a firm, control-heavy one. Most shaped polys trade some comfort for their spin properties. Mach-10 doesn't force that trade-off as aggressively.

Power Output: More Pop Than Average, But Manageable

One of Mach-10's notable characteristics is its above-average power output for a poly. It provides more pop than you'd get from standard Hyper-G or Tour Bite, without crossing into multifilament territory. For players with lower swing speeds or control-oriented frames, this is a positive — easier to generate pace without extra effort. For aggressive players in already-powerful frames, it requires attention.

I tested Mach-10 in my Pure Aero 98 (RA 66, 16x20 pattern), which is already a fairly powerful setup, and found I needed to string it at the higher end of my normal tension range to maintain control. Not a dealbreaker, but something to calibrate for. In my Head Gravity Tour (RA 59, 16x19), the lower power of the frame absorbed the Mach-10's pop nicely and the combination felt well-balanced.

Solinco's own guidance essentially confirms this: Mach-10 works best in low-to-medium powered frames. In very stiff frames with open patterns, the added power can compound with the frame's existing liveliness and make control challenging. String it higher if you're in a powerful setup.

Solinco Mach-10 vs Hyper-G and Hyper-G Soft

This is the comparison players in the Solinco ecosystem naturally reach for. Hyper-G is a square-profiled poly with firm, control-heavy characteristics and excellent tension maintenance. Hyper-G Soft softens the compound but loses some of that tension stability. Where does Mach-10 sit?

Mach-10 is softer and more powerful than standard Hyper-G. Its tension maintenance is better than Hyper-G Soft. The spin profiles differ — Hyper-G's four-sided square profile creates a different type of bite than Mach-10's five-sided shape, with Hyper-G typically edging Mach-10 for raw spin generation but Mach-10 having the edge in feel and comfort.

If you've found Hyper-G too firm but liked Hyper-G Soft's feel and want better tension maintenance, Mach-10 is the answer. See our full Solinco Hyper-G comparison for more detail on the green poly family.

Solinco Mach-10 vs Confidential Soft

Solinco's Confidential Soft is another soft-bracket option that's popular for its control and muted feel at an accessible price point. Confidential Soft is rounder-feeling and less spin-aggressive; Mach-10 is crispier and has more pop. If you want something more control-focused and quiet, Confidential Soft is worth exploring — see the full review here. If you want more spin output and livelier feel from your soft poly, Mach-10 wins.

Gauge Options: 1.15mm to 1.30mm

Mach-10 is available in four gauges: 1.15mm, 1.20mm, 1.25mm, and 1.30mm. This range is wider than most polys offer, which is useful.

The 1.15mm is the spin maximiser of the range — thinner string means more bite, more snap, more topspin, and more feel. It'll also break faster, which matters for string-breakers. The 1.25mm is the standard recommendation and the best all-round starting point. The 1.30mm trades spin and feel for durability — good for heavy hitters who break strings but want to keep Mach-10's soft-crisp character.

My partner (heavier topspin, moderate swing speed) would get the most from 1.20mm in her Extreme MP L — the thinner gauge enhances her already spin-heavy game, and the frame's head-heavy design means she doesn't need the extra durability of 1.25mm.

Available as a single set at thetennisstore.com.au, or as a full reel for frequent stringers and coaches.

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Frequently Asked Questions — Solinco Mach-10

Solinco Mach-10 is available now in Australia from The Tennis Store as a single set or reel, with fast shipping Australia-wide.